Report: Amazon (no longer Google) now in talks to acquire Twitch for $1 billion

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Report: Amazon (no longer Google) now in talks to acquire Twitch for $1 billion

Early reports of Google and YouTube looking to buy video game streaming site Twitch may have cooled down in recent months. Today, sources from both The Wall Street Journal and The Information are now reporting that it could now be Amazon looking to court Twitch, coming in hot with a $1 billion check to sweeten the deal.

Despite negative feedback from users that Twitch as a Google property would be “ruined” — despite Google already having some experience with YouTube — it was a deal that made a lot more sense. Rampant copyright claims have been plaguing popular YouTubers looking to stream game content on the site. Twitch seemed like the next logical place Google would hope to move its content creators, a promised land if you will.

While an Amazon deal doesn’t make a lot of sense, we have seen the company’s new found interest in video gaming with their recent opening of the Amazon Game Studios. Exactly what, other than street cred, Amazon hopes to gain from the deal is anyone’s guess.

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Rumor: Samsung working on a circular smart watch

After the overwhelmingly positive response Motorola received to the circular Moto 360 it seems competitors want to try their hand at it. This past weekend LG began teasing a circular wrist dweller of their own, and now another big name is rumored to be getting in on the fun.

According to SamMobile, Samsung is working on a circular smart watch of their own. We’re almost certain it wouldn’t be ready in time for IFA Berlin, though with the Gear Live having just launched and the Gear Solo (a SIM-enabled Gear) rumored to be coming next week we’re not sure we’d fancy another option so soon.

That’s all we know so far. There’s no indication on which OS Samsung will look to use (Tizen or Android Wear), though we’re personally keeping fingers and toes crossed for the latter. With the feint exception of the Samsung Gear Live, Samsung’s devices haven’t exactly been the prettiest on the market.

We’re hoping a circular smart watch design would help inspire Samsung to come up with something fresh, sleek and slim just as they’ve started to do on the phones side of things. Let us know if you’d consider buying a circular Samsung smart watch in the comments below!

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