IBT Staff Reporter

Microsoft's roll out of Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) earlier this week boosted use of the new operating system by 22 percent since Monday, according to data from Web measurement company Net Applications.

Tourists heading south for the winter may be transported to their dream destination in windowless airliners flying in formation like geese if Airbus accepts the advice of tomorrow's potential aircraft engineers.

Shares of American International Group rose above $2 for a second day on Friday, on signs Chief Executive Ed Liddy is making progress on stemming the financial bleeding at the insurer rescued by a massive government bailout.

Oil rose more than 3 percent on Friday to touch a near six-month high as the results of the U.S. governments stress test for big banks and U.S. jobs data added to optimism about the economy.

U.S. stocks rose on Friday as results of bank stress tests fueled hopes that the worst is over for the financial sector, and news of fewer-than-expected April job cuts suggested the economic slump is moderating.

DENVER - Activision Blizzard is releasing three new music-based video games this year -- DJ Hero, Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero -- and has confirmed that Guitar Hero: Van Halen is on tap.

U.S. stocks jumped to session highs on Friday following a CNBC report that AT&T was near a $2.5 billion deal to buy most of Verizon's AllTel divestitures.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein offered shareholders a guardedly optimistic forecast for economic recovery, saying investors are now talking about when, not if, markets will rebound.

Fannie Mae , the largest provider of U.S. home mortgage funding, said on Friday it needs more capital from the U.S. Treasury after a $23.2 billion loss in the first quarter and warned government housing programs would cut deeper into its profitability.

A stubborn brush fire that consumed 75 foothill homes above the coastal town of Santa Barbara raged with renewed ferocity for a fourth day on Friday, forcing at least 20,000 people to flee as it advanced on the city and two nearby communities.

Fannie Mae , the largest provider of funding for U.S. home mortgages, on Friday said it lost $23.2 billion in the first quarter, sending it to the Treasury for a second time for capital to keep it afloat.

State attorneys general are looking into a proposed settlement Google Inc reached with author and publisher groups allowing the Internet company to digitize millions of books, a participant in a recent discussion of the matter told Reuters on Friday.

Stocks rose on Friday after the government's bank stress tests fueled hopes that the worst is over for the financial sector, while news of fewer-than-expected April job cuts suggested the economic slump was easing.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein sounded a guardedly optimistic forecast for an economic recovery during the bank's annual meeting on Friday.

A group of Chrysler LLC's dissident lenders disbanded, representatives said on Friday, removing the last legal hurdle to the embattled automaker's quest to complete a merger with Italy's Fiat SpA with U.S. government backing.

The CEO of Bank of America Corp., Kenneth Lewis said on Friday the bank is able to raise the required capital to meet the requirements of the stress tests and that he plans to stay with the bank until the needs are met.

U.S. employers cut 539,000 jobs last month, the fewest since October, according to government data on Friday that signaled the economy's steep decline might be easing and gave the stock market a boost.

The Statue of Liberty's crown on Ellis Island, which has been closed to the public since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, will reopen on July 4, U.S. Independence Day, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said on Friday.

A growing number of auto workers are winding up on the streets in and around Toyota City in central Japan as the global downturn sends the world's biggest carmaker plunging into the red.

Stocks rose on Friday after the government's stress test results on big banks increased optimism about financial stocks, and data showed employers cut fewer-than-expected jobs in April.

U.S. employers cut 539,000 jobs last month, the fewest since October, according to government data on Friday that signaled the economy's steep decline may be easing.

The Obama administration has renewed sanctions against Syria due to serious concerns over its behavior, despite sending two top envoys to Damascus this week to try to improve ties, U.S. officials said on Friday.

McDonald's Corp reported a 6.9 percent rise in April sales at restaurants open at least 13 months, as strength in the United States helped offset the impact of the stronger dollar.

Natural gas provider Clean Energy Fuels Corp (CLNE.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said it will acquire oilfield services company Exterran Holdings Inc's (EXH.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) natural gas fueling station business for $5.9 million.

OppenheimerFunds, one of Chrysler LLC's dissident secured lenders, said on Friday it has decided to withdraw its opposition to the automaker's proposed debt restructuring plan as it no longer expects to increase its recovery rate.

Bankrupt U.S. auto parts maker Delphi Corp (DPHIQ.PK) won interim court approval of a two-week extension of the deadline for it to reach a funding agreement with General Motors Corp (GM.N), according to court documents.

Toyota Motor Corp lost $6.9 billion in the final quarter and warned of a big loss in the just-started financial year as sales tumble.

GMAC LLC, the auto and mortgage lender, will likely be forced to seek more taxpayer help in its effort to raise $11.5 billion of new capital following the government

Mars is offering free chocolate on Fridays till the end of September, but already on its first day, the website that offers the coupons was down following the massive flood of traffic.