In a first of its kind move, Visa USA and American Express Co. have dropped the hammer on an affiliated payment processor several months after its was revealed that a massive security breach exposed the records of millions of its cardholders.

Homework can be stressful—and not just for students. By the time children begin to struggle with complex assignments in middle and high school, most parents are a bunch of years out of the educational loop and not well-equipped to provide assistance. But now there's hope: Microsoft Student 2006 productivity software offers endless features, homework help for a range of subjects, and extensive multimedia—including music, artwork, and access to live radio and news—at a relatively affordable price ($100 direct).

Microsoft's delayed Longhorn operating system appears to be taking a page from the Unix management book by curbing user's administration rights.

Microsoft on Tuesday launched Money 2006, the latest version of its consumer finance software. The application now allows people to pay their bills from multiple accounts and includes enhancements to the Spending Tracker and other features. Pricing ranges from $29.95 for the standard edition to $79.95 for the premium version; a small-business version is available for $89.95. (Rebates range from $5 to $30.)

Arthur Sorkin has been courted by Microsoft twice now, and both times the computer scientist has been put off by the software giant's approach.

Bill Gates hinted to Japanese reporters Thursday that Microsoft might be interested in licensing the Xbox software to third parties. The move could turn the Xbox into a platform, with clones flooding the market and giving Microsoft more leverage to oust Sony's PlayStation as the dominant gaming console.