Microsoft-Yahoo search deal imminent?

Kara Swisher at All Things Digital says Microsoft is close to offering Yahoo boatloads of money to acquire Yahoo’s search advertising.

Top executives at Microsoft–including SVP of the Online Audience Business Group Yusuf Mehdi, search head Satya Nadella and top digital exec Qi Lu, as well as others–have all flown down to Silicon Valley from their Redmond, Wash., HQ today to iron out the remaining issues, which seem to have to do with the deployment of technology.

Expect speculation to run rampant. Will they finally seal a deal? My guess is yes – but it’s only a guess. Microsoft has a lot of money burning a hole in its pocket, and Yahoo could use the infusion.

Price break for UK Windows 7 upgrades

I haven’t seen this on any of the PC sites yet, but DD just wrote to me to say:

Users in the uk who signed up for the RC (I did, but didn’t get it because it wouldn’t download and I just gave up after 10 attempts) recieved notification yesterday that we can pre order from a selection of retailers for up to 47% off up until the start of August (subject to limited numbers) for the the 22 October release of it.

Good news. Anybody have details? The UK versions are horribly over-priced…

UPDATE: The Telegraph reports:

for this limited pre-sale period Windows Home Premium is available for £49.99 instead of £149.99 and Windows 7 Professional for £99.99 instead of £189.99.

Remember, the “Windows 7 E” version – which is the only version available in UK – is a full install package, not an upgrade version. At current exchange rates, MS is offering the full Windows 7 E Home Premium for US $ 82, down from the (outrageous!) list price of US $ 246.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Microsoft has posted its official description of how to install the “E” versions of Windows 7. That page also includes a good overview of Windows Easy Transfer, the utility you will probably use to save all of your data if you do a clean install of any version of Windows 7.