Snippet: Apple Considered Stake in Twitter ☇

The New York Times is reporting something that may have made all the geeks and tech industry insiders turn away from the Olympics for just a minute:

Apple has considered an investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars, one that could value Twitter at more than $10 billion, up from an $8.4 billion valuation last year, these people said. They declined to be named because the discussions were private.

There is no guarantee that the two companies, which are not in negotiations at the moment, will come to an agreement. But the earlier talks are a sign that they may form a stronger partnership amid intensifying competition from the likes of Google and Facebook.

If Apple does get rid of its own service, Ping, as many expect, why not?

Update: Apparently The New York Times is about a year behind on that story.