Antitrust regulators fined Microsoft Corp.’s German subsidiary 9 million euros ($11.8 million) and said the world’s largest software maker illegally influenced retail prices for its Office 2007 programs.

The Bundeskartellamt, Germany’s economic regulatory body, said in a statement that an undisclosed retailer worked with Microsoft to set the price of Microsoft’s Office Home and Student 2007 software packages before the companies jointly launched an ad campaign.

“Not every contact between supplier and retailer regarding resale prices constitutes an illegal concerted practice,” the German group said in the statement, but such communication can’t lead to agreement about the retailer’s future actions. “In the present case, this boundary has been crossed.”

Microsoft said it will comply with German regulations.

A class of undergraduates at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created a set of robots that can water, harvest and pollinate cherry tomato plants.

The small, $3,000 robots, which move through the garden on a base similar to a Roomba vacuum, are networked to the plants. When the plants indicate they need water, the robots can sprinkle them from a water pump. When the plants have a ripe tomato, the machines use their arms to pluck the fruit.

Even though robots have made few inroads into agriculture, these robots’ creators hope their technology eventually could be used by farmers to reduce the natural resources and the difficult labor needed to tend crops.

University of Utah officials say a computer virus has infected more than 700 campus computers, including those at the school’s three hospitals.

University health sciences spokesman Chris Nelson said the outbreak of the Conficker worm, which can slow computers and steal personal information, was first detected Thursday. By Friday, the virus had infiltrated computers at the hospitals, medical school, and colleges of nursing, pharmacy and health.

Nelson says patient data and medical records have not been compromised. “That’s secured in a much deeper way because of the implications,” he said.
Nelson said the virus is mainly attacking personal computers and could be siphoning login and password data, credit card numbers and banking information.
Directions for purging the virus from personal computers and equipment like thumb drives, digital cameras and smart phones has been distributed to staff and students.

Inspiration comes in many forms, and in the case of James Everingham, it appeared as a pair of knockoff Christian Dior shoes.

Everingham’s vision ultimately became Pixazza, an online advertising startup that converts photos on Web sites into interactive advertisements.

Mouse over an image, and tiny price tags appear over handbags, dresses and other items. Hover on top of one, and a balloon pops up with images and links to similar items you can buy online. Move your mouse away, and the balloon disappears.

Even Google Inc. is interested: The online advertising and search leader, through its new venture-capital fund, is among those that have recently invested a combined $5.8 million in the company.