NEW YORK — Even as a pared-down version of Microsoft's Office software package arrived on the iPhone, the company is holding out on extending that to the iPad and Android devices as it tries to boost sales of tablet computers running its own Windows system.

State lawmakers were moving toward finally adjourning their 151-day session late Thursday -- but not before setting the stage for constituents to have to start paying taxes on what they buy from catalogs and on the World Wide Web.

In our quest to eat healthfully, many of us are stung by the prices that ring up at the register, especially on organic and all-natural foods.

Some internet sensations burn fast and bright, then fizzle back into obscurity. Others get record deals and go on tour.

Relisting a home isn’t an enviable position for any seller. Something went wrong the first time, and for many sellers, trying again to sell the home raises more questions than answers.

I found it interesting that a recent letter to the Tribune, “Congress Needs to Close Tax Loopholes” talked nothing about the legislation before Congress that would close the sales tax loophole online retail companies currently use to not pay their fair share. Last year, this issue popped up in the Arizona legislature, and the Governor ended up reaching a deal with Amazon.com to pay their fair share. This year, it is popping up in Congress, and our East Valley congressman (Schweikert and Salmon) need to step up and show the same leadership. Small retail businesses are too critical to our communities to ignore this inequality. Ask any store owner in Old Town Scottsdale, or downtown Mesa, Chandler, or Gilbert, and they will all tell you that it’s an extreme disadvantage for them to try and compete with online retailers when they can undercut your price by as much as 10 percent. So yes — let’s close the tax loopholes, and start with this one.

To make an original statement with yard art, think beyond fountains, globes and statuary. Add chicken coops to be chic.

You spend time and money to create a nice home. How can you protect it from intruders without it costing a fortune? It’s easier than you think.

BOULDER, Colo. — Ethan Welty is thinking ahead to harvest time as he cycles through tidy Boulder streets pointing out apple, plum and mulberry trees on public and private land.

We had a shoplifter at our store just waltz out with a bag of chips, a peach (that he was eating) and a bottle of whiskey. I demanded the items back, he raised the bottle with “come and get it”. Now, my work has a strict no-physical-confrontation policy and I don’t want to risk getting fired. I told him that I just wanted the items back or I’d call the police. “Go ahead and call the police”, he said, and continued walking away. So I called Mesa’s non-emergency number and explained what was going on.

Some extended warranties just won’t cut it

Some extended warranties just won’t cut it

E-Books and Amazon.com may spell the demise of the publishing industry, but Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, named “Best Bookstore” yet again by “2013 Best of East Valley Voters, continues to thrive.

NEW YORK — You can recycle your waste, grow your own food and drive a fuel-efficient car. But being socially responsible isn't so easy when it comes to the clothes on your back.

What’s big in Japan now has the potential to be big in the East Valley, thanks to Lulubell Toy Bodega in downtown Mesa.

A good cup of coffee starts with a good roast.

It’s time to privatize Gilbert.

Fancy having Brangelina, Drew Barrymore and Dan Aykroyd over for dinner? No problem, they'll even bring the wine.

MIAMI — When you're talking about rum, how much does the Caribbean really matter?

They may be so commonplace they’re unappreciated, so simple they fail to activate the saliva glands at first sight, but in our book it’s hard to go wrong with chips and salsa.

LONDON — Tesco, Britain's largest retailer by sales, is to pull out of the U.S., selling off its lossmaking Fresh & Easy supermarket chain after it failed to transfer its winning formula from the U.K. to the western states.

Your dishwasher, sink drain and garbage disposal do the major dirty work in your kitchen, and you can keep them smelling fresh and running efficiently with a few easy steps.

Warm weather and the first buds of spring have been slow to arrive in much of the country. But even if your garden has yet to grow, you can add beauty, fragrance and a sense of springtime to your home by decorating with lush plants and potted trees.

“Don’t call me Mister. Even in high school, my dad had my friends call him Eddie. There are no misters here.”