(CBS/CNN) - Microsoft is in danger of reporting its first quarterly loss in the last 20 years.
The world's largest software company will absorb a $6.2 billion dollar charge stemming from an online advertising service it bought in 2007. Analysts estimate Microsoft earned about $5.3 billion dollars in the quarter that ended in June, so that charge would send the company into the red.
Gas prices have been on the way down, and that means travel is on the way up for the Fourth of July. Triple A forecasts more than 42 million Americans will be hitting the road this week. With more company on the highways, preparation is key, especially with kids on board. Travel experts say you want to make sure you pack the essentials-- food, snacks, cell phone charger and entertainment for the kids.
A trip to the mechanic for a pre-trip summer tune-up could save money on emergency roadside repairs. Tires, especially, can be a problem in hot temperatures. Avoid a potentially dangerous mix of speed and hot pavement, by keeping them properly inflated. An emergency kit should include a charged cell phone and if it's a smartphone, load up location-based apps that can find help no matter where you are.
U.S. farmers are betting corn will be this year's cash crop. The Department of Agriculture say more than 96 million acres of corn were planted in the spring, the most since 1937. Corn is used in thousands of food products as well as livestock feed and ethanol.
