MICROSOFT

Steve Jobs, who transformed the worlds of personal computing, music and mobile phones, died on Wednesday at the age of 56 after a years-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

The death of Apple co-founder and tech visionary Steve Jobs on Wednesday prompted an outpouring from public figures across the nation. Everyone from Snoop Dogg to President Barack Obama paid tribute to the man who transformed the computer and entertainment industries, and forever changed the way we consume media.

President Barack Obama joined an outpouring of tributes to Steve Jobs, calling the Apple co-founder a visionary and great American innovator.

Apple's closest rival Samsung Electronics on Wednesday released a statement after Steve Jobs' death stating that its rival was an innovative spirit.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs died on Wednesday. He was 56.

Give Steve Jobs credit: while nobody can possibly know how Apple will fare without its co-founder and Chairman, the company has a qualified CEO and management team. In Silicon Valley these days, that's a major difference.

On the night Apple chairman and founder Steve Jobs died, users took to Twitter to express their sympathies and thoughts of the late Apple head.

Jobs leaves a proud legacy at Apple

Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) has struck more than 40 deals with TV and entertainment companies, making it possible for owners of its Xbox gaming console who are also paying cable subscribers to watch live television through the devices.

Microsoft Corp is considering a bid for Yahoo Inc, resurfacing as a potential buyer after a bitter and unsuccessful fight to take over the Internet company in 2008, sources close to the situation said on Wednesday.

In 2008, Microsoft tried -- and spectacularly failed -- to buy Yahoo at a price of $33 per share, which valued the company at about $47.5 billion. Yahoo now has a market cap of about $20 billion and is trading at just under $16 per share.

Microsoft is getting ready to transform the Xbox gaming experience into a full- fledged multimedia venture by bringing cable television to its 360 console during the holidays.

With Canadian activist Victor Alboini already buying into BlackBerry maker Research in Motion and rumors that Carl Icahn may join him, a top analyst suggests there’s little interest in another company taking it over.

Eastman Kodak may have dodged the bankruptcy bullet after announcing a regular financial repayment. Shares have nearly doubled since Friday, when they set a record low amid reports the end was near.

Microsoft has killed off its mp3 music player the Zune to focus on its Windows Phone offering. Microsoft folded the Zune on the eve of Apple's big iPhone announcement.

Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer failed to clinch his maximum bonus for the second year running due to the company's slow progress in mobile phones and adapting to the tablet computer revolution.

Uncertainty over Yahoo may have attracted interest from Russia’s Digital Sky Technologies as well as from China’s Alibaba Group and Silver Lake Partners.

Apple Inc. fans has been waiting and expecting the company to showcase the most anticipated smartphone iPhone 5 on Tuesday. The Apple's Let's Talk iPhone event is just hours away.

The iPhone 5 release frenzy has reached its zenith with barely hours left before Apple unveils the new gadget, but for the keener eye, the Tuesday event will be marked by how Apple lays out the iCloud and iOS 5. Many believe that being too engrossed with the specifications of upcoming iPhone 5 is equal to missing the wood for trees. The Tuesday event has more to do with Apple's long-term strategy than with gaining upper hand in the gadget market.

Since July 1, 2002, IBM shares have tripled in value, while Microsoft stock has barely budged.

With Apple's iPhone announcement just one day away, excitement is at a fever pitch. But what is truly known about Apple's mystery product? Here are the facts.