AP - Japan will stop pushing for legislation to charge royalties on the sales of iPods and other portable digital music players, giving in to opposition from electronics makers, officials said Thursday.

AP - The Japanese government said Thursday it will support Sony Corp., Sharp Corp. and other domestic companies in joint development of super-thin TVs based on organic light-emitting diodes.

AP - Having fallen so far behind Google Inc. that it became a takeover target, Yahoo Inc. is banking on the creativity of other Web developers to help preserve its independence and regain ground in the lucrative Internet search advertising market.

Reuters - Microsoft Corp introduced on Wednesday pricing for its suite of online services targeted at corporate customers and a revenue-sharing plan to encourage other companies to sell the software company's products.

Reuters - Seeking to be one of the world's first to grab the new-generation iPhone, fanatical Apple fans around Asia are queuing up two days before its launch, undiscouraged by rain or freezing temperatures.

AP - In the latest expansion beyond its main mission of organizing the world's information, Internet search leader Google Inc. hopes to orchestrate more fantasizing on the Web.

AFP - Videogame colossus Electronic Arts has said an online Scrabble game customized for Facebook will be released this month to challenge the popular unauthorized version Scrabulous.