The New York Times breathed new life into the rumor that Facebook is considering the manufacture of its own smartphone device, while The Next Web wonders whether the social network is preparing to spend $100 million on yet another acquisition.
On Sunday, The Times’ Nick Bilton cited “employees of Facebook and several engineers who have been sought out by recruiters there” in a report suggesting a Facebook-branded smartphone may yet make its way to market. “The company has already hired more than half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone,” Bilton’s sources say, “and one who worked on the iPad.”
Then, The Next Web’s Robin Wauters noted a rumor published in Israel’s Calcalist, a business publication, suggesting Facebook may be eyeing the purchase of Face.com, a facial recognition technology website, for up to $100 million.
When approached by TechCrunch for comment on the rumor, Face.com CEO Gil Hirsch was noncommittal, saying the company has “nothing new to announce or share at this time.” But both publications agree that the acquisition would be a good fit for Facebook.
