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A roundup of the latest high-tech news “Hot Off the Wire” from The Associated Press and Local Tech Wire:

• Nokia lodges another complaint against Apple

NEW YORK — Finnish cell phone maker Nokia Corp. said Friday that it has extended its patent-infringement claims against Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) to include the new iPad.

The latest complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Madison, Wis., follows other lawsuits by Nokia claiming that a broad swath of Apple products violate Nokia patents. Nokia says the disputed technologies help reduce the size and cost of electronic gadgets. Apple had already responded with its own infringement claims against Nokia.

Lawsuits over patent rights are common in the technology industry. They can take years to resolve and often end with some kind of licensing agreement. In the meantime, consumers should be able to buy the Apple or Nokia products in question.

Apple has also sued Taiwan’s HTC Corp., one of the leading producers of cell phones that run on Google Inc.’s Android software, a potential challenger to Apple’s popular iPhone. Apple says HTC’s Android phones violate iPhone patents.

The legal disputes come amid increasing competition in the fast-growing market for smart phones. Tech companies are scrambling to win over the growing number of consumers buying cell phones that come with e-mail, Web surfing and scores of apps for checking the weather, updating Facebook and other tasks.

Nokia is the world’s biggest cell phone maker, though it is more dominant in Asia and Europe. In the U.S., it faces intense competition from the iPhone and Research in Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerrys.

Nokia’s latest lawsuit targets the iPhone and the iPad 3G, the version of the device that can connect to the Web using cell phone networks. Nokia said the gadgets infringe on five patents related to technology that makes voice and data communications more efficient, which allows the devices to be more compact.

"We have taken this step to protect the results of our pioneering development and to put an end to continued unlawful use of Nokia’s innovation," Nokia executive Paul Melin said in a statement.

• Google invests in North Dakota wind farms

BISMARCK, N.D. — Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) has bought a $38.8 million stake in two North Dakota wind farms — an investment that a state regulator believes will spur more interest in the state’s growing wind energy industry.

Google spokesman Jamie Yood said it was the Mountain View, Calif.-based Internet company’s first direct investment in a renewable energy project. He called North Dakota "a tremendous wind resource."

"We figured this makes financial sense for us and allows us to accelerate deployment of clean energy," Yood said Friday.

The wind farms — one in eastern North Dakota and the other in the central part of the state — are operated by Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy Resources LLC. Together they generate about 170 megawatts of power, enough to power about 55,000 homes, Yood said.

NextEra spokesman Steve Stengel said the projects include 33 turbines that generate 49.5 megawatts in northern Burleigh County, north of Bismarck, and 80 turbines that generate 120 megawatts in Griggs and Steele counties in eastern North Dakota.

NextEra announced this week that it had sold $190 million of membership interest in the wind farms, which are part of its Peace Garden Wind subsidiary.

"Google was one of a number of entities that invested in that," Stengel said. He declined to say how many investors were involved in the project, or if the company was the biggest.

North Dakota has about 1,200 megawatts of power generated from wind turbines, and another 95 megawatts under construction, Clark said. North Dakota had no wind farms 10 years ago, he said.

The Washington, D.C.-based American Wind Energy Association rates North Dakota as having the nation’s greatest wind energy potential, although the state ranks only 10th in wind power output.

• Borders begins taking orders for e-book reader

NEW YORK — Borders Group Inc. has begun taking orders for the Kobo electronic book reader and pushing it at a lower price than competing devices.

Borders also said Friday that its e-bookstore and software will be available beginning in June.

The Kobo e-reader device will retail for $149.99 and come preloaded with 100 "classic" books, the bookseller said. Friday. Borders’ e-bookstore and e-reader software will run on Kobo technology. It will run on the Kobo device as well as most smartphones, personal computers and Apple Inc.’s iPad.

Traditional bookstores have struggled with increased online competition and discounters and have started focusing on the small but quickly growing e-book category.

Barnes & Noble’s $259 e-reader, the Nook, launched last year.

Borders said in December it was partnering with Canada’s Kobo Inc. to launch the e-book store that would work across multiple devices.

The field has so far been dominated by Amazon.com’s Kindle e-reader, which also sells for $259, with new competition in the Nook and iPad.

"Even though Borders is playing catch-up with its peers, I like that they’re pursuing the value angle with the low price point," said Michael Norris, senior trade analyst at Simba Information. He said that since people may feel they don’t read enough books to commit to a dedicated device, "the lower price point might bring some on-the-fence e-book readers around and also make it an easier gift."

Borders said it will start selling the Kobo e-reader and other e-reading devices, in special areas of its store beginning in August.

Pre-ordered Kobos are scheduled to arrive beginning June 17.