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[Bboy AJ]

Apple, which has stumbled in its efforts to get into social media, has talked with Twitter in recent months about making a strategic investment in it, according to people briefed on the matter.

While Apple has been hugely successful in selling phones and tablets, it has little traction in social networking, which has become a major engine of activity on the Web and on mobile devices. Social media are increasingly influencing how people spend their time and money — an important consideration for Apple, which also sells applications, games, music and movies.

Apple has considered an investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars, one that could value Twitter at more than $10 billion, up from an $8.4 billion valuation last year, these people said. They declined to be named because the discussions were private.

There is no guarantee that the two companies, which are not in negotiations at the moment, will come to an agreement. But the earlier talks are a sign that they may form a stronger partnership amid intensifying competition from the likes of Google and Facebook.

Apple has not made many friends in social media. Its relationship with Facebook, for example, has been strained since a deal to build Facebook features into Ping, Apple’s music-centric social network, fell apart. Facebook is also aligned with Microsoft, which owns a small stake in it. And Google, an Apple rival in the phone market, has been pushing its own social network, Google Plus.

“Apple doesn’t have to own a social network,” Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said at a recent technology conference. “But does Apple need to be social? Yes.”

More: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/t...n-twitter.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto

 

[RiccochetJ]

Isn't a lot/most of social media done through Apple devices? Is this just them trying to get some revenue from that?

 

[kehs]

This can't be....tell them they're wrong Tobor.

 

[enzo_gt]

Was the iTunes social network thing as colossal of a failure as I imagined it to be? Ping or something?

What other social media efforts have they had?

 

[goomba]

Twapple

 

[mj1108]

iAds in Twitter feeds....

 

[Recon]

Was the iTunes social network thing as colossal of a failure as I imagined it to be? Ping or something?

What other social media efforts have they had?

Ping was bad.

 

[Amagon]

I don't like any corporation buying Twitter. Hope this doesn't happen.

 

[Phoenix4]

Every tweet to be sent to Apple first for approval..

 

[trinest]

If Apple buys Twitter I'm ditching it. *fanboy speach*.

Every tweet to be sent to Apple first for approval..

Now now, Apple isn't Nintendo.

 

[Lkr]

so this would be the beginning of the fall...

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

I don't really like the idea of a hardware or software company owning a social network.

 

[EightBitNate]

Twitter? Never heard of it. Time for Apple to step in and make it explode

 

[Tornado Condor]

This just in: Apple to patent <140 character-limit messages.

 

[GG-Duo]

That would be good. Twitter has been making some bad moves in an attempt to justify investors' huge handouts to the company. Apple, for their part, probably wants to have a tool to keep Facebook at bay.

 

[numble]

WSJ says the talks were last year, but they decided to not do so then.

 

[hateradio]

Twapple

I was thinking of that or Twipple(R).

 

[Canis lupus]

This just in: Apple to patent <140 character-limit messages.

Lol! I could really see them doing something like that.

 

[ShinobiFist]

If Apple buys Twitter I'm ditching it. *fanboy speach*.


Now now, Apple isn't Nintendo.

Bravo!

 

[Squire]

Brilliant. I don't necessarily want them ultimately buying Twitter undoubtedly making the apps iOS only, but that too might be smart from their perspective.

I don't think of Twitter like Facebook or Google+. Twitter's ingrained in American culture on a way that I don't see fading anytime soon.

 

[BassForever]

Not sure if this would really impact anyone, as long as you can still text 40404 for twitter everyone should be fine/happy.

 

[rezuth]

Was the iTunes social network thing as colossal of a failure as I imagined it to be? Ping or something?

What other social media efforts have they had?

Yes, Apple failed to make the necessary connections to stuff like Facebook and it failed because of this.

 

[noah111]

If this ended up happening, it would only make whatever G+ more viable/successful tbh.

But it would be pretty awesome if they were to merge iMessages and Twitter-like features into a single app.

 

[Zeppu]

This just in: Apple to patent <140 character-limit messages.

Not vague enough. Apple would patent 'character-limits.'

Webforms everywhere get preliminary injunctions.

 

[markot]

They should just wait a few months and buy Facebook

 

[Wiktor]

Brilliant. I don't necessarily want them ultimately buying Twitter undoubtedly making the apps iOS only, but that too might be smart from their perspective.

How? It would kill Twitter's popularity immiedietely, thus making all the money invested gone.