eReaders - are they in or are they out?  Sony has just announced it's pulling the plug on its e-Reader production but at the same time, Barnes & Nobles' Nook is sending the opposite message; it's launching the Glowlight eReader. 

Sony's PRS-T3 was launched last year in 20 countries including Japan, Canada and European states, but was not released in the US.

Tech Expert Stuart Miles says investors should be aware that Sony's move may mean the market is saturated and that "everyone who wanted one, has bought one".

Elsewhere, it sounds like the worst could be over for Blackberry; its CEO John Chen has sent out a memo to his staff saying that he’s looking to start hiring again. 

But Stuart reckons it may be a little too late. he says the company is a "limping donkey" which doesn't have much 'umph' left to challenge Microsoft or Apple. He adds the consumers have "already left the ship" so the real task for Blackberry is to convince businesses to stay put.

BlackBerry is shifting its failed focus on consumers back to corporate and government clients and is building on its strengths in security and mobile-device management. The transition has seen the company laying off thousands of employees, including 40 percent of its work force, or 4,500 people, last September alone.

Apple and Samsung, which have been battling each other over patent lawsuits for years, are dropping all cases outside of the US. The agreement affects disputes in eight countries, but they will still push ahead with the most high-profile cases taking place in the States.

Stuart thinks this shows that investors should be warned that it seems the only people who actually benefit from the hours of litigation are the firms' lawyers and that in fact "patents don't get us anywhere".