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In the wake of shattered hopes for an advertising agreement with Google, Yahoo wants Microsoft to rescue it from its financial woes.

Google on Wednesday terminated its agreement with Yahoo following an indication that the Department of Justice would seek to block it. Yahoo was counting on the agreement to accelerate investments in its top business priorities through an infusion of cash.

The Microsoft-Yahoo circus is open for business again. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on Thursday said a Yahoo acquisition would still make sense for both companies. He spoke at the Gartner technology conference in Orlando, Fla.

While Ballmer insisted that Microsoft has no interest in acquiring Yahoo and is not currently holding any discussions with the search giant, he also said the companies could consider a partnership on search engines in the future.

Virtualization is the number-one strategic technology for 2009, Gartner said at its Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, Fla. this week.

Gartner analysts highlighted the top 10 technologies and trends it predicts will be strategic for most organizations, defining "strategic technology" as having the potential for significant impact on the enterprise in the next three years.

Taking it a step further, Gartner defines "significant impact" to include factors such as high potential for disruption to IT or the business, the need for a major dollar investment, or the risk of being late to adopt.

Fighting off memories of the dot-com bust, many in the tech world are a little nervous in today's uncertain economy. Will corporations cut back IT spending? If so, how much and for how long? There are still more questions than answers, but Gartner is making some predictions.

Here's what we know: The dot-com bust saw budgets slashed from mid-double-digit growth to low-single-digit growth. We also know that global economic problems make an early impact on IT budgets.

Darrin Caddes has his work cut out for him. In the dimly lit backroom of a ritzy Manhattan hotel, a dozen or so gadget bloggers and technology writers have gathered to meet with Caddes, vice-president for corporate design at headset maker Plantronics (PLT). But instead of the form-fitting ear pieces or business communications gear Caddes is known for, the soft-spoken, 43-year-old designer is surrounded by a range of gleaming iPod speaker systems, their LCD displays glowing blue and orange.

Disney World is going virtual. On Thursday, Disney and Google announced Walt Disney World Resort in 3-D.

All four theme parks and more than 20 Disney Resort hotels of the Orlando, Fla., tourist destination have been created and placed on Google Earth. Users, the Disney company said on its Web site, "can zoom down Main Street, USA, fly around Cinderella Castle, explore Spaceship Earth and climb the Tree of Life."

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