JUST when you thought the Yahoo deal could not get any sillier, Apple and Rupert Murdoch's News International are apparently thinking of matching Microsoft's bid for the search outfit.

We say apparently because it seems that the IT press is rushing to marry anyone to Yahoo other than Microsoft.

The pair need to match Vole's $44.6 billion bid for Yahoo and for Apple that would mean a lot of Ipods while Murdoch would have to sell his favourite watch.

According to the Beeb, Murdoch has ruled himself out of the running. He really likes that watch and is just not interested at this stage.

Yahoo CEO and co-founder Jerry Yang is desperately trying to get a coalition of the willing to see off the Microsoft threat. Apparently he does not like Vole much and would not like to see his company submerged into the Volish Empire at any price.

According to Scotsman another contender is a conglomerate called InterActiveCorp and there are dark satanic rumours that some Chinese search engines firms may also enter the fray.

However it also seems that if others match the bid, Microsoft has enough spare cash to get in a bidding war.

AMR Research analyst Jonathan Yarmis told The Scotsman Microsoft had to win this battle. µ