Microsoft Corp. is expected to announce a major revamp of its phone software on Monday, in an attempt to regain momentum in a crucial market where it's been overshadowed.

Google is billing its phone, called the Nexus One, as a "super" phone -- a device designed for people looking for something more advanced than the iPhone, Research in Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry and other devices that serve as pocket-sized computers.

Apple Inc. told federal regulators on Friday that it blocked the Google Voice program from running on the iPhone because it alters important functions on the device — yet Apple denied that it has rejected Google's application outright.

Apple aimed to make hot-selling iPhones even more appealing, premiering a speedier new model complete with a video camera and slashing the price of its predecessor to $99.

Bucking the recessionary trend, US corporates Apple, Google and Colgate are doing so well that they are unlikely to fire their employees and may even recruit, a media report has said.