Microsoft and Yahoo are preparing to link together their free instant messaging services as they take on entrenched messaging leader AOL and market newcomer Google, a source close to the companies said on Tuesday according to the news agency Reuters.

If the deal was to go ahead, it would allow users of both systems to talk to each other via the two programs and be the first major alliance between two of the web’s main providers of instant messaging.

Source: pocket-lint.co.uk

A 21-year-old in England is hoping an idea he had in the middle of the night will help pay his way through college.

Alex Tew, who will start his studies at a university in England at the end of the month, has come up with a scheme to make himself an easy $1 million dollars. Tew built a Web site called the The Million Dollar Homepage, which he is selling off to advertisers, pixel by pixel. The page is broken up into 10,000 100-pixel squares; Tew sells the 100-pixel squares off for $100 each, or $1 per pixel.

The Million Dollar Homepage

A soldier stationed in Afghanistanrecently received a letter from his girlfriend back home. It read as follows:

Dear Ricky,

I can no longer continue our relationship. The distance between us is just too great. I must admit that I have cheated on you twice, since you’ve been gone, and it’s not fair to either of us.
I’m sorry. Please return the picture of me that I sent to you.
Love, Becky

The soldier, with hurt feelings, asked his fellow soldiers for any snapshots they could spare of their girlfriends, sisters or ex-girlfriends.In addition to the picture of Becky, Ricky included all the other pictures of the pretty gals he had collected from his buddies. There were 57 photos in that envelope…. along with this note:

Dear Becky,

I’m so sorry, but I can’t quite remember who the hell you are. Please take your picture from the pile, and send the rest back to me.

Take Care,
Ricky