Google Acquires Twitter Analytics Startup SocialGrapple

Published on 12 October 2011 by John Rampton in Business

Twitter analytics startup SocialGrapple has been acquired by Google. The exact details of the deal were not disclosed, but TechCrunch notes this is more of a talent acquisition by Google.

SocialGrapple started a year ago by Y Combinator alum Andrey Petrov. It gives you visual insights, email reports, and many other monitors to help you understand your Twitter account and what's going on behind the scenes.

97 Percent of Tablet Internet Traffic Comes From iPad

Published on 12 October 2011 by Wired.com in Business

As if any Gadget Lab readers needed to be told, the mobile Internet is taking off. What might be surprising is that almost all tablet Internet traffic comes from the iPad. “In August 2011, iPads delivered 97.2 percent of all tablet traffic in the U.S.” says a new Comscore report. What’s more, the iPad is even beating its older brother the iPhone, managing 46.8 percent of iOS Internet use vs. the iPhone’s 42.6 percent.

Samsung beats Q3 estimates on strong smartphone sales

Published on 9 October 2011 by Todd Haselton in Business

Samsung issued pre-earnings guidance on Friday indicating it will beat profit estimates set by the Street for the third quarter thanks to strong demand for its smartphones.

The South Korea-based company said its operating profit for the three month period ending this September will total roughly 4.2 trillion won ($3.6 billion), which bested estimates from a group of 28 analysts who collectively thought Samsung’s profit slide in at 3.7 trillion won.

Harry Potter ebooks launch delayed

Published on 4 October 2011 by The Guardian in Business

A cabal of brawling virtual wizards has overwhelmed JK Rowling's Pottermore, forcing the website to temporarily remove a popular duelling game and pushing the launch of the Harry Potter ebooks back until 2012.

Amazon's interest in Palm. Why would it even consider a bid?

Published on 2 October 2011 by The Next Web in Business

Amazon, the world's biggest online retailer and new player in the tablet market, is apparently in "serious negotiations to snap up Palm from HP" with the company interested in taking HP's beleaguered mobile division off of its hands as soon as possible.
Palm, purchased by HP in April 2010 for $1.2 billion, was expected to galvanise its operations once it joined the enormously successful computing giant, combining resources to further develop Palm's critically-acclaimed webOS mobile platform and create new, powerful smartphones and tablets that were capable of competing with iOS and Android powered devices.
The reality was much harder for HP; its Pre smartphones struggled to sell, as did its TouchPad tablet, resulting in an HP announcement which declared the company was to cease development of its webOS devices, spin-off its PC sales business and look for licensees and a buyer for its webOS division.