Tag: acquisition

Apple buy talk/podcast app Swell?

Rumours are flying around that Apple has been spending its pocket money: Has it just put down $30m to buy talk radio app Swell? According to Recode, Apple has bought the app which generates custom playlists from podcasts and talk radio content, and learns what you like. An interesting move from a company that is…
James O'Malley Apple

How Facebook nearly bought Twitter

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When it comes to Social Networking sites, Facebook is the current undisputed king. When it comes to microblogging and ‘status update’, however, Twitter rules. Facebook knows this, which is why it offered US$500 million’s worth of stock to Twitter, three weeks ago, to buy it.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, Twitter rebuffed the offer. There were concerns that $500 million of Facebook stock wasn’t actually worth $500 million, as well as worries over how Facebook would integrate the service into the site.

Lastly, it seems that Twitter wants to have a go at seeing if it can make any actual revenue itself first, before letting someone else try. After all, despite having considerable outgoings in server, SMS and staff costs, Twitter doesn’t actually make any money at all. Yet.

Duncan Geere Web 2.0, Websites

AOL combines Bebo, AIM, ICQ into "People Networks", looks to expand globally

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A couple of months from AOL’s announcement of its intentions to buy Bebo, the $850m deal has been sealed.

Though exact details of future plans and money involved isn’t clear, it seems AOL is keen to push Bebo into other countries, particularly those in Europe, as well as creating “People Networks”, a new community platform combining Bebo, AIM, and ICQ…

Andy Merrett Internet, Web 2.0