Welcome to NewsDesk on SiliconANGLE TV for Friday June 21, 2013 here’s your SiliconANGLE daily round-up.

• Instagram swipes at Vine with filter video launch

Yesterday, Instagram announced that its 130 million monthly users will now be able to shoot and upload 15-second videos. The videos can be enhanced using one of thirteen special filters. The new feature is available on both iOS and Android devices, and comes as a free update to the existing Instagram app.

Aside from the addition of a small movie icon, very little has changed for the popular app. Co-Founder and CEO Kevin Systrom summed up the changes, saying, ” It’s everything we know and love about Instagram, but it moves.” The new feature puts the Facebook-owned Instagram in direct competition with Twitter’s Vine, which has skyrocketed in popularity in the six months since its launch.

The addition of video filters and two-and-a-half times the video length, could give Instagram an edge over Vine.  Among the filters are the usual video tweaks, like vignettes and ways to alter colors and contrast, but other features such as image-stabilization add to the app’s attractive qualities. One limitation that both Instagram and Vine share is that videos must be shot directly from the app. There’s currently no way to upload existing videos from your phone.

• WiFi, battery issues plague new MacBook Air

Some customers who purchased the updated MacBook Air are suffering from a number of Wi-Fi connectivity issues. Users are reporting that after a few minutes of connectivity, the connection drops, and can’t reconnect until the computer is restarted. Reports are that the problem worsens when being placed on a desktop.

The new Macbook Air was announced at this month’s Wordwide Developer’s Conference event, and though much of the machine is unchanged from previous versions, a new processor and wireless adapter are among the changes, leading many to believe the issues are being caused by poor hardware.

Unfortunately for Apple, the hardware issues don’t end there. The MacBook Pro is also on the hot seat due to its defective batteries. The issue affects both versions of the pro, and each of them have reportedly had the same issue of spontaneously bursting into flames.  Best Buy has already put out a recall for over fifty-one-hundred of the Macbook Pros, with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issuing a warning that consumers should stop using the recalled battery immediately. Anyone using the battery is advised to take it to a Best Buy store, where they can exchange it for another battery, or a fifty-dollar gift card.

• Xbox Entertainment hires Elan Lee, boosts reality games

In an attempt to shore up their TV entertainment push, Microsoft has hired alternate reality game specialist, Elan Lee. He’s expected to report directly to Xbox Entertainment Studios head Nancy Tellem, former president of CBS TV. She had previously stated her intention to assemble a team of one-hundred-and-fifty people to create original TV programming for the Xbox One.

The programming lineup is expected to include reality TV, scripted dramas, and even live events, but all are expected to have an interactive twist. Though there’s currently very little information about Microsoft’s plans, the Xbox One’s relationship with television will likely be a very close one, especially considering its repeated references during the One’s launch event last month.

• Foxconn goes on a hiring spree, seeks software engineers

Foxconn, the manufacturer most known for making hardware for Apple, has gone on a hiring spree with hopes of bringing three thousand new software engineers into the fold. This move indicates that the company believes the Firefox OS is not only worth backing, but one worth investing in as well.

Lately, Foxconn’s relationship with Apple has been strained, leaving the company looking for new ways to expand its reach. Foxconn intends to hire engineers who can also develop HTML5 and cloud computing solutions. Some analysts suspect that this move is designed to allow Foxconn to begin offering white label apps and cloud services in the future.

• Samsung widens Windows device line up

Samsung Electronics has been heavily investing in their Ativ lineup, which features a wide range of Windows devices. One device, in particular, is generating a lot of excitement. The new Ativ Q will be the first of its kind to blur the lines between Windows and Android devices.

The thirteen-inch Ativ Q has the ability to jump between Windows 8 and Android Jelly Bean environments, enabling users to pin Android apps to their start screen. It all hinges on a design that allows the device to change into four different forms, including a tablet mode, a laptop mode, an angled display for viewing media, or a floating display mode. Aside from the interesting OS features, Samsung claims that the Ativ Q has the world’s highest resolution, measuring in at a whopping two hundred and seventy five pixels per inch.

• Nissan preps a hybrid car for next year’s Le Mans race

Nissan is planning on entering a new hybrid car in next year’s 24 hour Le Mans race. The car was given the name ZEOD RC, which stands for Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car, and it’s expected to keep up with the competition with top speeds in excess of one hundred and eighty five miles per hour. As a result of its nifty technological aspects, the ZEOD RC will be racing in the special Garage 56 class, which is reserved for cars that showcase new and innovative technologies.

Though the car isn’t one hundred percent electric, Nissan’s director of motorsports innovation, Ben Bowl-by, sees it as an important step in the electrification of motorsports. Nissan says that what it learns from the ZEOD RC will eventually filter down to consumer automobiles, where everyone can benefit.

• New, low prices for NeverWet phone protector kit

NeverWet, the superhydro-phobic coating that made a huge splash on the internet a few months ago, is now available at Home Depot, and will only cost about twenty dollars per kit.

Each NeverWet kit comes with a base and top coat capable of covering up to fifteen square feet. When applied, the coating is capable of repelling liquids from nearly any surface, including metal, wood, fabric, and even plastics. It’s not recommended for use on glass, because the spray dries with a frosted appearance, but a clear drying version is in the works. The painting procedure takes about an hour, and can be applied to virtually anything.

The company advises against using it on electronics, but a video demonstration of the product shows a NeverWet employee applying the product to an iPhone and then submerging it in water, where it continued to function. Though trying the experiment yourself is not recommended, feel free to send us a link to your videos if you do.

See you Monday!

And that’s your SiliconANGLE daily round-up for Friday June 21, 2013.  For continuous coverage on tech innovation and daily breaking analysis join us back Monday morning beginning at 8:30am CENTRAL here at NewsDesk on SiliconANGLE TV.