Microsoft News

MSFT - At a technical conference in October, Microsoft executives are expected to give more details on a successor to the Windows Vista operating system, called Windows 7, and explain Microsoft's strategy for better tying together PCs, cellphones and online services. The Windows 7 process is being managed much tighter than the Vista development/launch was – the lack of a meaningful Vista uptick is one of the software giant's major problems. Ballmer wants to aggressive attack the consumer market and compete w/the iPhone - MSFT is said to be working on a new mobile consumer device code named Pink. WSJ

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121453082790709487.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace

MSFT - VentureBeat is reporting that Microsoft has agreed to buy semantic search engine Powerset for somewhere around $100 million; TechCrunch says it's not a done deal yet and might still be disrupted by the ongoing MSFT/YHOO talks.

MSFT – Engadget speculates on X-Box price cuts - Xbox 360 price dropping to $299.99 on July 6. Engadget.