Informatica to go private in $5.3 billion leveraged buyout

By Devika Krishna Kumar and Greg Roumeliotis (Reuters) – Business software maker Informatica Corp said it would be bought for about $5.3 billion by private equity firms Permira Funds and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), in the biggest U.S. leveraged buyout so far this year. Informatica shareholders will get $48.75 per share in cash

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Amazon in talks to buy online luxury retailer Net-a-Porter: Forbes

(Reuters) – Amazon.com is in talks to buy online luxury retailer Net-a-porter in what could be the biggest acquisition yet for the e-commerce giant, but the negotiations are in early stages and could fall apart, Forbes reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The potential deal, first reported by Women's Wear Daily, could value Net-a-Porter lower than the valuation of 2 billion euros ($2.16 billion) reported by the fashion industry trade journal, Forbes reported on Thursday, citing the person. Seattle-based Amazon has long eyed the high-end fashion retail sector and any deal for Net-a-Porter would mean a new commitment in an area where the company lacks a strong presence, Forbes said.

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Twitter launches video streaming app Periscope

(Reuters) – Twitter Inc launched a video streaming app called Periscope on Thursday, just days after reports that it had blocked a rival app called Meerkat. Meerkat relies heavily on Twitter and has become hugely popular in the month since its launch.

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Pentagon research arm says military must react faster to tech changes

By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The famed Pentagon research arm that gave the world the Internet and the miniaturized GPS receivers used in consumer devices said on Thursday one of its key goals now is to ensure U.S. troops do not get left behind as technologies advance at a lightning pace. Arati Prabhakar, director of the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, said easy access to once-proprietary products and the fast pace of commercial technological development threaten the U.S.

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Facebook brings apps, businesses to Messenger service

By Alexei Oreskovic SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc on Wednesday opened up its Messenger service for developers to create apps and for shoppers to communicate directly with retailers, as the Internet company seeks to expand its reach. The new features mark Facebook's latest effort to transform its mobile messaging service into a full-featured platform with the same pull with consumers and businesses as its flagship 1.4-billion user social network. Facebook unveiled the new features at its annual developer conference in San Francisco, for the first time allowing developers to create apps that function inside the Messenger service used by more than 600 million people.

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New online platform tracks corporate actions in tropical forests

By Chris Arsenault ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A group of large companies, mainly in the food sector, have promised to reduce their role in the destruction of the world’s forests, and a new online portal launched on Wednesday aims to hold them to their word. Some of the biggest names in global food production, processing and retailing, including Cargill, McDonalds, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Walmart are among the companies, with a combined market capitalization of nearly $4 trillion, pledging to tackle deforestation in their supply chains.

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