Report: Google Music purchases can be shared

Songs purchased from the forthcoming Google Music store will be available to share with friends, according to reports.

Business Insider says this is the big "twist" referred to by Android's Andy Rubin, when he spoke of the iTunes-bating service this week in Hong Kong.

The report claims that users will be able to share songs bought from Google Music with friends, who can then listen to the tracks a limited number of times, or for a limited time period, for free.

BI's source says that it's likely that you can send your pals an email, offering them access to your music locker.

Offline listening expected too

The sharing privileges will cost Google a fortune in licensing fees according to the report.

It is also thought that Google Music users will be able to "pin" songs to their mobile devices for offline listening in the same way that the Spotify Premium apps allow songs to be stored.

Google Music is expected to mimic the iTunes and Amazon MP3 stores in offering straight pay-per-download music, rather than a subscription like Spotify.

The store is expected to launch before the year is out, with the latest reports suggesting a November outing.

Report: Zynga's £1.44 billion Rovio bid rejected

Angry Birds developer Rovio turned down a monumental acquisition bid of £1.44 billion from rival stable Zynga, according to a report in the New York Times.

The astounding offer is said to have been rebuffed this summer, after Zynga - whose titles include Farmville and Words With Friends - also failed to acquire the PopCap studio.

The NYT report says that Rovio "walked away from discussions of a deal worth roughly $2.25 billion in cash and stock," according to three people briefed on the situation.

With 400 million all-platform Angry Birds downloads, countless merchandising opportunities and a forthcoming movie, Rovio continues to grow in stature, but that is a big chunk of change to turn down.

Neither Rovio or Zynga has commented on the report.

Failed acquisitions

The NYT article focuses on worrying times for Zynga as it prepares to float on the stock exchange with an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in the coming weeks.

Staff burnout and dissatisfaction is apparently prominent at the company with some feeling that founder Mark Pincus is "over-reaching."

As well as the overtures made to Rovio the report also claims that Zynga was on the losing end of a battle for rival studio PopCap.

PopCap, the maker of Plants vs Zombies eventually ended up in the hands of Electronic Arts, who put together a $1.3 billion package, which topped Zynga's $950m bid.