Google scoops up fifth company this month

Google has made its fifth acquisition since the start of August, this time scooping up SocialDeck, a company that develops games that people can play against friends using iPhones, BlackBerry devices, or via Facebook on a PC.

Most of Google’s recent acquisitions have been related to social networking and games, fueling speculation that the company plans to release a new social-networking service, potentially centered on games, to compete with Facebook.

SocialDeck developed a handful of games including Shake & Spell, a word game similar to Boggle. A person can open the game on Facebook, for example, and play against friends who are using iPhone and BlackBerry apps.

Read more at TechWorld