Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Microsoft kills Tag barcode program, licenses tech to Scanbuy (FierceMobileContent)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is sunsetting its Tag mobile barcode program, licensing the underlying technology to mobile engagement services provider Scanbuy. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) Tag mobile action codes function similarly to QR codes, enabling smartphone users to scan high capacity color barcodes to access videos, marketer landing pages and related interactive content. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) built native Tag applications for its own Windows Phone operating system as well as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android, and brands integrated Tags into a wide array of magazines, product packages, in-store promotional materials and other marketing efforts.
Microsoft’s Surface RT chaos: cue the class action lawsuit (StableyTimes)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Surface RT nightmare is getting even worse. The failed tablet, which almost no one wanted wanted to buy, has now led to a class action lawsuit on the part of shareholders who claim Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) waited too long to fully admit just how bad RT sales were. By the time it acknowledged that it was taking a nearly billion dollar write down to rid itself of unsellable Surface RT tablets, some shareholders say it was too late to do them any good. And so now the money losing Surface venture is about to cost Redmond even more money.
BSkyB on cloud nine as court finds that Microsoft’s SkyDrive infringes its marks (InternationalLawOffice)
The High Court has ruled in favour of British Sky Broadcasting Group plc (LON:BSY) following a trademark dispute with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) over Microsoft’s SkyDrive online storage facility. The judge held that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s use of ‘SkyDrive’ in relation to cloud storage services infringed BSkyB’s trademarks and further amounted to passing off. In reaching this decision, the judge relied heavily on the evidence of actual confusion submitted by BSkyB. BSkyB is a renowned provider of telecommunications services in the United Kingdom. For over 10 years, BSkyB has offered its popular set-top box service Sky+, which allows customers to record, store and replay digital content.
Microsoft restores Outlook.com after three days in the wilderness (TechRadar)
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s cloud services Outlook and SkyDrive have been restored after an outage that lasted for three days. The outage began around August 14, with users complaining that they had issues connecting to Outlook.com SkyDrive and People services until yesterday. After days in the dark, users got a full explanation yesterday from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) detailing what exactly went wrong. The software giant said: “This incident was a result of a failure in a caching service that interfaces with devices using Exchange ActiveSync, including most smart phones…
