AP - It is almost unthinkable that any one human could pick up where Bill Gates leaves off when he ends his full-time tenure Friday as Microsoft's leader.

Reuters - Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it has started selling its new server virtualization software about six weeks ahead of schedule, putting pressure on market leader VMware Inc.

Reuters - Forget iPods, BlackBerries and other electronic gadgets, most Cubans are still waiting for telephones and less than five percent have a computer, the government reported on Thursday.

Reuters - Yahoo Inc unveiled on Thursday its fourth reorganization in 18 months as the embattled Internet company hones its independent strategy after rebuffing Microsoft Corp's takeover bid.

AP - Chief Executive Howard Stringer said Sony Corp. will win back its electronic leadership by improving its Internet-linked gadgets, wiping out losses in video games and TVs and pushing services and software, not just hardware.

AP - Sony outlined its strategy for growth Thursday geared at regaining its lead in TVs, wiping out the red ink in video games and rolling out movie services to woo Net-savvy consumers.

Reuters - Chocolate maker Mars Inc, computer giant IBM and the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday they would team up to map the DNA of the cocoa tree to try to sweeten the crop's $5 billion market.

Reuters - Oracle Corp reported a 27 percent rise in quarterly profit as sales of new software beat expectations, but the company gave a cautious outlook citing economic uncertainties, and its shares fell 3 percent.