Microsoft will not open another discussion regarding the acquisition of Yahoo, but Microsoft is still interested in doing business with the Yahoo search engine.

The Microsoft’s Chief of Executives, Steve Ballmer said, Microsoft is still interested in continuing the discussion of partnership to buy Yahoo’s search business, but not for total acquisition.

Ballmer said at the annual meeting of Microsoft shareholders that he had ended any discussion regarding Yahoo acquisition.

As quoted from Reuters at Wednesday (11/19/2008), Ballmer has not opened a serious discussion regarding the purchase of Yahoo search engine department.

Previously, Microsoft wished to acquire Yahoo for $ 47.5 billions, but Yahoo’s CEO Jerry Yang rejected the bid, as he considered it too low. The software giant then made a bid to buy Yahoo’s search business. While, Yahoo tried to form cooperation in the ad business with Google’s search results instead.

Unfortunately, Google cancelled the plan for cooperation with Yahoo due to legal complexities.

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After successfully form a partnership with HTC, Google’s Android is now also used by DoCoMo, the largest mobile operator in Japan.

According to Reuter, Wednesday (11/19/2008), DoCoMo with KTF, the cellular operators from South Korea, are interested in developing smartphone using Google Android. It is believed that the smartphone will be launched next year.

Currently, the popularity of smartphone that combines the ability of PC and mobile phone continue to increase in Japan. DoCoMo plans to introduce smartphone with Google software at 20 percent lower price than contemporary smartphones in the market.

However, DoCoMo cannot ascertain whether the smartphone will be launched next year.

DoCoMo currently has about 10 percent of shares in KTF. Both companies agreed to jointly develop handsets to save costs.

Earlier this year, Motorola and Asus are also mentioned to prepare mobile phones based on Google Android platform.

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Before Apple introduced us to the Iphone, we had a poor selection of mobile phones (and that’s an understatement). The slim choices we did have can be classified into three categories: the clamshell simple phone aka “the starter phone”, a smartphone that wasn’t so smart, and of course the “media” phones. These were the types of pathetic choices we had in the pre-Iphone era. But once Jobs decided to drop the ball and introduce us to his newest secret project, the web was abuzz about the possibilities of this new wonderphone.

Iphone arrives

The Iphone debuted in the US on June 27, 2007. This day would go down in history as the day the mobile phone market changed. From this day on, competitors couldn’t get by with rehashes of the previous year’s model. No, they had to pretty up their offerings and add more functionality to even stay relevant in the post-Iphone era. There was no more room for slackers and the competition was feeling the heat.

Clone wars

Apple’s instant success had competitors fearing the worse. So they did what all desperate and failing companies do: follow the leader. Nowadays, every phone looks like a wannabe Iphone. The only part they haven’t nailed yet is how to fit so much funtionality in such a slim and sexy device. They have tried: Sprint (Samsung Instinct), Verizon (LG Dare), & T-Mobile (G1 Phone). Admittedly, the competitors are getting close to Iphone’s level of form and function. Verizon Wireless recently introduced the Blackberry Storm, an elegant multi-touch screen Blackberrry with all the trimmings. Yes, it even has an accelerometer (you know when you turn the phone sideways it tilts the picture on screen). The G1 by Google carried by T-Mobile also poses major implications with Google’s mobile OS debut known simply as “Android”. Yet, with all these new offerings, Apple still hasn’t been dethroned. For now, it looks like the crown is still safe

Still The Leader

Even with a flurry of copycats, the Iphone has managed to keep it’s popularity and dominance as the hottest phone around. Check the numbers, this baby has sold millions of units. It doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon either. Apple’s continuously improving the already robust phone. They recently introduced the 3G Iphone (and dropped the price to $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB) to stay competitive in a market they have conquered ever since they entered it. The consumers now have a multitude of options thanks to Apple’s brave foray into an industry they had never set foot in. Steve Jobs can rest assured that the efforts of his (once tiny) Cupertino-based company have guaranteed his place in history as a brilliant innovator with a bold vision: the Iphone. The phone that changed the game.