Yahoo has continued its massive shopping spree, picking up Blink for an undisclosed fee.

The messaging application is reportedly set to be shut down within the next few weeks, with its seven-person team subsequently expected to be absorbed by Yahoo.

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In a statement on its website, Blink said that it is looking forward "to the possibilities that will come from bringing the Blink vision to Yahoo."

The startup, which competes with Snapchat, delivers text and multimedia messages that self-destruct within a certain time period after they have been opened by a recipient.

Such apps initially attracted overwhelmingly negative press, with many accusing them of specialising in rude content.

However, since it emerged that Facebook tabled an ultimately unsuccessful $3 billion (£1.9 billion) offer for Snapchat towards the end of last year, many of those opinions have been changed.

Marissa Mayer is believed to have overseen the acquisitions of 40 startups since she took charge of Yahoo in the summer of 2012, and her methods seem to be working.

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Last August, Yahoo was named the top US web property, beating Google to the crown for the first time in a number of years.

The company is now said to be working on a range of "smart communication" products, which it hopes the Blink staff will be able to help it with.

"We built Blink because we believe everyone should be free to show the same honesty and spontaneity in their online conversations as they can in person," Blink continued.