Apple buys startup Topsy; gets rich Twitter data

UNUSUAL PURCHASE: Apple has acquired analytics startup Topsy which specialises in analysing Twitter data and providing insights into current sentiment on a variety of topics. - Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc has acquired social media search and analytics startup Topsy, an unusual purchase for a hardware-focused company that has made few forays into social networking.

Apple confirmed the acquisition but would not say why it bought the company, which specialises in analyzing Twitter data and providing insights into current sentiment on a variety of topics.