Yahoo acquires to-do list app Astrid, sum undisclosed

PanARMENIAN.Net - Yahoo has acquired Astrid, a to-do list and personal assistant mobile app, and the developers behind it for an undisclosed sum, PCWorld reports.

The Internet company has acquired both the talent and the technology in the deal, a spokeswoman said in an email on Wednesday, May 1. Yahoo however declined to comment on the future product roadmap or integration.

"The team will focus on some exciting products and experiences that are core to Yahoo! mobile, and they have a lot in store," the spokeswoman added.

The Astrid to-do list and task management app, which syncs across Android, iOS and the Web, also allows family and friends to collaborate on projects, dividing up tasks and sending reminders.

"We're excited to welcome Astrid to Yahoo!'s mobile team. Their background in personalized mobile experiences is impressive, and we know they will be a huge asset to as we continue to re-imagine our products," the Yahoo spokeswoman said.

For the more than 4 million users who downloaded the app, Astrid will continue to work as it is for the next 90 days, but the developer will no longer be accepting new premium subscriptions, Astrid cofounder Jon Paris and his team said in a blog post.

Yahoo will be administering refunds to eligible users including those who have paid for annual subscriptions, power-packs of add on widgets and locale plugins which provide reminders depending on user location.

The Internet giant has recently made some other acquisitions in mobile including the purchase of Summly, the company in London behind a news summarization app, and a location discovery service called Alike. CEO Marissa Mayer has in remarks indicated the importance of mobile for Yahoo's growth. The company last month released two new mobile apps for weather and email

Yahoo's bid for French online video company Dailymotion fell through recently after the French government opposed its buying a majority stake in a firm that is regarded as one of the country's star start ups, according to reports.