Stories by: Paul Boutin

Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Mobile Marketplace (or is it Windows Marketplace for Mobile? Microsoft uses both names) is the company's answer to Apple's App Store.

A few random Web servers have recently been treated to a test version of a new Yahoo home page. MediaPost blogger Mark Walsh scored a screenshot of the page, and describes what he saw:

A few years ago, Microsoft acquired voice recognition company Tellme, for a rumored US$800 million. After the deal, the Tellme team has remained relatively quiet -- until now. Microsoft has just announced improvements to the service that it says will bring savings and better voice quality to corporate users.

A new phishing attack is underway against Facebook users. TechCrunch details the attack, which begins with an email to your inbox that looks like the standard notification of a message from a Facebook friend.

The Wall Street Journal reports as fact, not as "according to sources," that Microsoft has a multimedia touchscreen phone code named Pink. Microsoft and Verizon, the Journal says, plan to launch the phone and an app store early next year specifically as an iPhone competitor.

iPhone apps such as Tweetie may or may not make their creators rich. It's safe to say most iPhone app sellers won't be able to quit their day jobs. But that hasn't stopped both geeks and non-geeks alike from pouring their enthusiasm into thinking up, designing, and building iPhone applications that they sell or give away in Apple's App Store.

Flash, the technology used by YouTube to stream video clips into your browser window, is now installed on 98 percent of all computers, according to Adobe Systems, which acquired the technology in 2005. The company also says that about 80 percent of Web videos are viewed using Flash. If those stats are accurate, they make a solid case for building Flash into living-room televisions. A New York Times report said Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen was to announce the details on upcoming Flash-enabled televisions Monday at the high-profile National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas.

Important company data gets lost when company laptops are damaged. And while most damage is accidental, a significant portion of it is caused by "anger or frustration" that employees take out on their laptops.

Nokia's iPhone-wannabe 5800 XpressMusic smartphone is doing great, analysts say. But Nokia as a whole is expected to report a steep drop in profits for the first quarter of 2009. While the company still dominates with a 40 percent market share, it is expected to see its lead erode while BlackBerry maker Research in Motion gains ground.

Skype founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom are trying to buy back their Internet phone company from eBay, the New York Times reported over the weekend. The pair are said to have approached potential investors for a multi-billion-dollar deal. Here's a summary of the situation: