Microsoft's new patent tracker promises transparency, but is all about licensing

As Apple and Samsung continue to wage war over patents, other tech companies like Google and Twitter are trying to make the patent landscape look a little bit less like a minefield. Microsoft is landing distinctly in the middle as it attempts to facilitate patent licensing by today launching a tracking tool that showcases its portfolio. The company implies that the new tool's transparency will promote innovation, but the apparent intent is to make evident what patents the company owns so that in...