According to several sources, Google is in late stage talks to acquire Twitter. If it happens, it will be pretty much what everyone expected. Google can help monetize the Twitter's traffic and, maybe more importantly, they have the infrastructure to handle Twitter's remarkable growth.
Research In Motion beat its quarterly estimate, with revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 up 84% over the same period last year. While many feared smart phone user growth would slow due to the recession, BlackBerry gained 3.9 million net new subscribers during the quarter, and launched their BlackBerry application store yesterday.
While Jay Leno is still the king of the late night ratings, ABC's Nightline knocked off perennial number two David Letterman for the first time in six years. Nightline, whose future is reportedly in jeopardy, averaged 3.6 million viewers for the first quarter of 2009. Nightline has done increasingly well with Adults 25-54, taking in 1.69 million viewers with the advertising friendly demographic, and beating Letterman for 3 straight quarters.
IBM reportedly will purchase Sun Microsystems for $7 billion. Sources say that IBM will pay $9.50, down from a bid of $10 a share. While reps at both IBM and Sun have declined to comment, it is reported that a deal could be announced as early as today.
Deutsche Telekom, who has the rights to the iPhone in Germany, said that users caught using Skype's VOIP service could have their contract terminated. The parent company of T-Mobile noted that "For one-and-a-half years the use of Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, and instant messaging applications is prohibited in all our data tariffs."
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net.