DailyDose, your everyday technology brief is here. In today’s edition: A disturbing development at Square, Dell’s bid to go private, Instagram’s new full image feed for browsers and more.
Square Inc’s Chief Operating Officer Keith Rabois has resigned from the company following accusations of sexual harassment made against him by a Square employee.
In his defense, Keith wrote on his blog:
(1) The relationship was welcome. (2) Square did not know of the relationship before a lawsuit was threatened; it came as a complete surprise to the company. (3) He never received nor was denied any reward or benefits based on our relationship. And (4), I did not do the horrendous things I am told I may be accused of. Read more here.
Dell to go private in $24 billion deal, Microsoft lends support, HP takes a dig
Michael Dell struck a deal to take Dell Inc (DELL.O) private for $24.4 billion in the biggest leveraged buyout since the financial crisis, partnering with the Silver Lake private equity firm and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) to try to turn around the struggling computer company without Wall Street scrutiny, reports Reuters. Read more here. For the deal, Microsoft has provided a $2 billion loan to Dell. Read Microsoft statement here.
What did Dells chief rival HP have to say about all this?
“Dell has a very tough road ahead. The company faces an extended period of uncertainty and transition that will not be good for its customers. And with a significant debt load, Dell’s ability to invest in new products and services will be extremely limited. Leveraged buyouts tend to leave existing customers and innovation at the curb. We believe Dell’s customers will now be eager to explore alternatives, and HP plans to take full advantage of that opportunity,” a statement issued by HP said.
Apple Inc is ramping up its emerging market strategy
In January, the company received approval to establish both a physical Apple Store as well as an online store in Indonesia, where it will invest between $2 million and $3 million to build out its retail operations. In Russia, Apple debuted an iTunes store in December 2012, as part of a wider strategy to create more localized experiences for iOS device owners in 56 markets. More here.
Facebook May Soon Be Tracking You At All Times
Facebook already knows who all of your friends are, when you broke up with your last girlfriend/boyfriend and what you did or wish you didn’t do on spring break last year. But if that wasn’t enough, Facebook may soon be tracking you at all times. Bloomberg reported on Monday that Facebook is “developing a smartphone application that will track the location of users … even when the program isn’t open on a handset.” The purpose of such an app is to help Facebookers find friends when they’re out and about. Such an app, Bloomberg said, could be used to sell ads based off of where users go. It’s something that will be of huge value to advertisers, but may not go down easy with users for obvious privacy reasons. More here.
Instagram Launches Full Image Feed For Web Browsers
Instagram has just announced that its full feed has made its way to the web, meaning that users no longer have to access through the dedicated mobile apps to check out all of their content, and participate in the conversation around posted photos.
The web-based feed comes in both desktop- and mobile-optimized flavors, meaning you’re set if you’re using something like BlackBerry not yet graced by an official app (minus the ability to post photos, of course). Instagram has been making overtures to the web after remaining mobile-only for a long time, but this goes beyond simple flirtation. More here.
