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Microsoft’s president of platforms and services, Kevin Johnson, has offered his employees words of reassurance to quell their unrest and give some insight into the company’s proposed merger with Yahoo.

When Microsoft attempted to acquire Yahoo for $44.6 billion (£22.4 billion) earlier this month, many wondered if the drama was over after Yahoo said it would not accept a deal that was “grossly undervalued”. But, after rumours suggesting that Yahoo might try to merge with News Corp, and the possibility of a proxy fight over the Board, it looks like the fun has only just begun.

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An 80-page patent application picked up on by Appleinsider reveals how Apple is working on the development of an advanced touch-surface user interface system that could eventually do away with the traditional keyboard and mouse combo.

According to the patent, the device is envisaged as an ergonomic, keyless board that the user is able to comfortably rest both hands on. Apple has placed a lot of emphasis on user comfort and the avoidance of any overly arduous or repetitive actions that could lead to strains or RSI. In keeping with all Apple products, it’s designed, above all, to be user friendly.

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Falling DVD sales in the US have sparked fears that optical formats are losing their grip on the movie industry. And while Blu-ray may now have slain HD DVD, the format could be in trouble before it’s even had a chance to make an impact.

Sales of DVDs fell by 3.2 per cent to $15.9 billion in the US in 2007, which Adams Media Research says is the first annual drop since DVDs first went on sale. Similar drops are forecasted for this year and next year too.

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This week heralded the arrival of the world’s first wooden supercar. And with a staggering top speed of 240mph, it makes the Porsche and Lamborghini look decidedly pedestrian.

Made from a combination of maple, plywood and MDF, the Splinter weighs in at just 1,134kg - that’s some 240kg less than the super lightweight Porsche - and houses a 4.6 litre V8 petrol engine. No word on price yet, but expect to see the very cool Splinter out and about soon.

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Now it’s the turn of audiobooks to make a stand against the repugnant tide of DRM. Mega-publisher Random House has sent an open letter to its partners saying it will provide DRM-free MP3 files from March.

“We believe that this move will allow for healthy competition among retailers targeting the iPod consumer, without posing any substantive increase in risk of piracy,” said Random House Senior vice president Madeline McIntosh.

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Cool application of the day: a piece of third-party software that lets you transform your Apple iPhone or Apple iPod touch into a wireless touchpad for your computer.

Touchpad enables you to create a wireless touchpad on your iPhone, letting you control the mouse on your computer using just the handset. You can move the mouse around, click, double-click, and even drag items by double-clicking on a file but keeping the touchpad pressed down. You can scroll vertically by click-and-dragging on the right edge of the Apple iPhone screen.

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The social ‘epidemic’ that is signing up to the likes of Facebook and MySpace is most likely to hit young people, analyst firm Point Topic said today.

More than two thirds (70 per cent) of 18 to 24-year-olds with internet access at home said they log on to sites such as MySpace, Bebo or Facebook regularly, while just 6 per cent of over-65s do the same, Point Topic’s latest Consumer Survey shows.

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If you’ve ever felt like you’re a slave to your PC or mobile phone, then now’s the time to have your say by participating in a British survey seeking the truth about technology addiction.

The research is part of work at the University of Northampton by Nada Kakabadse and Susan Bailey looking into how people use gadgets and, most importantly, how it alters their approach to life.

Hazardous substances

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Techradar loves the Wii, though we have to admit to having one niggling little problem with Nintendo’s wonder-toy.

We simply don’t have the time to dedicate weeks of our lives to playing Nintendo’s beautiful epics such as Super Mario Galaxy and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, so it’s great news for nostalgia fans and aging, time-poor gamers this week to hear that Nintendo is partnering with Commodore to bring C64 games to the Wii’s online Virtual Console shop.

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The average battery life of the MacBook Air falls far short of the five hours promised during Steve Jobs’ keynote address at Macworld.

That’s according to owners of the notebook on the Apple support forums, who claim to be experiencing approximately two hours of battery life, with recharge times taking a ridiculous eight-to-ten hours.

Drains even when powered off

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