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Tag: acquisition

  • Verizon Fios to expand to nearly 30 U.S. states following Frontier acquisition

    Verizon Fios to expand to nearly 30 U.S. states following Frontier acquisition

    You can’t argue with broadband expansion.

    Verizon has announced that its Fios service, which is well-reviewed, but still has fairly limited availability in the U.S., is set to expand, and that a previously announced Verizon acquisition could add up 10 million new eligible Fios homes.

    According to The Verge, Verizon CEO Nilay Patel offered the following comment as to the company’s acquisition of Frontier in a $20 billion transaction:

    “We bought Frontier, and we are going to close before the year’s end, or maybe in the first quarter of 2026. That’ll give us another 10 million homes. Nilay, we’re going to have a path to get to 40 million homes of fiber.”

    Until now, Fios has largely been available in the northeast. But with the Frontier acquisition, it’s going to be available much more broadly throughout the rest of the US.

    Currently, Fios is only available in nine states plus Washington, D.C., With the acquisition, this number comes to around 30 states within the U.S.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and The Verge

  • Apple completes acquisition of Pixelmator, Photomator image editing applications

    Apple completes acquisition of Pixelmator, Photomator image editing applications

    Back in November, graphics company Pixelmator Team announced that the firm was involved in an acquisition agreements with Apple. The company has officially confirmed that it is now part of Apple.

    The confirmation was delivered through a software update for the Pixelmator and Photomator apps on iPhone and iPad.

    The announcement was followed by a link to Apple’s privacy policy, which applies to photo and image editing apps on the App Store.

    It’s unknown as to exactly what Apple will do with the Pixelmator and Photomator apps and how they might roll their functionality into Apple’s software and services.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac

  • Apple acquires Pixelmator, acquires company’s apps and technologies

    Apple acquires Pixelmator, acquires company’s apps and technologies

    If you love Pixelmator, so does Apple, and that could be why they bought the company.

    Pixelmator released the following update late last week advising its users as to the status of the company and its progress:

    “Today we have some important news to share: the Pixelmator Team plans to join Apple.

    We’ve been inspired by Apple since day one, crafting our products with the same razor-sharp focus on design, ease of use, and performance. And looking back, it’s crazy what a small group of dedicated people have been able to achieve over the years from all the way in Vilnius, Lithuania. Now, we’ll have the ability to reach an even wider audience and make an even bigger impact on the lives of creative people around the world.

    Pixelmator has signed an agreement to be acquired by Apple, subject to regulatory approval. There will be no material changes to the Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, and Photomator apps at this time. Stay tuned for exciting updates to come.
    Thank you

    We want to give a big thanks to our amazing users for your support over the past 17 years. Your feedback has played a huge role in shaping our apps into what they are today. As we step into this exciting new chapter, we can’t wait to share what’s next.

    – Pixelmator Team”

    It’s unknown as to what the exact terms of the acquisition deal were and these have not been publicly disclosed.

    Here’s hoping Apple can do something amazing with Pixelmator’s technologies and stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via Pixelmator

  • Apple acquires French startup Datakalab, may have gained additional AI, computer vision tools

    Apple acquires French startup Datakalab, may have gained additional AI, computer vision tools

    As is sometimes the custom, Apple may have snagged yet another company that specializes in artificial intelligence to help move it closer to its technological milestones.

    Apple is reported to have acquired Datakalab, a Paris, France-based startup specializing in both AI compression as well as computer vision technology. Per French business magazine Challenges, the acquisition was finalized back in December.

    Datakalab described itself as “experts in low power, runtime efficient, and deep learning algorithms” that work on device.

    Per the company’s LinkedIn page, Datakalab described itself as offering “industry leading compression and adaptation to deploy embedded computer vision that is fast, cost-effective and precise.” Prior to the Apple acquisition had between 10 and 20 employees.

    From Datakalab’s now-defunct website:
    “Datakalab is a French technology company that develops computer image analysis algorithms to measure flows in public space. The images are instantly transformed into anonymized statistical data processed locally in 100ms.

    Datakalab does not store any images or personal data and only keeps statistical data. Datakalab products are built according to the principle of ‘Privacy by Design.’:

    Datakalab had teamed up with the French government in May 2020 to deploy AI tools into the Paris transportation systems that helped check whether people were wearing face masks during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company also worked with Disney and other partners in the past.

    Although neither Apple nor Datakalab have acknowledge the acquisition, Challenges stated that the deal was reported to the European Commission this month. The report also indicated that neither of Datakalab’s two founders chose to join Apple, but multiple other employees did make the jump. Datakalab also held multiple patents related to AI compression and vision technology.

    The acquisition comes as Apple is expected to bring a suite of AI features to iOS 18 later this year. Datakalab also developed advanced vision-based technology, which could play a role in Apple’s Vision Pro ambitions into the future. The company’s advanced facial recognition technology could also contribute to things like Photos and Face ID.

    Via 9to5Mac, Challenges, The Verge, LinkedIn, mediametrie.fr, and iPhoneSoft

    (via iPhoneSoft)

  • Apple purchases DarwinAI, adds company’s resources to own development efforts

    Apple purchases DarwinAI, adds company’s resources to own development efforts

    Every so often, Apple goes shopping for businesses or technologies it believes will be useful down the road.

    The company acquired Canada-based DarwinAI earlier this year as part of an effort to build out its AI team. DarwinAI created AI technology for inspecting components during the manufacturing process, and it also had a focus on making smaller and more efficient AI systems.

    According to Bloomberg, DarwinAI’s website and social media accounts were taken offline following Apple’s purchase of the company, and dozens of former DarwinAI employees have joined Apple’s AI division. AI researcher Alexander Wong, who helped build DarwinAI, is now a director in Apple’s AI group.

    Apple recently confirmed the acquisition with the statement that it typically gives when questioned about purchases. “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time” but does not discuss its purpose or plans.

    Apple CEO Tim Cook has promised that Apple will “break new ground” in generative AI in 2024. “We believe it will unlock transformative opportunities for our users,” said Cook.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg