Facebook hires Gowalla team, will shut it down

Facebook has hired the team behind Gowalla, the location service that lets people share where they are using their mobile phones.

Gowalla started out in 2009 as a way for people to share their location with friends and strangers by "checking in." Now, Facebook will wind down the service, as it often does when buying a startup to hire its talent.

Financial terms were not given. Gowalla co-founder Josh Williams says in a blog post that Gowalla will join Facebook in California.

Facebook says Williams, co-founder Scott Raymond and others at Gowalla will move to Facebook in January. Gowalla is currently headquartered in Austin, Texas. Facebook did not acquire the Gowalla service or technology.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)