Facebook buys Strobe;shore up smartphone offerings

Strobe develops technology which help developers create, distribute applications that work on devices like smartphones, tablet PCs

PTI | November 11, 2011



With an aim to expand its services on smartphones, social networking giant Facebook has acquired mobile application developer Strobe for an undisclosed amount.

Strobe develops technology which help developers create and distribute applications that work on devices like smartphones and tablet PCs.

The deal will help Facebook, which has over 800 million user globally, to further shore up its offerings on mobile devices.

"We are happy to announce that, as of this week, the Strobe team is joining Facebook," Strobe Founder and CEO Charles Jolley said in a blog post.

However, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Some reports suggested that the Strobe acquisition was a talent hire, as Facebook was mainly interested in the company's founder Charles Jolley.

He is also the creator of the SproutCore open source framework. Before founding Strobe, Charles was responsible for mobile application development at technology giant Apple Inc.

"Now we are joining the talented people at Facebook to help develop innovative mobile experiences for their users around the world," Jolley added.

For now, the Strobe service would continue to be available to existing users in its existing beta form and SproutCore would continue as an independent project.

The US-based Strobe website lists 15 employees including management, while Facebook has more than 3,000 employees.

Comments

 

Other News

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter