Twitter releas periscope live streaming app

Acquired by Twitter earlier in 2015, Periscope has already won positive reviews for being an easy way to stream live video over the Internet

Twitter released Periscope on March 26. Similar to Meerkat, Periscope lets users stream live video over the Internet. Unlike Meerkat, Periscope streams can be archived for later viewing. At launch only an iOS app is available (though streams can also be viewed on the web), with an Android version forthcoming.

Early reviews of Periscope were largely positive, with publications like The Verge and Engadget praising its intuitive user interface.

Twitter confirmed on March 9 that it had acquired Periscope. While it did not disclose how much it paid for the startup, TechCrunch reported the deal was worth around $100 million.

Twitter on March 13 began limiting Meerkat's access to the Twitter social graph, a move that could limit the streaming video app's growth. The CEO of Meerkat's parent company said Twitter's decision shows how "significant" that app had become since it launched in late February.

Twitter said on Feb. 11 that it had bought New York-based Niche for an undisclosed price. Niche, which previously raised $4 million, connects advertisers with social media video stars. Niche says it has a community of more than 6,000 users and partnerships with more than 100 brands and agencies.

Twitter said Jan. 20 that it has acquired India based mobile marketing company ZipDial, which had previously partnered with Twitter in India on marketing campaigns. No financials of the deal were announced. ZipDial uses a common behavior in India where a customer dials a number, quickly hangs up, after which the receiver dials back at no cost to the initial caller.

Twitter announced plans on Feb. 4 to open a research and design facility in India, the first office of its kind outside of the United States, according to the Financial Times. The company will be using the ZipDial team as the basis for the new facility.

Twitter in July 2014 acquired the startup Mitro, founded in 2012, to bolster its geolocation division. The purchase price wasn't immediately disclosed. The company provides a web browser extension that allows users to store and share passwords. It had raised $2.4 million from the likes of Google and Matrix Partners.

Twitter also said in July 2014 that it had acquired CardSpring, a payments infrastructure startup that could eventually pave the way for Twitter to offer the ability to buy items directly from tweets. Terms of the deal between the two companies were not disclosed.