Since its IPO, Facebook has spent a fair amount of its expansive wad in acquiring companies. Having picked up WhatsApp for the sum of $19 billion just last month, the social network has just forked out a comparatively meager $2 billion to snap up Oculus VR. The deal to acquire the company, which specializes in researching and making virtual reality headsets, is a cash + stock deal akin to WhatsApp, with $400 million being paid in dollars, and the rest taking the form of 23.1 million shares in Facebook stock.
Last week, Twitter celebrated its eighth birthday, and to mark the occasion, introduced a new tool that allowed its 350 million+ users to revisit the very first tweet they ever made. Now, another tool called First Follower offers a similar feature, although, as the name implies, will instead help you to track down the first account to follow you on the social network.
Popcorn Time, a torrent movie streaming site, dramatically closed its doors only recently amid a swirl of legalese, with users and observers uncertain as to whether the site was in breach of the law. But as is so often the case when these kinds of sites disappear - either by choice or by force - Popcorn Time has been resurrected, and with the site now being run by developers of torrent site YTS, the 'whack-a-mole' nature of shutting down these purportedly illegal sites has once more been underlined.
Twitter is today celebrating its eighth birthday, and to mark the occasion, has introduced a new feature allowing users to find their first ever tweet. As the regular Twitter users among you will know, going back in time through your feed can be a cumbersome experience, and often, going right back to the beginning requires the intervention of a third-party utility. No more, though, for the new tool not only lets you check your own very first Twitter musing, but will also track down the first tweet of any other user of The Twitters, and we think it's pretty cool.
When shopping for a new smartphone, we tend to have our own ideas regarding what specific features and assets will lure us into making the purchase, and an interesting piece of research on smartphone buyers has shown that while, generally speaking, men and women look for the same kinds of features and functions, there are some notable differences. The survey, compiled by Nielsen, found that while, perhaps unsurprisingly, the male population sampled looked at things like processor speed, display size and operating system, female subjects were rather more considerate of finer details, such as contract terms and pricing.
If you're a big gaming fan, then there's no chance you've missed the incessant coverage and build up to next week's release of Titanfall. The title, which roll out exclusively to those on Xbox and PC, is easily the biggest game to drop so far this year, and with just a few days to go before the show begins, its creators are looking to ramp up interest with a series of 8-bit, Titanfall-themed titles based on some old classics. The first installment of the Titanfall Arcade, based on Asteroids, is already available to play on the Web, and with the next two arcade releases based upon Mission Command and Centipede, this is a truly nostalgia-inducing, old-meets-new affair.
The Microsoft co-founder, American business magnate and philanthropist - Bill Gates - has regained the title of the world's richest man in Forbes magazine's billionaire list. The list of the world's wealthiest individuals is published on an annual basis by Forbes and includes individuals like Warren Buffet, Charles Koch and Larry Ellison of Oracle fame. After falling down the ranks in recent years, Gates has managed to climb back to the top of the wealthy charts after a 4 year hiatus.
The Oscars 2014 86th Academy Awards event is live streamed for the first time ever tonight. Here's how you can catch all the action live on your iPhone, iPad or any Android device.
Unlocking a smartphone with the intention of freeing it up to use on any network has always been a contentious point amongst users. Some consumers approach the subject firmly with the mindset that they own the device and therefore have the right to have it unlocked for use on any carrier they like. Others take a more cautious approach, remaining baffled by whether or not the act of unlocking is actually legal. If you are one of the many that remain unsure about the legality of the issue, then the US House of Representatives may have just cleared the situation up by passing a bill relating to device unlocking.
Facebook's purchase of WhatsApp for $19 billion has taught us a lot of things, and while the focus has been mainly upon the breathtaking sums of money involved in this particular transaction, WhatsApp's swift 5-year rise, and the dogged, determined nature of one Brian Acton, the acquisition has made apparent the fact that Facebook is up there with the big boys when it comes to spending. Indeed, hitherto, it has been Google stumping up the cash to acquire large firms such as Motorola, and intriguingly, Fortune is reporting that the search giant once placed $10 billion on the table in an offer to buy WhatsApp out.
