Early today, Microsoft announced its bid to acquire Yahoo! for $44.6 billion. The offer amounts to $31 per share, a 62 percent increase over Yahoo's stock price of $19.18 on Thursday. The proposed deal, as widely reported, signals Microsoft's intensified aggression against Google, which dominates Internet search with 60 percent of the market, as well as online advertising. The bid, if accepted, would be Microsoft's priciest acquisition to date.

It's a nearly ubiquitous balloon animal, but it won’t be joining friendly floaters such as Big Bird in the upcoming Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It's a different breed. Angry. Unsightly. We're talking, of course, about The Rat: The giant inflatable creature with the menacing buck teeth, long claws, and red, beady eyes. Read More »

EMI is testing out new business models and attempting to improve its relationship with consumers at the same time. Recent partnerships with iTunes, Amazon, and YouTube could prove successful for the record label's brand as it cozies up to some of music aficionados' favorite digital services.

Yesterday morning, before a packed house on the west side of New York, Motorola unveiled its cellphones of the future, as well as a conflicting message about what it's trying to accomplish with the specter of the iPhone looming. Is the user interface the most important thing, or do people want their phones to make a fashion statement? Motorola claimed it was the former, but really only showed the latter.

Now departing John F. Kennedy International Airport: JetBlue Founder and CEO David Neeleman.

JetBlue Airways said today its founder, David Neeleman, is stepping aside as chief executive officer and will be succeeded in that role by David Barger, Mr. Neeleman’s long-time No. 2 executive, reports The New York Times.

Dow Jones Co. Inc., owners of The Wall Street Journal, received an unusual and surprising offer this morning. According to CNBC, Rupert Murdoch and his company News Corp. offered $60 a share for all outstanding shares in order to purchase the preeminent newspaper company. The asking price for a share of Dow Jones Co. at the time of the proposal was a little over $36. This comes out to an estimated $5 billion if Dow Jones accepts.

Over 40,000 children injure themselves every year from riding all-terrain vehicles. Manufacturers want to appease parents concerns about this number, and the solution proposed; make children vehicles bigger and faster, according to the Wall Street Journal. (Subscription required)

As we all mourn the loss of 32 Virginia Tech students, it should come as no surprise that Americans--and particularly college students--have congregated on Facebook to grieve together. Read More »

If I were Don Imus I would stay home for a while. Not just in the house, but in bed, with the shades drawn.

With all the invectives being slung around -- about his comb-over, his lack of sexual prowess, his tired rants -- it's better just to hibernate out of sight than to feed the fire. But the problem with Imus, which is what got him into trouble in the first place, is that he doesn't know when to stop, stick his foot in his mouth, and call it a day.

What will replace the fossil-fuel burning car as we know it? Will it be ethanol? Hydrogen? Electricity? Despite the gas-guzzling Hummers, pickup trucks, and SUVs whose four-wheel-drive, offroad capabilities most Americans will never, ever need, there were signs that things are changing at this year’s New York International Auto Show. I met with three different companies and checked out their visions for the future of cars. One was an established German auto maker, another an inventive American startup, and the last, well, they spurred the start of the space tourism industry. Read More »