Yahoo startup shopping spree continues - Hindustan Times

Yahoo on Wednesday continued a months-long take-over binge with word that it had bought Xobni, a startup behind tools for better managing contact lists and email inboxes.     Yahoo did not disclose how much it paid for Xobni, which is 'inbox' spelled backwards, but said it planned to use the startup's technology to improve Yahoo! Mail, Messenger and other "communications offerings."     San Francisco-based Xobni was launched in 2006, and two years later the venture-backed firm hired Yahoo executive Jeff Bonforte as chief.     A message posted at the Xobni blog on Wednesday indicated that the team was settling in to new digs at Yahoo's main campus in the Silicon Valley city of Sunnyvale.     "This is just the type of gig we've been preparing for throughout our history," Xobni said.     "Soon, you'll be able to use Yahoo! products with Xobni goodness baked right in."     Xobni products help manage email and other communications based on patterns of exchanges between people and their contacts. Yahoo logo is displayed outside of the offices in Santa Clara, Calif. Photo: AP/Paul Sakuma     The acquisition continues a shopping spree launched after Marissa Mayer became chief of Yahoo a year ago. Yahoo! buys online video chat startup OnTheAir     Yahoo on Tuesday announced it Qwiki, a startup behind a smartphone movie application, a New York operation behind an application that converts video and pictures on iPhones into sharable movie clips complete with music soundtracks. Yahoo buys mobile app co Qwiki     The Qwiki buy announcement came a day after Yahoo put out word that it bought Bignoggins Productions, a one-person operation specializing in fantasy sports applications for iPhones.     Yahoo in June completed a billion-dollar deal taking over the popular blogging platform Tumblr, a move aimed at bringing more youthful users into the company's orbit. The Yahoo headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. Photo: AFP     Yahoo last month bought startup GhostBird Software, which makes picture-taking applications for iPhones, to enhance its Flickr photo service. Yahoo! weaves Summly into new iPhone app     Since former Google executive Mayer became chief at Yahoo, the company has racked up a series of acquisitions including startups Alike, Stamped, Snip.it and a Summly application built by a British teen. Yahoo! buys iPhone app maker Alike     Yahoo recently bought PlayerScale, a startup that powers games played on smartphones, tablets, consoles or personal computers.     Yahoo is reported to be eyeing online video website Hulu after its bid to buy a majority stake in France-based Dailymotion was derailed in May. The Yahoo! offices are pictured in Santa Monica, California. Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni Yahoo! buys scrapbook website Snip.it     Mayer's plan for reviving the fortunes of the faded Internet pioneer includes making priorities of mobile devices, video, personalized digital content, and elevating the company's popularity outside the United States. via Technology - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEXydY_4DCoPG_W_qNVhNucdx8e5w&url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/BusinessComputing-Updates/Yahoo-startup-shopping-spree-continues/SP-Article1-1086829.aspx

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