Twitter integration with iTunes on the cards

Early this week, there were reports about the possibility of Apple investing hundreds of millions of dollars in Twitter to gain a social networking presence. The reports came after a New York Times report indicated that the two companies were talking about it. At the time, however, The Wall Street Journal reported that the said talks happened one year ago. Now a follow-up to that report states that the talks between the two companies surrounded product integration rather than strategic investments. If the report on the Wall Street Journal is anything to go by, Twitter integration with  iTunes may well be on the cards.

Twitter integration with iTunes may be on the cards

The report cites, “Apple and Twitter remain tight and continue to talk about future product integrations. They include more deeply melding Twitter and iTunes, according to two people briefed on the matter. Apple is preparing to phase out its own troubled social network for iTunes, called Ping, later this year.” iTunes users can link their Twitter and Ping accounts, and find on Ping those they follow on Twitter.

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Apple recently bought fingerprint sensor technology developer AuthenTec Inc for about $356 million. The report further elaborates, “It is unclear why the earlier investment talks didn’t progress. It would have been an unusual move for Apple, which typically opts to own or build its technology in-house. Twitter has also long been leery of taking strategic investments from suitors like Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. because it hasn’t needed the money and doing so could limit the company’s future opportunities, some of the people familiar with the matter said.”

There has been a lot of speculation over the launch date of the much awaited iPhone 5. Recent reports suggested that the latest version of the popular smartphone may be here on September 12, 2012 and will be available in stores 9 days later. Numerous reports in the past about the tentative release date of the next generation iPhone claimed that it will be unveiled by October. Those reports made sense as Apple does tend to give a handset a shelf life of a year. However, if this report is accurate, then we could see the iPhone 5 a month earlier than expected.