Microsoft to provide advertising for Digg

(Reuters) - Microsoft replaces Google Inc. as Digg's provider of display ads, boosting the world's largest software maker's efforts to gain a stronger footing in the growing online advertising market.




The two companies said the three-year agreement would go into effect in the coming weeks. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

UPDATE 2-Google to buy Web security co Postini for $625 mln

(Reuters) - NEW YORK, July 9 - Google Inc. said on
Monday it has agreed to buy Web-based security provider Postini
for $625 million, expanding its package of online applications
to compete with Microsoft Corp.'s Office.




Privately held Postini provides security and encryption
services, protecting instant messaging, e-mail and other
communications, to more than 35,000 businesses and 10 million
users worldwide.


Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

Sony cuts price on PlayStation 3 by $100

(Reuters) - The PlayStation 3, which includes a 60-gigabyte hard drive and a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player, will now cost $500, or $20 more than the most expensive version of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360.




The PS3 still costs twice that of Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s Wii console, whose $250 price and motion-sensing controller have made it a best-seller despite its lack of cutting-edge graphics and hard disk.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

U.S. Stocks Drop as Jobs Growth Tops Forecast; Microsoft Shares Decline

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks fell, paring a weekly
gain, after signs of a tightening labor market heightened
concern that economic growth will stoke inflation.

Verizon Communications Inc., General Motors Corp. and
American Express Co. led the Dow Jones Industrial Average lower
for a second day. Microsoft Corp., the world's biggest software
maker, dropped after it said repairs to its Xbox 360 game
console will cost as much as $1.15 billion.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Red Hat CEO says he talked patents with Microsoft

(Reuters) - The developer of Linux software, has yet to sign such a deal which could see Novell, its biggest rival, woo customers away from Red Hat and work on product development and sales with the world's No.1 software maker.




In an interview with Reuters, Szulik declined to say whether his company is now in negotiations with Microsoft over signing such a patent agreement.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

UPDATE 1-Antitrust gripes prompt Vista changes-source

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department and Microsoft are expected to
provide details of the proposed changes in a joint report filed
in federal court later on Tuesday, the source said, speaking on
condition of anonymity.




The source provided no details on what changes Microsoft
had agreed to make.


Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News

Platinum's Neilson, Australia's Newest Billionaire, Avoids Share `Fashion'

(Bloomberg) -- Kerr Neilson, manager of Australia's
biggest international equity fund, says he doesn't care about
short-term returns or the latest top stocks. That's probably a
good thing, since the fund is underperforming this year.

Neilson is buying shares of some of the world's biggest
companies, including Microsoft Corp. and International Paper Co.
for the A$9.5 billion ($7.8 billion) Platinum International Fund.
Since its launch 12 years ago the fund has returned more than
twice the Morgan Stanley Capital International World Index.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

UPDATE 1-European court's Microsoft ruling Sept 17-sources

(Reuters) - The Commission, executive arm of the European Union, decided
in March 2004 that Microsoft had violated antitrust laws. It
fined the company 497 million euros and ordered
changes to Microsoft's business practices.




The Commission found that Microsoft's Windows, used by more
than 95 percent of the world's personal computers, allowed too
little interoperability for other software makers.


Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News

Google's share of U.S. search market jumped in April

(Reuters) - By contrast, the No. 2-ranked Web search provider, Yahoo Inc. saw its U.S. search share in April fall 0.7 points to 26.8 percent. Microsoft Corp.'s sites lost 0.6 percentage points to 10.3 percent, comScore data showed.




IAC/InterActiveCorp's Ask.com fell 0.1 percentage points in April to 5.1 percent of the U.S market, it said.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

U.S. Stocks Rise on Takeovers; aQuantive, General Electric, Intel Advance

(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stocks rose after Microsoft Corp.
agreed to buy aQuantive Inc. for $6 billion, extending this year's
record pace of mergers and acquisitions.

AQuantive surged after Microsoft, the world's biggest
software maker, said it will buy the company to expand online
advertising services. General Electric Co. rose on expectations
the world's second-biggest company by market value will sell its
plastics unit to Saudi Basic Industries Corp. for about $11
billion.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News