Microsoft won't require businesses that deploy Office 2007 to activate the suite, the company said Thursday in an updated document on its Web site.

Unlike the retail versions of Office 2007, copies installed using volume license keys -- the typical way large organizations purchase Microsoft's software -- will simply skip product activation, the process where keys must be entered and judged legitimate.

Startup Ajax13 Inc. is looking to do to Linux what Microsoft Corp. is doing to Windows -- dissolve the operating system into the Web.

Under the shadow of Microsoft's enormous task of making all of its desktop products available as Web services, the small San Diego company is getting ready to launch in a few weeks what it calls AjaxOS, a desktop application that would link a Linux-based computer to Web applications that mimic some of the most popular desktop software used today.

Microsoft Corp. has released in beta this week its Windows Live Shopping site, but Firefox users will have to switch to Internet Explorer if they want to look for bargains. 
 
A visitor trying to access the new site with Firefox on Wednesday found his browser directed to a page that said, "We're sorry. Windows Live Shopping Beta does not yet support Firefox. We're working to correct this as soon as possible."