Microsoft buys skype for $8.5 billion !!

Most of us know that there was a competition between the biggest two giants on the internet Google and Facebook for acquiring Skype, but Microsoft finally won the competition with this highly aggressive bid.


ON THE 9TH OF MAY..

So what now, it's expected to to see an integrating between Windows Live service and Skype. Congratulations Microsoft. . Microsoft has bought Skype for $8.5 billion, in an all-cash deal. The deal closed a few hours ago. is close to finalizing a deal to buy Skype for between $7 billion to $8 billion. The Wall Street Journal confirmed the news after we had first reported it yesterday. The announcement is likely to come out later today or tomorrow morning, according to several reports. Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, is said to be a big champion of the deal, the largest in the history of the company. Ballmer and Skype CEO Tony Bates will host a press conference in a few hours.

Skype has been up for sale for some time, thanks to some very antsy investors. My sources indicated both eBay and Silver Lake Partners have been getting nervous about the delayed initial public offering and have been pushing for a sale of Skype. Facebook and Google were said to be earlier dance partners for Skype, and Microsoft was a late entrant and is now close to walking away with the prize.

Ringing in a new smartphone year

The new year is expected to bring a bumper crop of new smartphones, and Apple may reap the greatest harvest.
Perhaps the most long-awaited wireless announcement, Apple will introduce an iPhone for the Verizon network "sometime after the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early January," according to a Bloomberg report that cited "a person familiar with Apple's plans."

Although we've heard countless similar reports and rumors in the past, there's mounting evidence that 2011 will be the year iPhone customers finally get a carrier option other than AT&T. For starters, the Businessweek story comes on the heels of a DigiTimes report indicating Apple plans to ship 5 million to 6 million CDMA iPhones in the first quarter of 2011. Verizon's network runs on CDMA; AT&T's doesn't.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile and Motorola are expected to unveil the successor to their 2009 handset, the Cliq. A handful of images of the Cliq 2 made their way onto Cell Phone Signal's site, and they show a device that looks nearly identical to its predecessor outside of a redesigned keyboard and a shinier bezel around the screen.
• CES: HTC Evo Shift 4G could get Jan. 9 release

Rumor

December 28, 2010 8:51 AM PST
Rumor: Apple prepping three iPad 2 versions

Apple's current iPad

(Credit: Apple)
Apple is working on three versions of the iPad 2, DigiTimes reported today.

Citing an unnamed source, DigiTimes claims one model of Apple's next tablet will feature Wi-Fi only, while another will provide UMTS connectivity and Wi-Fi. The third model would apparently boast CDMA access, along with Wi-Fi connectivity. UMTS, or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, is a 3G technology used by AT&T and T-Mobile in the United States. Verizon and Sprint use CDMA, or code division multiple access, for 3G.

DigiTimes' sources claim that about two-thirds of Apple's iPad shipments feature 3G connectivity, which may be leading Apple to opt for more 3G connectivity options.

Currently, those who own an iPad with 3G can connect only to AT&T's 3G network. Consumers who want to connect to Verizon's network need to use the MiFi 2200 Hotspot for Web access when away from a Wi-Fi connection. That option was made available in October.

Beyond connectivity, DigiTimes reported that Apple is working on ways to reduce smudging and screen reflection, but the publication didn't say how the company would achieve that.

Finally, DigiTimes sources said Apple could release the iPad 2 around March or April.

The release date DigiTimes offered in its latest report is a little later than the publication's sources previously expected. Earlier this month, a report in the publication surfaced, claiming the iPad 2 would be available by the end of February.

For its part, Apple hasn't said anything about the iPad 2. And it's highly likely that the company won't reveal any details until it makes a formal announcement sometime in the new year. Realizing that, this latest DigiTimes report must be taken with a healthy heaping of salt until Apple confirms its claims.

Apple did not immediately respond to request for comment.

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Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20026670-17.html#ixzz19n0j9rpA

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