Microsoft to buy sections of Yahoo!

As your all well aware by now, Yahoo turned and ran in the opposite direction from Microsoft’s bid to acquire them. Well it turns out Microsoft’s not done chasing just yet.

Microsoft have dropped the idea of buying the entire company, to now focus on specific areas the business. Throughout the months the offer was on the table, many speculated about exactly what Microsoft was after in placing their bid. It looks like we’ll be finding out very shortly.

If it is indeed Yahoo’s advertising market and other new media properties like Flickr, Buzz, Messenger, and the audiences that come with them, then my question is – what’s left at Yahoo if they go?

This story has a long way to go, but it’s interesting none the less.

More @ AustralianIT

Microsoft’s $44.6 Billion bid, declined by Yahoo!

News just in today that Microsoft’s massive US$44.6 Billion bid, just isn’t enough for Yahoo. They’ve chosen to decline the bid from the Software giant, saying that $31 per share is undervaluing the company. Here’s some news for you Yahoo, despite the number you have in your head of what the company is worth, recent declines meant that $31 per share was around 60% more than what your worth.

Reportedly, Yahoo believe they’re worth as much as $40 per share, a value they haven’t seen since 2005. Maybe this is simply in hope that Microsoft will borrow even more to swallow up Yahoo, but with this announcement it seems clear, Yahoo simply does not want to be bought by Microsoft.

Personally I think Microsoft should never have made the offer in the first place. Another strategy would have been to hire some good new talent, after all we are talking Billions here. Take that new fresh innovative talent, throw it into your labs, and actually produce really good new products. Something like Surface or Photosynth, just actually deliver it this time.

More @ ArcTechnica

Discovery buys howstuffworks.com for US $250 Million

If you’ve never used howstuffworks you’ve been missing out. There’s some great content on there about pretty much any subject you can think of. It’s been around for nearly 10 years, quite a long time in web-years, before now being acquired by Discovery.

More @ Mashable