Apple reportedly buys Cue intelligent personal assistant app

With its latest acquisition, Apple may be looking to improve its agenda services. TechCrunch and AppleInsider first reported that the Cupertino-based company purchased Cue (formerly Greplin), and Apple has now provided The Verge with its typical statement when such acquisitions are rumored. It says that "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans." It's as close as a confirmation Apple will provide. Cue's original service was designed for heavy social network users, allowing them to search content across Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but last year when it rebranded it switched to an offering roughly similar to Google Now. That's a favorable comparison for Cue, however, as it didn't use algorithms like Google Now to make intelligent (and useful) recommendations. Cue culled emails and calendar appointments, among other information, to provide a daily agenda. In iOS 7, Apple introduced a "Today" screen with similar functionality, and it's not far-fetched to think Cue could help bolster the feature. Just yesterday Cue announced on its website that it was shutting down, with a simple note saying "We appreciate all of the support from you, our users, as Cue has grown over the last few years. However, the Cue service is no longer available." The notice did not make it clear whether the company had a future, but now it's clear that the Apple acquisition likely led to the suspension of service. TechCrunch's sources say the company will not be shut down following the acquisition, and it's rumored that Apple paid at least $35 million for Cue.