Daily Outlook - July 17 - Tech.

<strong>Microsoft and Yahoo near ad deal</strong>

Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc are close to a long-discussed search and online advertising deal, which could be announced in the next week. The two companies have talked about cooperating for months, after Microsoft's bid to buy Yahoo was rebuffed last year and Yahoo's attempt to seal a search advertising deal with Google Inc fell apart under regulatory scrutiny. <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20090717/microsoft-and-yahoo-near-ad-deal-report.htm">Read Full Article here</a>.

<strong>Shuttle prepares to dock with ISS</strong>

The crew of space shuttle Endeavour has begun preparing to dock with the International Space Station. Before docking, scheduled for 17:55 GMT, the shuttle will perform a back flip, allowing the ISS team to photograph and inspect Endeavour's heat shield.

<strong>Video game sales down to a 9-year low</strong>

Video games were supposed to be one of the few "recession proof" industries. In spite of the hype the&nbsp; E3 received, game sales still took a steep drop in June, down 31 percent to $1.1 billion, NPD reported.