Todd Bishop has put together a time line of the Microsoft/Yahoo! events of the past 3 months. This includes several ‘secret’ meetings between Microsoft & Yahoo! as well as the public milestones. Timeline: Microsoft’s secret Yahoo meetings

According to the Associated Press, Microsoft has given up and is walking away from the deal to buy-out Yahoo. Check back for any developments. UPDATED 5:20 PM PDT: C|Net has confirmed it is over between Microsoft & Yahoo: In a letter to Yahoo’s CEO Jerry Yang, Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer confirmed that Microsoft was willing to offer $33 a share, but that Yahoo was holding out for at least $37 a share, or $5 billion more than Microsoft was prepared to spend. In the letter, Ballmer also says he is ruling out a direct offer to shareholders. “After careful consideration,…

Vote and see the results of the The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s Poll: What should Microsoft do with its Yahoo bid? The choices: Raise the offer to make a deal or bring Yahoo to the table Keep the offer as is and attempt a hostile takeover Lower the price and attempt a hostile takeover Withdraw the offer temporarily and try to revive it later Walk away from the deal entirely. News Source: Todd Bishop’s Microsoft Blog

It has been nearly a week since Microsoft’s deadline for Yahoo! to accept their merger offer has passed. There had been indications that Microsoft would simply walk away from the deal. But then on Wednesday, it was reported the Microsoft Board was meeting about the possible acquisition. Then late Thursday there was the possibly Microsoft was going to attempt a hostile take over. Today the New York Times is reporting Microsoft and Yahoo are in active merger talks. According to an anonymous source involved in the discussion: Microsoft, which had threatened to abandon its bid, has increased its offer “by…