Google shutting down Slide

Internet giant Google is shutting down Slide, a developer of applications for social networks it bought a year ago.

"Most of the team from Slide will remain at Google to work on other opportunities," a Google spokeswoman said in a statement.

Slide founder Max Levchin, a co-founder of PayPal, has decided to leave Slide and Google to "pursue other opportunities," she added.

In a blog post, Slide said it will be "retiring" a number of products including Slideshow, SuperPoke! Pets, Photovine, Video Inbox and Pool Party.

"While we are incredibly grateful to our users and for all of the wonderful feedback over the years, many of these products are no longer as active or haven't caught on as we originally hoped," Slide said.

The San Francisco-based company, which has over 100 employees, said it would give users time to download and preserve their content from Slide products.

Google did not disclose a purchase price for Slide at the time of the acquisition in August of last year but various press reports have put it at around $200 million.

Slide launched in 2005, making playful or practical applications for social networking websites such as Facebook.

(c) 2011 AFP