Twitter Rumored to Develop Groupon-Style Features

Has Twitter been inspired by the work of

?

Spindle, an app that aims to

, proudly announced that it had joined "the flock" this week. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Spindle had received

before the buyout took place. "We've spent the past two and a half years building a product that helps you answer the question: 'What's happening nearby right now?'" Spindle

on its blog. "Every time we've experimented and looked beyond local discovery, we've been amazed by the breadth and quality of content shared on Twitter. By joining forces with Twitter, we can do so much more to help you find interesting, timely, and useful information about what's happening around you." Spindle also announced that it will be "sunsetting" the existing Spindle service "to focus on these new and exciting opportunities." Prior to the acquisition, Spindle delivered information about local events, such as bakeries that are sampling new cupcake flavors or retailers that are selling new items. The app pulled this information from Twitter and

feeds.

has published a piece speculating that Twitter will use Spindle to become more like Groupon. "Use cases the company suggests include Groupon-style special offer notifications and last-minute cancellation suggestions," Search Engine Watch's Michael Passingham wrote. Not much else is known about the acquisition, but it should be noted that while Spindle could help Twitter facilitate commerce between users and local businesses, it is

a daily deals site. Spindle is merely an app that delivers already existing Twitter and Facebook posts to relevant users. Since Twitter is already a big part of Spindle, it made sense for the company to be interested in its technology.