• Microsoft has acquired MongoMusic, developer of an innovative music search engine. MongoMusic’s Web site (www.mongomusic.com) queries users for their favorite music and then uses the music’s style—such as tempo and mood—to locate unfamiliar titles the user is likely to enjoy. The site touts its capabilities as "the record store owner we all wish we knew. . . Someone who knows your tastes well enough to find other artists who would blend perfectly with your favorites." The site also lets users listen to excerpts of certain songs. The 65-person company, based in Redwood City, CA, was acquired for an estimated US$65 million in stock. MongoMusic should help Microsoft bolster its Windows Media format and offer expanded shopping services on MSN. For starters, MongoMusic's song excerpts, which are currently digitized in RealNetworks’s format, will be converted into Microsoft’s format. Also, Microsoft could use MongoMusic to direct visitors to affiliated sites where they can buy CDs and copy-protected music downloads.