eero Wi-Fi mesh routers on sale as Amazon’s acquisition closes

The newly-minted Amazon-owned eero is reiterating pledges to ensuring customers' privacy while they use their mesh Wi-Fi networks.

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Microsoft wants to close $7.5 billion GitHub acquisition by the end of the year

GitHub, the world's top software development platform, will soon become Microsoft's third costliest acquisition in history, behind LinkedIn and Skype.

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Broadcom is still looking to acquire Qualcomm, but at a slightly lower price

Broadcom's recent "best and final offer" for a record-breaking Qualcomm takeover was not final after all, but it may well have been the best the potential seller will ever see.

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Broadcom makes formal $130 billion offer for acquisition of arch-rival Qualcomm

They say Qualcomm's management is opposed to any Broadcom deal right now, but $130 billion sounds like an offer the semiconductor giant can't refuse.

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Google steps up health monitoring efforts with latest startup acquisition

Health monitoring is clearly a bigger and bigger research focus for both Apple and Google, with the latter now the proud owner of an impressive startup.

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Apple reportedly buys eye tracking-specialized company to help with AR development

Apple may have just moved one step closer to finalizing its long-rumored smartglasses, acquiring the tech behind some German eye-tracking products.

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Fitbit snaps up software platform and ‘team’ behind stylish Vector smartwatches

If you can’t beat them, buy them out. In a nutshell, that seems to be an important part of Fitbit’s market consolidation and expansion strategy these days. To be fair though, this is already the leader of a highly competitive albeit unexpectedly stagnant industry, while recent acquisitions Pebble and Vector never got to fulfill their potential.

Needless to point out that the former had all the chances in the world, whereas the latter sold out before it could truly take off. Bottom line, we’re talking two very different wearable companies snapped up by San Francisco-based Fitbit of late, which suggests the 2007-born activity tracker vendor might branch out in several directions and product subcategories soon.

Similar to Pebble, Vector Watch specialized in manufacturing “understated, timeless” smartwatches with stellar battery life and frugal e-ink screens. But its Romanian co-founders, alongside a first-class team of international Timex, Nike and Fossil designer and executive alums, marketed relatively affordable devices like the Luna and Meridian as luxury fashion accessories in addition to high-tech gadgets.

It was an angle that seemed to work for a while, mostly because Vector’s intelligent timepieces indeed looked great for their price point, although Fitbit actually only purchased the Vector Watch “software platform”, also securing the “team’s” services.

No words on hardware, other than a predictable announcement of no “new product features (software and hardware)” to be added to Vector’s own-brand portfolio. No financial details disclosed either, and most importantly, mum’s the word on exactly how Vector’s “unique technology and knowhow” will be incorporated with “Fitbit’s experience and global community.”

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Samsung is ready to pay $8 billion for Harman’s automotive and premium audio expertise

It’s somewhat ironic, but instead of waiting to see how a far-reaching current mobile industry stagnation plays out and maybe cut expenses in the face of underwhelming financial reports of late, several tech veterans and market leaders continue to branch out and splash the cash on mergers and acquisitions.

Wireless service provider extraordinaire Verizon is still keen to spend as much as $4.8 billion on oft-loathed Yahoo to build an unstoppable digital media beast, smartphone processor-making specialist Qualcomm will become an IoT force to be reckoned with once its $47B NXP purchase closes, and perhaps most surprising of all, Samsung is now annexing Harman.

Now, as in mere months after the unprecedented Galaxy Note 7 scandal erupted, costing the world’s largest smartphone vendor billions in direct and indirect short-term losses, plus billions more down the road.

Granted, this $8 billion deal is only expected to be sealed sometime in “mid-2017”, if Harman shareholders and regulatory approvals give it the green light, which should be just a formality. There will obviously be no opposition from investors, considering the 28 percent premium Samsung has agreed to cough up based on the 1980-founded American company’s November 11 closing stock price.

It goes without saying HTC will never get to release another Harman Kardon Edition handheld, though Samsung doesn’t just want to “greatly enhance the competitiveness of its mobile, display, virtual reality and wearable products to deliver a fully differentiated audio experience for customers.”

First and foremost, Harman’s value lies in the automotive industry, with “more than 30 million vehicles currently equipped with its connected car and audio systems, including embedded infotainment, telematics, connected safety and security.” So, yeah, Samsung is finally going after Google’s Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in the “smart car” arena.

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