A techie’s San Francisco home has its own Twitter feed. Will yours be next?
At first glance, you’d never guess there’s anything unusual about Tom Coates’s San Francisco home. Nestled at the end of a narrow passageway on a side street, it’s a peaceful, sunny house decorated with modern furniture and bright posters that say things like “Machines help us work” and “Make your own path.”
Concern is mounting in Saudi Arabia that more and more people are using Twitter. So the head of the country’s religious police condemns its use. [Read more]
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Google has just announced a slew of new apps that are coming to Google Glass. In an effort to expand Glass’s abilities, a handful of different apps will become available to users, including Facebook, Twitter, Evernote, CNN, Tumblr, and Elle. Previously, only Path and The New York Times were available as apps on Google Glass.
As the Middle Eastern country is in the midst of a popular uprising, six people are sentenced to a year in prison for allegedly posting offensive tweets about King Hamad. [Read more]
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Twitter is no stranger to buying up other companies, having officially announced back in April, for example, its acquisition of We Are Hunted. In October, the social network bought Vine, and earlier last year it bought Posterous, Summify, and Dansient. The service has gobbled up another company, this one Lucky Sort, a data analysis company,
Twitter has acquired Lucky Sort, a data analytics company, in a move that could give the social network deeper insights into its users' tweets and how to best place advertisements on its site.
Computerworld News
A PSA from Twitter tells kids in no uncertain terms that Mom is worth more than a tweet. Yes, she’s worth a call. [Read more]
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In what is becoming an uplifting series, celebrities such as Elizabeth Moss, Russell Brand, and Gwen Stefani read out some of the nasty things people have sent to them on Twitter. Moss even offers a curt reply. [Read more]
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It’s only been a few weeks since the folks behind music charting app We Are Hunted confirmed that it was acquired by Twitter, and it seems that Twitter isn’t done snapping up startups just yet. Ubalo CEO Jacob Mattingly and CTO Ian Downes announced earlier today via blog post that the folks at Twitter have agreed to acquire the scalable computing technology they’ve been working on for the past two years, and that the four person Ubalo team would officially join the Twitter flock.
TechCrunch
The Syrian Electronic Army strikes again, and this time, their target was both E! Online and Justin Bieber. In a series of tweets, the SEA stated that Justin Bieber was coming out of the closet and admitting to his homosexuality in an E! Online exclusive. The group provided links following those tweets, presumably to malware
Those who preferred Twitter’s earlier, more liberal ways have regarded May 7th with a sense of dread, as that’s when API 1.0 (and our chance at a truly competitive app ecosystem) was supposed to go dark. While the company isn’t about to reverse course, it is giving the refuseniks a break by delaying the shutdown until June 11th. More time is necessary for blackout tests, Twitter says. We wouldn’t lean too heavily on remaining API 1.0-era apps and services when that instability exists, but the extra month does allow for a gentler transition into API 1.1′s brave new world.
[Image credit: Coletivo Mambembe, Flickr]
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet
Via: Android Central
Source: Twitter
Platforms that combine networking with user interfaces will help companies test post-PC ideas.
Why should only computers, smartphones, and tablets be able to send a tweet? In the hopes of challenging this idea, Twitter recently developed a whimsical tweet-enabled cuckoo clock. It uses a toolkit that could help other designers and engineers test ways for new products to contribute to, and feed on, the social network’s chatter. Twitter created the clock, called #Flock, last month in partnership with London-based technology consultancy Berg; the clock responds to incoming tweets, @-messages, and retweets by animating small wooden puppets.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has released its annual “Who Has Your Back?” report, ranking 18 companies by how well they protect user information from government eyes. Twitter and Sonic.net get high scores from the EFF, as they meet all six of the organization’s privacy guidelines, which include requiring a warrant for sharing content and telling users about government data requests. On the other end of the spectrum are MySpace and Verizon, both of which score zero out of six stars. Meanwhile, Apple and AT&T get one gold star each, and Google, Dropbox and LinkedIn are tied for second place. You’ll find the complete breakdown in the EFF ‘s comprehensive infographic (partially displayed above), and the full report is available via the source link.
Filed under: Internet, Apple, Google, Verizon, Facebook
Via: Electronista
Source: EFF
The planet’s rising atmospheric CO2 levels may hit a symbolic milestone this month.
This May, the folks behind a Twitter account started four months ago are preparing to tweet an event that the planet has not seen in an estimated four million years.
Twitter’s developers are a busy bunch, (allegedly) working on an app for Glass and updating code for Macs in the last week. Today, they released yet another round of new software for iOS and Android, bringing some new functionality along with the requisite bug fixes and unnamed “improvements.” After updating, both sets of users will be able to see trends from around the world, as opposed to just those happening in the immediate area.
Additionally, iOS users can now invite friends to join Twitter from within the app — in case anyone still knows an unfortunate soul who’s not already pecking out 140-character missives — and both author and retweeter names will be included in replies to RT’s. Meanwhile, Android users also received easier access to swap between accounts and change settings using the menu button. If you haven’t grabbed the update already, well, you know the drill, your download awaits.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Apple, Google
Via: Phonescoop
Source: App Store, Google Play
Twitter’s advertisement program was only available for several businesses in the past, but in order to generate more ad revenue this year, Twitter has decided to make its advertisement program available to anyone and everyone. The ads program allows users and small businesses to promote their brand and their products through promoted tweets and accounts.
Company says the “attacks will continue,” particularly against high-profile media companies. [Read more]
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judgecorp writes “The Syrian Electronic Army has hijacked various Twitter accounts belonging to the Guardian newspaper. Guardian journalists report that the pro-Assad hacking group used a campaign of spear phishing to seize various of its feeds, following success hacking other media outlets including CBS.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Twitter has updated its Mac app with several improvements that users can take advantage of now. The app has been updated to include support for Retina displays on the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros, and users will be greeted with improved photo sharing and uploading features, as well as support for 14 more languages. With
Twitter’s showing off an updated version of its Mac app today, featuring a number of key fixes, including improvements to photo sharing and a slew of new languages. On the image side of things, you can now share a photo by clicking on the camera icon in the tweet composing module, or just do it the old fashioned way by dragging pictures from your desktop. Also new in this version is support for Macs with retina displays and a total of 14 new languages, including Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese and Turkish. Interested parties can download the update via the source link below.
Via: Twitter Blog
Source: iTunes
Having been cajoled to within an inch of his sanity by Stephen Colbert to join Twitter, President Bill Clinton does it for himself. [Read more]
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Less than a week after #music is launched, one of its chief originators departs for another upstart by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone. [Read more]
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Word has it that the social network is planning to debut two-factor authentication to cut down on user account hacking. [Read more]
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Getting hacked on Twitter is fast becoming a rite of passage for big corporations, but Tuesday's attack on the Associated Press could be a tipping point and shows that social networks must do more to keep their users safe, security experts said.
Computerworld News
The Associated Press’s Twitter account was hacked today after a tweet was sent out from the account that read, “Breaking: Two Explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured.” The Associated Press responded shortly after saying that its Twitter account had been compromised, and now the account has been suspended, but it should
Sometimes, it’s cathartic to return to the place of your demise. Anthony Weiner very much hopes so, as he comes back to Twitter with a new feed in his hunger for higher things. [Read more]
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Five-day festival will feature comedy legends and young comedians telling jokes through tweets and video clips on Vine, The New York Times reports. [Read more]
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Yesterday, several of CBS’s Twitter accounts were hacked, including its main account, and its accounts for 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, and CBS Denver. The hackers got into the account and tweeted a series of things relating to President Obama and the United States being in cahoots with Al-Qaeda. The tweets also had links that led
The BBC reports that two Twitter accounts belonging to CBS news have been suspended after they were compromised on Saturday afternoon. From the article: “Fake messages appearing on the @60Minutes account criticised US support for ‘terrorist’ rebels in Syria and others accused Barack Obama of trying to ‘take away your guns.’ A group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army claimed to have been responsible for hijacking the accounts.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
At least 3 CBS-affiliated news accounts have been hacked, apparently by a rabid conspiracy theorist who wants the world to believe that President Obama is aiding Al-Qaeda. Accounts for @60minutes @48hours, and @CBSDenver have all been hacked, some tweeting suspicious links (don’t click on them). Screenshots below. CBS is apparently working with Twitter to get the situation under control.
TechCrunch
It looks like CBS is the latest victim in a series of Social Network account hacks that seem to be prevalent this year. Today, CBS stated that several of its Twitter accounts, including 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, CBSDenver, and its official Twitter account were all compromised earlier today. The hackers used the accounts and tweeted
Twitter has been warning for weeks that it would shut down TweetDeck’s AIR and mobile apps sometime in early May, but it didn’t say exactly when loyalists would finally have to move on. The company now has a firm date: May 7th. In just over two weeks, Twitter will both pull the apps from their respective stores and stop existing installs from working as the service’s version 1.0 API rides into the sunset. While the persisting native and web-based desktop apps will lessen some of the sting, we’d suggest that you pay your last respects if you have fond memories of TweetDeck’s early apps.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Via: Android Central
Source: TweetDeck
commentary By promoting the celebrity and ingenue music makers on the platform, Twitter is defending its prized “follow graph” against competitors. [Read more]
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Boston police today used Twitter and Facebook to reach out to residents during a manhunt for one of the men suspected of bombing the Boston Marathon this past Monday.
Computerworld News
Still waiting for Miiverse to show its hide on Nintendo’s 3DS? Maybe the promise of more conventional social networking will tide you over. Thanks to a new web tool, Japanese 3DS owners can now share screenshots from Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Tomodachi Collection:New Life with their Twitter and Tumblr followers. The setup is pretty simple, giving users access to a basic upload interface through the 3DS’ built-in web browser. Just pick an image, add a caption and watch your retweets roll in. Unfortunately, the tool doesn’t work with just any image — attempting to upload a shot taken with the 3DS camera gave us an error, which told us (via a rough translation) that the picture came from “incompatible software.” The tool is written entirely in Japanese, but folks with a knack for Kanji can check it out at i.nintendo.net. Looking for a compatible game? We hear there’s a bundle for that.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, Nintendo
Via: Engadget Japanese
Source: Nintendo
Now that Twitter Music has been revealed there will be more anticipation of potential TV integration, and it appears BBC America will be among the first to participate. The network, which is owned both by the BBC and Discovery Communications, sent out a tweet say it’s signed up to “offer 1st in-Tweet branded video synced to entertainment TV series.” Its Tumblr page promises details to come, however so far there have been no further updates. We were told by the network that the deal has “literally just been signed”, and to expect more info in the coming weeks. This sounds similar to the deals with Viacom and NBC that were rumored a few days ago, but what shape this may all take by the time it arrives remains to be seen.
Filed under: HD
Via: AllThingsD
Twitter today is releasing a service that the social network hopes will change how people find music and artists.
Computerworld News
Nerval’s Lobster writes “Twitter is plunging into the online music game. Twitter Music (or “Twitter #music,” in the company’s own rendering) uses Twitter activity such as Tweets and engagement “to detect and surface the most popular tracks and emerging artists,” according to an April 18 posting on Twitter’s official blog. Songs on the app derive from three sources: iTunes, Spotify, or Rdio. And yes, Twitter is big, but its victory is by no means assured: other IT giants have entered the same market only to watch highly-publicized projects wither away, doomed by some combination of audience apathy and implementation issues. Take Apple’s Ping, for example: launched in September 2010 as part of an iTunes update, the ambitious social-networking and music-recommendation engine immediately ran into a number of problems, including a lack of Facebook integration (despite Steve Jobs’ assurances to the contrary) and widespread reports of spam and fake accounts. Can Twitter’s effort stand out, or will it just be lost in all the noise?”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Users on Twitter are now more likely to see ads based on what they tweet about.
Computerworld News
Good Morning America has tweeted that Twitter will be making a major announcement on the show tomorrow.
Tomorrow on #GMA: @twitter will be making a BIG announcement… tune in!
— Good Morning America (@GMA) April 18, 2013
Facebook boldly moved to expand its presence in the mobile space with its Android-only replacement last week (with mixed results), but it’s far from the only company who has shown interest in Google’s mobile OS as a springboard for better social connection. Speaking at the D: Dive Into Mobile, recently installed Twitter VP of product Michael Sippey seemed intrigued by the sorts of experiences others have been able to build on top of Android and confirmed that the company has been mulling over how to improve the process of using Twitter on Android. “There are a lot of things we’re looking at on Android to make it easier to discover tweets,” Sippey remarked in response to an audience question. He went on to mention that he finds Facebook Home to be “a very interesting product,” and that he “would like to see tweets there.” As you might expect, Sippey wouldn’t say anything further about what sorts of Android-centric Twitter experiences employees have been fiddling with behind closed doors. He did however point out the importance of Twitter’s internal hack weeks, quarterly events that see cross-disciplinary come together to jam on some interesting projects. Rough though they may be at first, some of those hacks have grown into full-fledged features that have ultimately been baked into Twitter proper (downloadable tweet archives are probably the most notable example). Given the role that these sorts of wild-eyed hacks can have when it comes to product development — The Verge’s Ellis Hamburger points out that Facebook Messenger’s Chat Heads began as once such “late night hack” — it wouldn’t be surprise to learn that some of Twitter’s potential Android enhancements came about thanks to this internal drive to occasionally cobble things together en masse. For now Twitter is more than happy to keep these cards close to their collective chests, but Sippey stated that the team wants to “build the best Twitter” they can, and taking a tighter approach to integrating into an immensely popular mobile OS wouldn’t be the worst move Twitter could make.
TechCrunch
The folks at Bloomberg chatted with two sources said to be involved in some private talks that Twitter is undergoing with Viacom and NBCUniversal about offering their content on the microblogging service. The sources, who won’t named, said that discussions with Viacom concern displaying TV show clips and ads, but the subject of its talks
One of the more human aspects of social media is that people use Facebook and Twitter to warn their fellow men and women of DUI checkpoints. Now police are attempting to spring more surprises. [Read more]
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British Woman’s Twitter Comments Spark Expensive Libel Claims
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from the BBC: “A woman who complained about an unpaid £146 invoice is facing a libel battle that could cost her more than £100,000. Lesley Kemp, 55, took to Twitter claiming that a company based in the Middle East had failed to pay her promptly for transcription work. Now the firm is suing Mrs Kemp, of Milton Keynes, for defamation, claiming up to £50,000 in damages and a further £70,000 in costs. The company, Resolution Productions, based in Qatar, has yet to comment.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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