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Google Slurps Up Meebo to Get More Social June 05, 2012 Google has acquired social networking site Meebo, a possible bid to sharpen the search giant's social networking acumen. The deal has been the subject of rumors for about a month, after AllThingsD reported the two companies were in talks. Meebo confirmed the acquisition Monday. The companies didn't divulge details regarding the final price.

Facebook, Google Vie for Vevo June 01, 2012 Facebook and Google are reportedly interested in acquiring a stake in the music video website Vevo. Up for grabs is an equity stake in the site, as well as an advertising deal. Vevo is said to be valued at approximately $1 billion. This tug of war over Vevo must be validating to the site. It launched in 2009, with an unproven business model of creating revenue opportunities through advertising.

Salesforce's Buddy Media Buy Could Produce a Power Couple May 30, 2012 Salesforce.com is reportedly close to acquiring social media marketing manager Buddy Media for about $800 million. Buddy Media's main business is helping corporations manage their brand presence on Facebook. It has branched out to other social media platforms, including Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Facebook's Barreling Full Steam Ahead to Unknown Destination May 29, 2012 While it was widely assumed that Facebook would pull an about-face following its recent high-profile IPO and employ some restraint when it came to future acquisitions, the opposite appears to be happening. The social networking giant reportedly has several potential moves in play. The biggest -- for now -- could be the acquisition of the popular mobile Internet browser Opera.

FaceBlech May 26, 2012 Facebook's big debut on Wall Street turned out to be a milestone the company probably wants to forget as soon as it can, though that won't be possible for a pretty long time. By most accounts, Facebook's IPO was a disaster. Market glitches, bad decisions and allegations of shady dealings marred the social network's first day out

Technology Firms' Latest Weapon of Choice May 24, 2012 When AOL made a $1 billion deal to sell patents to Microsoft last April, its stock jumped up about 43 percent on the news. After all, AOL could use a $1 billion shot in the arm. Who couldn't? But what is behind this string of sales of patents? Why are patents so important to large tech firms like Microsoft, Google and Apple?

SAP Gets New Stairway to the Cloud With Ariba Buy May 23, 2012 SAP has revealed plans to acquire Ariba, an enterprise e-commerce network, for US$4.3 billion as part of the German company's expansion into cloud computing. SAP will purchase Ariba for $45 per share -- about 20 percent more than its market price. Ariba's board approved the purchase unanimously. The sale is expected to be completed during the third calendar quarter of 2012, dependent on Ariba shareholder approval.

Under Google's Wing, Motorola Can Stop Dabbling May 23, 2012 Motorola Mobility's financial performance has been less than stellar in the last three years, so its acquisition by Google for $12.5 billion could be a boon for the company. "Motorola has been running at an operating loss for quite a few quarters," observed Ramon T. Llamas, who analyzes mobile devices technology and trends for IDC.

Google Gets Motorola's Patents - and Problems May 22, 2012 Google has officially closed its acquisition of Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. This could transform the search engine giant from a software player to a maker of hardware: smartphones, tablet PCs and even set-top boxes. More importantly for Google is gaining control of Motorola's patent portfolio, which could help it fend off lawsuits from rivals such as Apple and Microsoft.

Why China Stuck Its Foot in Android's Door May 22, 2012 China's antitrust authorities have approved Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility, on the condition that the Android operating system remain open source and its code be made freely available to original equipment manufacturers. Android devices had nearly 74 percent of the Chinese market in Q4, 2011, and that means Android is in a dominant position, China's Commerce Department said.

Cable ISPs Form Fellowship of the WiFi May 21, 2012 Five major cable service providers in the United States are teaming up to allow their high-speed Internet customers access each other's metro WiFi networks. The five are Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable. The agreement will create a chain of more than 50,000 hotspots.

Yahoo Cashes Out of Alibaba May 21, 2012 Yahoo will sell half its stake in Chinese e-commerce heavyweight Alibaba back to the company for about $7.1 billion, setting in motion a deal that will send cash toward Yahoo shareholders. The deal will take place in multiple stages. First, Alibaba will purchase about 20 percent of Yahoo's stake in the company.

EC Pitches Google an Ultimatum May 21, 2012 Today in international tech news: The European Commission warns Google that it may have breached antitrust laws and offers the company a chance to settle without formal charges. In other Google news, China regulators approve the company's $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility, the finishing touch on Google's biggest-ever acquisition.

Nvidia Deal Puts a New Spin on Patent-Portfolio Acquisition May 15, 2012 Nvidia and Intellectual Ventures have partnered to buy a set of patents developed and owned by IPWireless. The patent portfolio comprises approximately 500 wireless patents, including in such areas as LTE, LTE-Advanced and 3G/4G technologies. The acquisition is viewed as another sign that the company is getting more serious about diversifying beyond its gamer-friendly graphics cards.

FTC's Instagram Probe Could Spotlight Zuckerberg's Wheeling and Dealing May 11, 2012 Facebook's acquisition of photo-sharing app Instagram was in the spotlight on Friday following a report that the Federal Trade Commission was investigating the deal on competition grounds. The FTC reportedly has even asked for input on the deal from rivals Google and Twitter, although it isn't clear what information was being requested.

Rumored Merger Could Give T-Mobile a Shot in the Arm May 10, 2012 Deutsche Telekom is rumored to be pursuing a merger between T-Mobile and MetroPCS Communications. How the merger may be executed appears to be a moving target at the moment. It could take the form of a stock-swap, giving Deutsche Telekom control of the combined entity, or it could be an initial public offering. Deutsche Telekom reportedly is considering an outright sale of T-Mobile as well.

Norway Rounds Up Alleged International Teenaged Cybervillains May 10, 2012 Today in international tech news: A pair of teenagers are arrested in Norway for cyberattacks on, among others, Britain's Serious Organized Crime Agency and Germany's Bild newspaper. Elsewhere, India mulls a retroactive tax bill that could net the nation $3.75 billion from Vodaphone, Twitter is aflutter with false Margaret Thatcher news, and the Netherlands, once again, orders ISPs to block The Pirate Bay.

The Samsung Galactic Empire May 05, 2012 This past week has been especially kind to Samsung. Big sales numbers were followed by the unveiling of the Galaxy S III, the company's latest flagship phone and one that could very well own the market this summer. The S III runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Google's operating system and one that up to this point hasn't taken residence on a very large number of phones.

Reading Into IBM's Tealeaf Buy May 03, 2012 IBM is building out its digital marketing functionality in its Smarter Commerce portfolio with the acquisition of Tealeaf Technology, a provider of customer experience analytics. Tealeaf software records and analyzes customer interactions on a company's website and any mobile channels it offers. It allows the company to catch any mistakes or glitches in the system that may be hindering the customer experience.

Motorola Losses Climb as Google Deal Lingers in Limbo May 02, 2012 Motorola Mobility revealed its quarterly earnings for its first fiscal quarter of the year Tuesday, reporting a slightly higher net loss than last year. The company lost $86 million, or 28 cents per share, compared to $81 million, or 27 cents per share, for the same time a year ago. Smartphone sales were slightly up.