Microsoft has threatened to withdraw its Windows software from South Korea if the country's antitrust agency orders it to unbundle its MSN Messenger and Windows Media Player from the operating system. ...

"If the KFTC enters an order requiring Microsoft to remove code or redesign Windows uniquely for the Korean market, it might be necessary to withdraw Windows from the Korean market or delay offering new versions in Korea," Microsoft said in a U.S. regulatory filing Thursday.

Microsoft Korea yesterday played down the significance of a report in which the parent company raised the possibility of quitting the Korean market if local antitrust regulators demand modification of the Windows operating system.

An unidentified official at the Seoul office also told the Yonhap News Agency the company has not yet considered withdrawing from the Korean market.

"Microsoft pledges to continue to do its best for the Korean market, our partners and customers ... Microsoft will continue to make efforts to present the latest technologies in the Korean market and hopes to continue to make related investment," Microsoft Korea said in a statement.

Bill Gates is the most successful entrepreneur in American history. Every day, the products his company has created are used by more than a billion people, especially young people who probably have no idea the role Mr. Gates and Microsoft play in their everyday life. But who is he? How did he rise to become the youngest multi-billionaire ever in the U.S.? What is his vision for the future — the world of work, school and leisure — that awaits young people who increasingly lead a new digital lifestyle where they can, on demand, get what they want, when they want and how they want?

"The Notorious B.G." is a special that features the first MTV forum with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and MTV News correspondent Gideon Yago discussing the road ahead with a diverse group of approximately 80 tech-savvy 16- to 24-year-olds.

Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of Microsoft® Works Suite 2006, featuring a collection of Microsoft’s home software titles in one easy-to-use, affordable package. With Microsoft Works 8, Word 2002, Encarta® Encyclopedia Standard 2006, Digital Image Standard 2006, Money 2006 Standard, and Streets & Trips Essentials 2006, this comprehensive product is designed to help consumers accomplish more using their home PC. ...

“Whether you’re a multitasking mom or dad, your time is precious,” said Kim Schaefer, product manager for Works Suite at Microsoft. “Microsoft Works Suite 2006 offers families the best tools to quickly accomplish the things they need to do so they can spend more time enjoying the things they want to do.”

Microsoft reported quarterly revenues of $9.74 billion, up 6 percent from $9.19 billion a year earlier. Operating income rose 16 percent year over year to $4.05 billion and net income was $3.14 billion, or 29 cents a share. Sequential comparison: In the fiscal fourth quarter, revenue was $10.16 billion, with operating income of $2.99 billion and net income of $2.56 billion, or 23 cents a share.

Time Warner’s board of directors will hold crucial discussions about AOL’s future at a meeting on Thursday, focusing on whether to partner with Microsoft or Google, although a final decision is not expected immediately.

People briefed on AOL’s talks with potential suitors said a number of companies, including Yahoo, had approached the internet division of Time Warner about a possible tie-up, but “serious discussions” continued only with Microsoft and Google at this stage.

An MSN executive is disputing that MSN Messenger is running contextual ads based on the users' instant messaging conversations, as recent reports suggest.

MSN Messenger is, however, serving up text ads based on its users' age, gender, and other demographic information.

"Customer confidentiality and privacy is MSN's number one priority. MSN Messenger advertisements are based on demographic information the user provides when creating their Passport account, such as age, gender, language, zip code and country," said David Jakubowski, general manager of MSN Search Strategy and Go-to-Market.

You are bidding on a Box of 1000 Microsoft Cups! Created for an official Microsoft party, these cups are made from Polystyrene foam, and will keep any beverage Hot or Cold!

McLaughlin, 28, of Bensalem, filed suit in federal court Monday, alleging copyright infringement. He claims Bill Gates' corporation used three songs from the band's [Ink & Dagger] 1998 CD "The Fine Art of Original Sin," on a snowboarding video game, "Amped," for Microsoft's XBOX system, without the band's consent. ...

McLaughlin, who now works construction and isn't making music, says he "despises" video games and feels it "incredibly rude" of Microsoft not to ask permission from his band to use the tracks. "They had no legal right to do it," he says.

13. His first programming job was in high school making a program that organizes an efficient schedule. He used it to sign up to classes that had the hottest girls.

MSN Search today announced its intention to launch MSN® Book Search, which will support MSN Search’s efforts to help people find exactly what they’re looking for on the Web, including the content from books, academic materials, periodicals and other print resources. MSN Search intends to launch an initial beta of this offering next year. MSN also intends to join the Open Content Alliance (OCA) and work with the organization to scan and digitize publicly available print materials, as well as work with copyright owners to legally scan protected materials.

“With MSN Book Search, we are excited to be working with libraries worldwide to digitize and index information from the world’s printed materials, taking another step in our efforts to better answer people’s questions with trusted content from the best sources,” said Christopher Payne, corporate vice president of MSN Search at Microsoft Corp. “We believe people will benefit from the ability to not just view a page, but to easily act on that data in contextually relevant ways, both online in the search experience and in the applications they are using.”

MSN will first make available books that are in the public domain and is working with the Internet Archive to digitize the material. MSN will then work to extend its offering to other types of offline content. The digitized content will primarily be print material that has not been copyrighted, and Microsoft will clearly respect all copyrights and work with each partner providing the information to work out mutually agreeable protections for copyrights.

Seventeen years after Microsoft began operating in Israel, the company's founder and chairman, Bill Gates, arrived yesterday for his first visit to the country.

Gates will not be leaving his hotel, the David Intercontinental in Tel Aviv, during the 24-hour lightning visit, except for a short meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon elsewhere in the city. ...

Microsoft said only that the schedule suited Gates' itinerary: After Israel, he will be visiting Jordan. ...

Tomorrow Gates will be lecturing before 2,000 business leaders on the new work space, and visions of future software for business applications. He will also be meeting with 40 outstanding high school students to discuss technological innovation. He will be leaving Israel at 3 P.M.

Rumors are abound that the RTM date has officially been set for July 25th, 2006. Microsoft is pushing hard for this date to prepare OEM's for the Christmas season ramp-up. With all of the new sku's being released, OEM's and Microsoft have been in talks to prepare them for the madness that will follow the release. A Beta 2 of Vista is expected to be in testers hands on December 16th, 2005.

He pointed to the strength of Microsoft's MSN brand outside of the United States as proof that the company is making strides in the Web search market. "People say 'I'm going to MSN you' in Holland and Korea. Not here. But globally, more people spend time online with MSN than any other site," he said.

Microsoft Corp., already under government scrutiny over its behavior toward competitors, told manufacturers of iPod-like portable audio devices that under a new marketing program they would not be allowed to distribute rivals' music player software but pulled back after one company protested.

The Justice Department said that the incident was "unfortunate," but that government lawyers decided to drop the issue because Microsoft agreed 10 days later to change the proposal. The government disclosed details of the dispute in a federal court document made available Thursday.

The disputed proposal described in the court document as a "draft specification" would have affected portable music players that compete with Apple Computer Inc.'s wildly popular iPod. The plan would have precluded manufacturers of those devices from distributing software to consumers other than Microsoft's Windows Media Player in exchange for Microsoft-supplied CDs.

The five-year deal makes Microsoft the stadium's first "founding partner," a title the stadium is reserving for only its largest sponsors and which comes loaded with perks.

Wembley, which is home of England's national soccer team, will be wired with the latest information technology from Microsoft as it enters the final stages of its $1.53-billion rebuild.

In return, Microsoft's logo will be seen by millions passing through the stadium's turnstiles when it reopens in May 2006, as the deal allows the company to place 100 branded "plaques" around the stadium. Microsoft will also get a box on the halfway line and exclusive use of the 90,000-seat venue for one day each year.