It seems as if Microsoft and Sun Microsystems are about to become much closer than they used to be. According to several published reports, users who install Sun’s Java Runtime Environment will also have the option to install the MSN Toolbar as well. Many within the industry see the move as a roundabout way to take on Google, which is currently the number one search engine in the United States. The exact terms of the deal are unknown at this time..

Moving to the world of social networking for a moment, the new profile editor for MySpace has been officially released to the general public. Aside from the previously mentioned Flash-based template tool, the new editor also features extensive drag-and-drop functionality and the ability to “hide” information from certain users. While it seems small on the surface, the editor change is actually a part of the massive update known to fans as “MySpace 2.0.” The new and improved editor is available now on a totally optional, “opt-in” basis.

Elsewhere, Google has finally released Ad Planner to all users. For those unaware, Ad Planner is a tool designed to help you get the most out of your advertising dollar. The software sports a ton of new features, including the ability to break down users by geographic location and three new ranking methods. The “demographics” portion has also been altered to include users from five major European countries. While it isn’t exactly perfect — the physical site design leaves much to be desired — Ad Planner is perfect for those who only want the very best for their ads.

In other news, blogger Jo Han Mok has written a fascinating piece about what it takes to succeed in business. According to Mok, the tried-and-true adage of “work on your business, not in your business” is, at best, an exaggeration. “I… am totally convinced that working ‘on’ a business brings in big bucks,” he writes. “However, I am also totally convinced that it is very hard to work on a business that you have not worked in before.” True knowledge, he theorizes, comes from experience. The more real world experience you have working in a particular field, the easier it will be to market that field to others. “It’s all about getting your hands dirty, and getting it done.” Short yet intriguing, Mok’s article is a great read for anyone who desires to look at the idea of a “start-up” in a different way.

And finally, we have Spot.Us. Spot.Us is a social news site based around the idea of “community journalism.” Under the system, users pitch story ideas to a slate of freelance journalists. The users then “vote” on which article they want to see written by donating money to the story they want to see written. The articles with the most “votes” (or rather, most money raised) are written first. “Anyone can be a journalist,” founder David Cohn tells TechCrunch. “I decided NOT to try and define who is and isn’t a journalist.” Writing for Spot.Us, however, isn’t exactly as easy as it sounds. “You must explain your qualifications and journalists are encouraged to fill out their profiles which include giving their work history and work sample.” Spot.Us is available now in the San Francisco bay metro area.