Microsoft released a test version of Windows 7, the next version of its operating system, to developers yesterday and any interested users can give it a beta whirl starting tomorrow. It will be formally launched "within a year," says CEO Steve Ballmer -- hopefully, unlike Vista, in time for the Christmas season. Ballmer also says that Verizon Wireless handsets in the U.S. will use Microsoft's mobile search software, a victory over Google. But he is under no illusions. "Distribution is important, but it doesn't flip the market quickly at all," he says. "It's going to take a while …

Having captured the fancies of girls with the likes of Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, Walt Disney is out to vanquish the market for boys whose longings have yet to turn to things other than action, adventure and sport -- namely, those aged 6 to 14, although some ladies I know would argue that the market is much broader than that. It is rebranding its animation channel, Toon Disney, as a boy-focused entertainment brand called Disney XD next month, Peter Sander reports. The offerings will consist of a new cable channel and a comprehensive Web site with games, …

This is a story -- headlined "Could the Axe effect be real?" -- you'll want to hide from your sons, whose fancies have actually turned to other sorts of action-adventure sports, unless you enjoy the pervasive aroma of body spray in your home. Craig Roberts, a University of Liverpool professor who focuses on the role of scent in mate choice among humans and mice, finds that men who use Lynx deodorant are seen as more attractive by females than men who use a "placebo" deodorant with no fragrance. Jack Neff reports that Lynx is "Axe's British-brand cousin." The …

Staples is offering items such as Sharpies, Bic pens, writing pads, paper clips and other items for $1, Kenneth Hein reports, in a special promotion running through January. Ads that broke earlier this week target business owners. Promoting dollar deals is an unusual strategy for a retailer like Staples, says Paul Leinwand, vp of Booz & Company. "I've seen ads around specific price points like $5, $10 and $15 gift pages, but I've never seen a push for the dollar price point," he says. It's a good alternative to deep discounting, he feels, wherein consumers get used to lower …

The pharmaceutical industry plans to spend tens of millions of dollars on an advertising campaign promoting Obama-style health coverage for every American, Ceci Connolly reports. Its first spot breaks today. "We had better self-police and stop doing the things that cause so much criticism, or we're going to get legislated and regulated by government," says W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, the Republican former congressman who heads the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). The changes are an effort to move away from the industry's "slash-and-burn kind of policy" in response to previous regulatory and legislative efforts. In 2008, for …