NEW YORK - Junior Mints, Yoo-hoo, Drake's Coffee Cakes, puffy shirts: These are all things Jerry Seinfeld has endorsed - at least in his alter ego on his classic sitcom. Now, add Microsoft software.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp.'s free Web-based e-mail service and other sites have been unavailable for hours to Internet users around the world Tuesday.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Union regulators said Monday they were again investigating software giant Microsoft Corp. this time on suspicion of abusing its market position by squeezing out competing Internet browsers and software rivals dependent on Microsoft programs.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. is pulling back from a system that disables programs on users' computers if it suspects the software is pirated, opting instead for a gentler approach based on nagging alerts.

NEW YORK - Stocks advanced Friday as strong earnings from Microsoft Corp. and an optimistic outlook from Countrywide Financial Corp. outweighed investor concerns about the economy.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. launched a Web site Thursday for managing personal health and medical information, but privacy advocates worry that neither the technology nor U.S. law will protect patients’ most confidential details.

SEATTLE - Bowing to pressure from Google Inc. and antitrust regulators, Microsoft Corp. will make it easier for Windows Vista users to pick a non-Microsoft program to search their hard drives.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. released an emergency security patch Tuesday to plug a hole in several versions of Windows - including Vista, which the software maker has touted as its most secure operating system ever.

NEW YORK - Microsoft Corp. is resuming its pursuit of search engine operator Yahoo Inc. that could help it better compete with Web search leader Google Inc., published reports said Friday.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Microsoft Corp. said Monday it would give U.S. security vendors Symantec Corp. and McAfee Inc. some of the information they want to make their products work with Microsoft's new operating system, Vista.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp.’s answer to Apple’s iPod will be built by Toshiba Corp., the software company confirmed Friday. The gadget, which will be one of the products marketed under Microsoft’s ‘‘Zune’’ brand, will let people share songs, photos, music playlists and other content with others via a wireless connection.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. is considering discounts or other promotions during the holidays to entice consumers to upgrade their PCs with Windows Vista, even though the new operating system isn't due to hit store shelves until January at the earliest.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp.'s best-known business software is for creating spreadsheets, documents and presentations, but the company is hoping to convince corporations that it also can be the one-stop shop for sophisticated communications technology.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. shares dipped to a new 52-week low Friday after the company said it planned to significantly beef up investments in many areas where it is not dominant, but refused to provide details.

HANOVER, Germany - After months of cryptic Web marketing and word-of-mouth hype over Microsoft Corp.'s Project Origami, the company finally showed off the product: an ultracompact computer running Windows XP with a touchscreen and wireless connectivity.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday that it will significantly ramp up the availability of its Xbox 360 video-game consoles, following production problems that have made the popular game systems difficult to find on store shelves.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Cisco Systems Inc., the world's largest network equipment maker, said on Monday it's partnering with Microsoft Corp. to create a package of communications tools geared for businesses.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday released a business version of software that aims to help people more quickly find documents, e-mail and other data stored on Windows-based computers.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union on Thursday threatened to fine Microsoft Corp. up to 2 million euros ($2.37 million) a day for failing to obey its 2004 antitrust ruling, saying the company was being intransigent about sharing information regarding its software blueprints with competitors.

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. is reorganizing its corporate structure and giving one of its newest executives broader powers in an effort to better compete against its rivals, including Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc.

SEATTLE - Here's a possible slogan for Microsoft Corp.: If you can't beat 'em, join the guys who are having the same problem. Microsoft struck two deals this week with sometime adversaries aimed in part at taking on mutual competitors.

May 4, 2005

November 21, 2004

December 17, 2004