Instagram hits 27 million users, says Android app coming 'soon'

Austin, Texas (CNN) -- Instagram, the iPhone photo-sharing app that turns almost anyone into an artful photographer, is growing at an astonishing rate.

The app now has 27 million registered users -- up from 15 million in December, its co-founders

announced Sunday. And a long-awaited version of Instagram for the Android platform is coming soon.

"We've been able to put together one of the most incredible Android apps you will ever see," said CEO Kevin Systrom told audience members during a session at the South By Southwest Interactive conference, waving an Android phone with a prototype on it. "It's extremely fast."

Yahoo sues Facebook over 10 disputed patents in the US

Yahoo has filed an intellectual property lawsuit against Facebook.

Yahoo claims the social network has infringed 10 of its patents including systems and methods for advertising on the web. Facebook denies the allegation.

The move comes ahead of Facebook's planned flotation later this year.

Patent litigation has become common between the smartphone makers, but this marks a new front in the battles between the tech giants.

Despite Fukushima, Nuclear Keeps Powering Ahead A few countries have scaled back in response to the disaster, but many others are building or planning new nuclear reactors.

The disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant a year ago prompted nations that generate atomic power to reëxamine the safety of their reactors, and even reëvaluate their nuclear ambitions.

Several countries have completely changed course. Japan has turned off 52 of its 54 reactors, and the future of nuclear power there is extremely uncertain. Germany shut down seven reactors, elected not to restart another that had been down for maintenance, and plans to decommission its remaining nine reactors by 2022. Italy, Switzerland, and Mexico have each retreated from plans to build new nuclear plants, and Belgium's government, which took over in late 2011, wants to make the country nuclear-free by 2025.

Apple's Siri not as smart as she looks, lawsuit charges

Apple's been a little overzealous in the way it's advertised Siri, the voice assistant feature found on the company's latest iPhone, a new lawsuit claims.

iPhone 4S buyer Frank Fazio says the software feature simply didn't work like it did in Apple's television advertising. And now he's suing Apple in the Northern District of California.

"Promptly after the purchase of his iPhone 4S, [Fazio] realized that Siri was not performing as advertised," Fazio's complaint states. "For instance, when [Fazio] asked Siri for directions to a certain place, or to locate a store, Siri either did not understand what Plaintiff was asking, or after a very long wait time, responded with the wrong answer."

Apple could sell 1 million iPads on first day

Apple, already selling out of new iPads on its online store, could break the 1 million mark on Friday alone when it is released.

That's according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who gave the estimate in a research note today.

Microsoft launches Windows 8 Consumer Preview software with free apps

Microsoft shows off Windows on ARM and the Microsoft Store, but doesn't discuss Win 8 for phones or commit to an arrival deadline for the OS

iPad 3 rumor rollup for the week ending March 2

One indisputably good thing about today: no more rumors about the date of the iPad 3 announcement. As the iOSphere now knows: It's March 7 in the Golden State.

And that means, we have nine days left. Plenty of time for more rumors about everything else.

TEST YOUR MAD SKILLS: The Apple iPad quiz

This week, open your eyes to the Retina Display, close your ears to the thunder of Chinese jets, expect to pay more, and Adobe finally gets real.

You read it here second.

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