Technology shares are down in mid-day trading following disappointing news from a key industry trade group. Earlier, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported chip sales fell 1.1% in February. That sent chip issues lower. Intel is down 1.5% while Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is down 2.4%. In mid-day technology news, Epicor Software (EPIC) hit a 52-week high of $12.54 after it says it and Activant Solutions will be bought by Apax Partners in a deal worth about $2 billion. Meanwhile, Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) is up 1.97% to $4.65, on plans to launch service that allows customers to pay with their mobile phones using near-field communication technology, or NFC.