In no small part due to Google’s insistence on the matter, Microsoft have revealed an updated, albeit not ‘enhanced’ version of their YouTube app for the Windows Phone this week.

Google, the owners of YouTube, had addressed Microsoft over a number of features on the Windows Phone version of the app that they deemed did not fit the service’s general image and API terms, including ‘restricted video access’ and a feature that enabled videos to be downloaded for offline viewing.

In response to the requests, it has now become clear that the unique version of the app has been ‘immediately withdrawn’ as per Google’s suggestion, and that it has been replaced with a more ‘acceptable’ version. Despite this upgrade, the app is still believed to be violating a number of Google’s API procedures for YouTube, with an ‘advert blocking’ segment of the app a key item believed to be under question.

While Google are believed to have given their technology rivals time to make full amendments as opposed to losing the draw of a key app, Microsoft’s position on the story was summarised with a public statement, reading: “Microsoft updated the Windows Phone YouTube app to address restricted video and offline video access concerns voiced by Google last week. We have been in contact with Google and continue to believe that our two companies can work together to hone an app that benefits our mutual customers, partners and content providers.”

In what many might call a bold move from the BBC, the national public broadcasters are rumored to be planning, potentially alongside their fellow terrestrial channels, an initiative to force Sky to charge them for the retransmission of their channels, a reverse of the current situation in which the networks are forced to pay a substantial fee to the UK’s satellite broadcaster to see their place in the EPG secured.

Currently forced to pay £5m per year to Sky (fellow ‘terrestrial’ broadcasters ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 pay a combined £5m between them), the BBC have felt that for all the money Sky earn from satellite subscriptions, key content providers should be compensated, as opposed to paying primarily to be a part of another company’s profits.

BBC director of policy and strategy John Tate said: “Sky should do the decent thing and stop charging licence fee payers to carry BBC services that, in reality, underpin their ability to generate enormous profits. This free ride needs to stop.”

The ‘free ride’ comment is ironically in exact contrast to an opinion a Sky director offered in 2011, with his claim that retransmitting BBC content without charge would be giving the corporation ‘a free ride’.

Away from two-word cliches, a ‘senior BBC source’ explained their newly-public stance to The Guardian, stating: “These costs are a hangover from the early days of satellite television and for a long time now they have felt like money flowing in the wrong direction. At a time when public service broadcasting is under increasing financial pressure, we have to do everything we can to protect the licence fee or to police how the licence fee is being spent.”

The BBC will also have the support of their fellow ‘Big 4′ free-to-air broadcasters, as a spokesman for ITV added: “We welcomed the [culture] minister [Ed Vaizey's] statement earlier this year in relation to retransmission fees. We do not believe that this regulation is in keeping with the competitive market place we are in today.”

A Channel 4 spokesperson offered their channel’s backing to the proposals as well, adding: “We do not believe that the current regulatory system appropriately recognises the benefits that public service channels bring to platform operators. Were the system amended to appropriately account for these benefits, there is strong evidence to suggest that PSBs could receive positive carriage fees.”

Ed Vaizey, the culture minister referred to in ITV’s argument, had noted in his speech earlier in 2013: “I welcome the steps Sky have taken so far to reduce retransmission fees to a much lower level [from £10m to the BBC in 2010]. But we want them to go further, taking into account the undoubted value that PSB’s offer to satellite platforms and their viewers, so that there’s a level playing field: zero fees either way.”

With the other major pay-TV platform in the region (Virgin Media) not inconveniencing the main channels (with no charge either way for the Big 4), Sky appear to have less of a leg to stand on in the argument with every passing blow, so in a battle where a cost-less compromise seems unlikely to occur, will the satellite provider give the BBC what they want, or could the UK’s biggest channel do the unthinkable and lead a network revolt if they are continued in being forced to pay annual retransmission fees?

While the unveiling of the new Xbox console is undoubtedly the biggest technology story of the week, the planned integrated TV service for the Xbox One could be a big disappointment to many fans.

It has been revealed by Microsoft that the TV feature will only be seen in the North American nation first before a ‘global launch over time’ for the service.

The ‘Xbox One TV’ system will enable owners of the console to synchronise it with their existing television setup (via a sold-separately ‘HDMI pass-through’) for a completely interactive EPG browsing experience (including Kinect voice/gesture commands as well as the new ‘snap’ overlay feature).

Microsoft summarised of their plans for the platform: “Our goal is to enable live TV through Xbox One in every way that it is delivered throughout the world, whether that’s television service providers, over the air or over the Internet, or HDMI-in via a set top box (as is the case with many providers in the US). The delivery of TV is complex and we are working through the many technologies and policies around the world to make live TV available where Xbox One is available.”

While pinning their hopes on the Xbox One being an ‘all-in-one ultimate home entertainment system’, Microsoft are still claiming that games are an integral part of their machine, although given the current reaction to their console they may be placing their estimations a little too high with their prediction of ’28% inter-generational growth’ for their Xbox division, believing that based on previous trends of games consoles, around 385m units could be sold by the time the 8th generation of consoles hits its peak in 2016.

While it will be a few years before the company and analysts can determine if such a figure is ‘in the ballpark’, will market exclusivity of the TV add-on service in America boost key sales in their most important market, or is the lack of ‘instant globalisation’ going to see them start on the back foot when the new system is released?

A couple of months after an original case had gone quiet, Apple appear to be back into ‘suing’ mode on their competitors, claiming this time around that Samsung and Google have infringed on several patents relating to the ‘Siri’ voice control system.

The complaints filed by Apple primarily refer to a pair of ‘Siri-related patents’ that they hold having been allegedly infringed by Google Now, made as an addition to the ongoing Samsung case covering a number of other ‘patent infringements’. Samsung themselves do not avoid this new wave of appeals, though, as Apple accuse them of infringing an additional three iPhone patents on the Galaxy S4.

9to5Mac report that Apple have taken Google Now to court on the matter following previous unofficial claims against the ‘Android Google search box’ feature seen on Samsung devices, and that by making the same infringements as before, Apple are left with no choice but to take their rivals to court.

Apple’s filing explains their decision to file a lawsuit, with an extract reading: “Apple’s infringement analysis of the ’604 and ’959 patents focuses on Google functionality that Samsung incorporates into its devices. For example, in its original contentions, Apple identified Google’s ‘Quick Search Box’ found on the accused Samsung phones as satisfying the limitations of the ’604 and the ’959 patents. Since Apple initially served those infringement contentions, however, Google released the Google Now search application, which, in some instances, replaces the Quick Search Box, but incorporates the relevant ’604 and ’959 patented functionality.

“Google did not begin production of the source code for this application until at least the beginning of April. Moreover, as a direct result of the new claim construction, Apple was required to investigate the Google Play Books, Google Play Music, GooglePlay Movies and TV, Google Play Store and Android Market developed by Google. Google did not fully produce the source code for these apps until May 13, 2013.“

Apple are also noted as having ‘removed one of the 22 infringing devices’ that they had pointed out in the Samsung case as a means of putting the Samsung Galaxy S4 into the renewed claim, with the hearing set to occur in ‘spring 2014′. With plenty of time for either side to build their case or reconcile their differences, will this court appearance actually occur, or is Apple’s threat an empty one?

At time of year when announcements of TV shows coming and going is at its most common, FX have revealed their latest casting decision on a new project, with Larry Charles-produced series The Comedians set to feature 65-year-old actor Billy Crystal in a leading role.

The format, derived from a similar show in Sweden, will see Crystal portray a ‘veteran comic’ who is required to team up with a fresh new star for a late-night sketch show.

The pilot episode on this show will be directed by Charles, who alongside work on Seinfeld is notable for directing episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as Sacha Baron Cohen films The Dictator and Borat.

While recent stories have proven success cannot be 100% guaranteed for pilots that sound good on paper, FX appear confident of picking up the pilot of The Comedians to series, setting a provisional premiere date of 2014.

FX network head John Landgraf summarised this confident attitude, stating: “It truly is an honour to be in business with Billy Crystal and Larry Charles, two of the all-time greats in comedy. We have also wanted for some time to be in business with Matt Nix, who has done such an amazing job creating and running ‘Burn Notice’. They, along with Ben Wexler, are an unbeatable team and we’re incredibly excited about this project.”

Fresh of the back of starring in 2012 film Parental Guidance, and with latest project Monsters University set to be one of the biggest family movies of the summer, will Billy Crystal’s move back into regular TV work (for the first time since a cast slot on Saturday Night Live in the 1980′s) be an equally notable one?