Two Microsoft executives resign from online unit

Microsoft Corp.’s top executive in charge of its Internet search engine will leave the company, the second defection from the online unit this week as the software giant tries to narrow the gap with Google Inc.

Christopher Payne will leave to start a technology company, a person with knowledge of his plans said. Blake Irving, the corporate vice president for the Windows Live unit who helped build the Redmond, Wash., company’s Internet services, announced his retirement Monday.