Google Acquires Frommer Guides Travel Sites From Wiley

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG), the No. 1 search engine, said it had acquired the venerable Arthur Frommer travel guides and other travel assets from publisher John Wiley & Sons (NYSE: JW/A) of New York.

Terms weren't disclosed. Google reported holding cash and investments exceeding $43.1 billion as of June 30.

Last year, Google acquired the private Zagat Guides that provide restaurant reviews and other data for upscale travelers for $151 million, after founding owners Tim and Nina Zagat shopped their New York-based company to the Mountain View, Calif., search engine.

Since then, Google has augmented its offerings and also acquired Motorola Mobility, one of the top makers of smartphones.

Delivering travel and dining recommendations to users online and on the phone is intended to boost Google's traffic as well as compete with its arch-rival Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, of Cupertino, Calif., as well as services like Yelp (Nasdaq: YELP), of San Francisco.

Shares of Google rose $16.69 to $658.69 in afternoon trading. Those of Wiley fell a penny to $47.58.

Yelp shares, though, were wallopped, falling 8 percent to $23,.84, down $2.01.