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Comcast is in talks with GE to acquire 51% of NBCU. Comcast hopes to merge its cable division with the NBCU’s offerings, which include NBC, USA Network, Telemundo and a host of other properties. The deal, which can only be finalized if approved by Vivendi, would have Comcast paying GE approximately $6 billion in assets, as well as an additional $4 to $6 billion in cash.
A British judge has ordered a Twitter impersonator to discontinue his actions and did so via Twitter. The Twitter user had been falsely impersonating a right-wing blogger in the UK, and since the user was anonymous, the Judge sent his writ directly to @blaneysblarney. Lawyers noted that while sending a writ via Twitter may seem ridiculous, it sets precedent for digital law in the UK.
Apple quietly purchased online mapping company Placebase in July, however, news of the acquisition did not surface until yesterday. Many analysts believe that the purchase may foreshadow Apple replacing GoogleMaps on the iPhone with a similar application by PlaceBase.
A new report by comScore and Starcom USA notes that only 16% of web users in the US click on ads. The research companies found that the number is down 50% in the last two years, with a mere 8% of the web surfing population accouting for 85% of all ad clicks. As anyone could’ve told you, “marketers who attempt to optimize their advertising campaigns solely around the click are assigning no value to the 84% of Internet users who don’t click on an ad.”
Cisco announced yesterday that it will acquire video conferencing technology company Tandberg for $3 billion. Cisco hopes the Norwegian company, who manufacturers a teleconferencing system similar to Cisco’s offering, will help bolster its teleconferencing services, giving users more options in terms of service and units. Last year Tandberg earned $809 million in revenue.