Microsoft's financial support of Windows Phone ports of iOS and Android apps is more direct than once thought, an investigation uncovered late Thursday. While the full extent of the catalog isn't known, the New York Times found that Microsoft paid outright to cover development of Foursquare's Windows Phone app and did the same for a third-party making a dedicated Facebook app on the social network's behalf. Rovio's sudden reversal on Angry Birds Space has raised suspicions that Microsoft, after learning Rovio wouldn't voluntarily port to Windows Phone, quickly offered
