Welcome to the Morning Briefing for 25th of May 2012, where we highlight the tech stories from across the web that broke while you were sleeping and what we are watching here at techgeek.com.au.
Here’s what we are watching:
- Facebook has launched a new Camera App that people are saying that it looks very familiar to Instagram – despite the company has said that none of the Instagram people worked on the app. It is only available on the iOS platform, but is “carefully looking at what might make a good… photos experience” for other platforms such as Android (though, with 4000 devices – likely not all).
- Speaking of Facebook, version 2.5 of its Windows Phone app has been pushed out – and includes usability improvements, better tagging, threaded messaging and now the ability to like comments.
- Motorola has been found guilty of patent infringement against Microsoft, with a German court ruling that Motorola infringed on Microsoft’s patent to send longer text in a batch of several messages. Motorola is considering an appeal.
- RealNetworks – the makers of the Real Player – will set up a compensation fund after the US state of Washington sued them over its e-commerce practices, and allegedly charging customers for services that they did not subscribe to via fine print, not-so-free trials for subscription services and deceptive pre-checked boxes.
- Fox and NBC Universal (owned by News Corp and Comcast) are suing satellite TV provider Dish Network over its ‘Hopper’ service that lets consumers skip ads on television, with Fox saying the product has “the clear goal of violating copyrights and destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television ecosystem.” Dish has also sued all four major US broadcasters in order to have its service declared legal by a court.