Business digest 08/28/04

Number of bankruptcies declines, figures show

WASHINGTON -- Personal bankruptcies appear to have broken the upward trend of recent years, slipping 0.8 percent in the 12 months ending June 30, figures released Friday show. New personal bankruptcy filings declined to 1,599,986 from 1,613,097 in the 12 months ending June 30, 2003, according to the data from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Total bankruptcy filings, personal and business, edged down 0.9 percent to 1,635,725 -- the first annual decline since 2000.

Microsoft to release next Windows in 2006

SEATTLE -- Microsoft Corp. announced the company hopes to release the new Windows version, code-named Longhorn, in the second half of 2006, about five years after the release of the current version, Windows XP. Tom Button, corporate vice president for Windows product management, said Microsoft plans to improve the way people find things like e-mails, photos and documents. But in formally announcing the release date, the company said it would not be ready to include an even more advanced system for sorting, storing and finding data. Instead, it will begin testing that system about the same time it releases Longhorn.

-- From wire reports