The rumor mill surrounding Twitter is buzzing and this time pundits believe Apple, Microsoft, Google and News Corp are in talks to purchase the micro-blogging service. While these are indeed just rumors, because of the insane buzz and the free market, a serious bid could come any day.
As for Apple and Google, the FTC recently notified both companies that they are under investigation over anti-trust violations. The issue at hand is that no one is allowed to serve on boards of competing companies. Currently, Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former Genentech CEO Arthur Levinson serve on the board of both companies.
After nine years of marriage, AOL and Time Warner have finally announced plans to integrate content from the Internet property into Time Warner owned content. The plan is for AOL's Socialthing to add social networking components to WB sites, including instant messaging and feed sharing. While it is nice to see the company finally synergizing the divisions, the move is probably too little too late, as it comes as TW is planning on spinning off AOL.
Marvel's quarterly report saw revenue up 75%, beating estimates and bringing in a total of $197 million for the quarter. The company attributed the increase in revenue to licensing of interactive games and DVD sales, most notable The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man, both of which were released after the quarter began. On another note, the company's X-Men Origins: Wolverine is currently number one at the box office, having earned $158 million worldwide to date.
Disney's net income fell 46% during the first quarter. The Mouse took in a reported $613 million in net income, compared to $1.13 billion this time last year. CEO Robert Iger noted that the company was hit particularly hard by the economy, with studio profits down 97%.
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer 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) and the upcoming, Get Digital: Reinventing Yourself and Your Career for the 21st Century Economy (2009, Lake 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 For information about Get Digital Classes, visit www.shellypalmer.com/seminars