Apple, i.e. Steve Jobs, stated multiple times that they don't have to build everything themselves, that they aren't good at everything, and that strategic partnerships with outside companies is important. If my memory is correct, Jobs even said that one of his biggest mistakes in his early career was not realizing this.

This is true; and within Apple's success. I guess I see them having an incredible ability to meld things into their own.

A strategic and public investment, like Twitter, feels unlike them. Twitter seems to be the news, not Apple.

The AuthenTec acquisition, however, feels very Apple. They have a vision, they found a partner (and for some reason, acquired them). If it weren't for the purchase, AuthenTec would still be unknown to me.

The biometric integration will be, bar none, an Apple event.

Ping is a flop of biblical proportions. It was almost painful to see Apple try and marry off such hideous offspring to all it's iTunes users. We all just laughed.

Now Apple wants to go exclusive with Twitter, the sexy "it" girl that everybody wants to court. It makes sense to me. It's the only thing that could possibly atone for Ping.

You're overreaching. Once FB pulled the rug out from Ping -- which happened before launch -- no one really expected much of it.

Apple doesn't want exclusive with Twitter, they just signed a huge deal with FB for the same integration they've gave Twitter. Applen just wants to make sure they don't get locked out of things many of their customers see as vital.