PS3 bug, Apple sues HTC, and more on the Weekly Wrapup
This was a big week in tech news. Sony's PS3 had a clock bug that rendered many PS3s useless. Apple pulled out the big guns and sued HTC over iPhone patents. Microsoft managed to sell millions of copies of Windows 7. Those stories and more on the Weekly Wrapup.
Discovery Communications files e-book reader patent
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Discovery Communications, the company best known for cable television channels such as Discovery Channel, TLC, and Animal Planet, has patented an e-book reader. Not many details are known at this time, but speculation includes distribution via public libraries and up-to-the-minute news from a wireless Internet connection of some sort.
TiVo sues AT&T and Verizon, continues to lose customers
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TiVo has filed suit against AT&T and Verizon, alleging the two infringed on its patents related to time-shifting live television. As its subscription numbers continue the slide that began two and a half years ago, TiVo apparently hopes to gain some sort of licensing deal to help keep it afloat.
Microsoft loses patent suit; barred from selling MS Word
In an east Texas courtroom (where else!), Judge Leonard Davis has ruled Microsoft's implementation of XML, DOCX and DOCM violates a patent from i4i, a Canadian company. The Judge ordered Microsoft to pay $290 million in damages, as well as stop selling Microsoft Word within 60 days. Microsoft is appealing the ruling, and could be forced to reissue Word with a workaround.
New iPhone patent emerges with significant updates
MacRumors discovered a new iPhone patent which adds a front-facing camera, enabling video chatting capabilities, and new gesture inputs which use the iPhone motion instead of on-screen buttons. Maybe we'll see this as part of a June iPhone launch?