Fast Facts on Apple's Recent Buying Spree Apple's purchase of Topsy rounds out what has been a busy year of acquisitions by the consumer-electronics giant.
By Laura Entis •
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Apple appears to be very interested in what's happening in the world of Twitter. On Monday, the company purchased Topsy Labs, a data-analytics firm that analyzes conversations on Twitter and indexes tweets.
Topsy Labs can "instantly analyze any topic, term or hashtag across years of conversations on millions of websites," according to the company's website. Its tools are able to break down how often a term is tweeted, track influential people and subjects, and measure the exposure of an event or ad campaign.
Apple is said to have paid more than $200 million for the company, according to the Wall Street Journal.
While Apple didn't give any indication of what it plans to do with Topsy, analysts say Apple's goals could be creating better targeted ads, and staying plugged in to trending topics and issues, the Journal reported.
Topsy Labs rounds out a 10-company buying spree for the hardware maker in 2013 (including three mapping related-acquisitions – HopStop and Locationary on July 19, and Embark on August 22 – bought to help beef up the much-mocked Apple Maps).
Related: Finding the Logic Behind Marissa Mayer's Monster Acquisition Spree
Compared to 2012 (four acquisitions) and 2011(just two), it's been an unusually busy 12 months for Apple. Below are some fast facts on a few of Apple's most recent purchases.
Acquisition: Topsy Labs
Sale Price: Reportedly more than $200 million
Acquisition date: December 2, 2013
What it is: A social-media analytics firm, with a focus on analyzing data from Twitter.
Acquisition: PrimeSense
Sale Price: Estimated at $350 million
Acquisition date: November 24, 2013
What it is: An Israeli developer of motion-tracking chip technology that detects movements and objects, and then translates that into depth and color.
Acquisition: Cue
Sale Price: Estimated at $40 million to $60 million
Acquisition date: October 3, 2013
What it is: A developer of a personal assistant app that provides a customized daily schedule based on e-mail, calendar and contact information.
Related: A Path to Better Maps: Apple Buys Data Mapping Startup Locationary
Acquisition: Matcha
Sale Price: Estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million
Acquisition date: August 13, 2013
What it is: A developer of an iOS app that provides a comprehensive overview of what's available to watch via cable TV providers.
Acquisition: Passif Semiconductor
Sale Price: Undisclosed
Acquisition date: August 1, 2013
What it is: A developer of wireless communication chips.
Acquisition: WiFiSlam
Sale Price: Reportedly $20 million
Acquisition date: March 23, 2013
What it is: Indoor GPS company
Related: Apple CEO Tim Cook Teases the Next Tech 'Game Changers'
