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    Twitter debuts ‘Moments’ feature to highlight top stories

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments610 Views
    This February 2, 2013 file photo shows a Twitter icon on a smartphone in Berlin (AP file photo).
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Twitter on Tuesday launched a new feature called "Moments" that helps highlight the top stories being tweeted.

    The feature will showcase top stories being discussed, even if you don't follow the tweeters. It can be found by tapping a lightning bolt icon tab on the site or app. It will update the "Moments" throughout the day.

    The "Moments" are a mix of news and fluffy trending topics. For example, two "Moments" on Tuesday included tweets about the South Carolina floods breaking dams and a pygmy hedgehog called Marutaro.

    Twitter, which limits posts to 140 characters, has been trying to find a way to make the site easier to navigate and broaden its appeal beyond media junkies, athletes, celebrities and politicians. The short messaging service has amassed more than 300 million users but its growth has been slowing.

    Meanwhile, Facebook has 1.5 billion people on its online social network and even its photo-sharing application, Instagram, has surpassed Twitter in size.

    The news comes a day after Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey returned officially as CEO.

    Shares fell 22 cents to $27.93 during midday trading.

    Tags:Twitter



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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