Analyst: Microsoft Should Buy Yahoo

A Merrill Lynch analyst is rekindling an old Internet romance story. Merrill analyst Justin Post brought back suggestions that Redmond software behemoth Microsoft should consider a Yahoo acquisition. He said the No. 2 search company would be a catch for either Microsoft or a large media company looking to boost its online presence. “A Microsoft-Yahoo combination would be in a better position, in our view, to compete against Google,” Mr. Post wrote in a research note Monday.

iPod Users Consider Zune

Are the Apple faithful contemplating apostasy? A study released Monday would suggest so: More than half of Apple Computers’ iPod users would consider switching to Microsoft’s upcoming Zune media player. ABI Research conducted a survey that found 58 percent of iPod owners planning to buy another MP3 player would consider Microsoft’s Zune.

Gaming's High-Definition FutureWhen viewed in high-definition, the glossy cars, detailed racetracks, and explosive physics of Burnout Revenge for the Xbox 360 are pretty impressive. But it’s the high-speed crash scenes that really showcase what the game can do. Slam a competitor into the wall and watch as your rival’s car crumples, flips, and emits a shower of sparks and broken metal. Whether for watching NFL games, episodes of Lost, or Discovery Channel documentaries, consumers around the world are forking over serious cash for high-def TVs. During the first half of 2006, NPD Group says U.S. shoppers spent more than $4 billion on LCD and plasma TVs. According to iSuppli, shipments of HD displays should overtake analog cathode ray tubes (CRTs) by 2008.

Hacker Academy Launched

The underground world of self-schooled hackers has taken a turn for the weird.The HackerAcademy, launched Wednesday, will offer hands-on classes in information security and hacking from hackers. But this is not a school for would-be online bad guys. Chicago-based HackerAcademy intends to train people to learn tricks exploited by hackers so they can protect their future employers. The school offers two certificate programs, the certified ethical hacker and the certified security analyst. The school’s instructors are hackers.

Microsoft, Novell in Linux Pact

In a radical change of course, software giant Microsoft Thursday announced a sweeping technology and marketing pact with Linux distributor and sometime rival Novell. Microsoft will offer sales support for Suse Linux, which is sold by Novell. The two companies will also work together to make it easier for computers to run both Microsoft's Windows operating system and Suse Linux more easily. While the announcement included no hard financial numbers, the two firms said that Microsoft will provide “balance payments” to Novell, and Novell will pay royalties to Microsoft for the use of its intellectual property.

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