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Twitter is a social networking site that was created in 2006. Users send "tweets" to let people know what they are doing. It was created by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams.

Twitter accused of hypocrisy over Trump tweets

Twitter is a social networking site that was created in 2006. Users send “tweets” to let people know what they are doing. It was created by Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams. Prior to building the service, they were working on a podcast directory called Odeo.

Odeo was a directory and search destination website for RSS-syndicated audio and video. It employed tools that enabled users to create, record, and share podcasts with a simple Adobe Flash-based interface.

When iTunes 4.9 was released, it ultimately made Odeo irrelevant. The people behind the company went on to create a service called Twttr. Twttr would eventually be called Twitter. iTunes 4.9, believe it or not, ultimately led to the creation of one of the most popular social networks in the world.

The major turning point for service’s popularity was the 2007 South by Southwest Interactive conference. Over the next few years, Twitter began to see rapid growth. For mobile devices, it originally relied upon third-party apps. In 2010, Twitter acquired application developer Atebits. Atebits had built the Twitter app known as Tweetie for the Mac and iPhone. It was renamed as Twitter and released for free.

Over the years, the apps have seen various revisions. There are currently versions available for iOS while desktop users must either use the web interface or a third party app like Tweetbot or Twitterrific.

Happy Hour Podcast 057 | Apple gets social, Macs for ransom, and iOS 10 wishlists

This week Apple joined Twitter. Yep. Along with that, Zac and Benjamin discuss OS X’s first ransomware, and later on we’ll go over our iOS 10 wishlist and talk about what Apple needs to make the next version better than ever. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed. Big thanks to Harry’s this episode.

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Twitter, Airbnb, Square, plus many more officially file joint brief supporting Apple in FBI case [Updated]

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Update #2: A second coalition of tech companies including Google, Microsoft Facebook, Snapchat, Mozilla, and Dropbox have also filed a joint brief this evening in support of Apple. These companies also argue that the All Writs Act does not give the government legal basis for forcing Apple to unlock the gunman’s iPhone (via Reuters). Google detailed its reasoning in a blog post:

Today, Google joined a variety of technology companies to file an amicus brief in US federal court. Together, we are voicing concern about the use of a broad statute from the 18th century, the All Writs Act, to require companies to re-engineer important security features that protect people and their data.

Update: 5 families of the San Bernardino victims have filed an amicus brief with the court asking for Apple to unlock the iPhone in question. More below.

On a new webpage dedicated to highlighting companies and organizations supporting it in its fight against the FBI, Apple today has shared a joint amicus brief from a variety of tech companies that has been filed with the court. Twitter, Airbnb, LinkedIn, Square, Reddit, and many others have signed the brief expressing support for Apple.


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Apple launches official company Twitter account for tips, tricks and customer support queries

Apple has today launched a company Twitter account for help, customer support and iOS tips. Although Apple manages some support accounts for parts of its business, like Apple Music, this is the first time Apple has launched an account that covers its entire product range. @AppleSupport is already verified, confirming its validity as an official Apple support avenue.


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Vine for iPhone gains 3D Touch shortcuts, new video sort order options

Twitter-owned Vine for iOS, which lets you create and share short video loops, received a new update today that adds new shortcuts from the Home screen on the latest iPhones. Users can press the updated Vine icon firmly on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus to jump directly into making a short Vine clip or viewing the explore section of the app.


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Facebook opening Periscope-like video broadcasting to all US iPhone users

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Facebook shared today that it is turning on live video broadcasting from its app for all iPhone users in the United States. This feature was previously limited to public figures and verified accounts then expanded to a limited number of test iPhone users last month. Facebook’s effort in this space is similar to Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope service, which popularized live video streaming from mobile devices last year.


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Redesigned Twitter for Mac app with dark mode, GIF support, & more is now available

Earlier this year, Twitter promised a brand new Mac app with a fresh new look and a whole lot more. Today that new version is out now with a huge list of new features including a dark mode and GIF support. Twitter 4 also features a new round icon (that’s how you’ll know it’s the new version).

The new version fits in much better with OS X Yosemite/El Capitan and includes a Notification Center widget in the Today view. It also includes many features that were previously only available on the mobile apps and third-party clients. Here’s everything that’s new:


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Twitter announces native video support for its Twitter Kit developer tool

Twitter today announced that it is rolling out a highly-welcomed new feature to its Twitter Kit developer tools. The company announced in a blog post that users will now be able to watch full-screen Twitter videos and GIFs without having to open up a webview or leave their app.

Essentially this means that Twitter for iOS now will play back videos and GIFs full-screen with the native video player on iOS that we’ve all come to recognize and use over the years. Twitter notes that the feature is live on iOS now and will come to Android soon. This feature should make the entire video viewing process more seamless for the user as they will no longer have to remember to go back to whatever app they were using before clicking the video link that opened another app.

Twitter appears to be rolling out the update over-the-air, so there’s no work that needs to be done on the user/developer of things. Twitter says this feature is supposed on the latest version of Twitter Kit on iOS 8 and higher.

Here’s what the company had to say in its blog post announcing native video support for Twitter Kit:

From unbelievable sports highlights to powerful first person footage, Twitter is full of unique stories told with immersive videos. Today, we’re excited to announce native support for those videos in Twitter Kit.

Starting today, your users will be able to watch full-screen Twitter videos and GIFs without having to open up a webview or leave your app. Video support is now live on iOS, and will be coming shortly for Android as well.

The best part is, you don’t have to do any extra work. Any app running the latest version of Twitter Kit on iOS8+ will automatically support native video viewing.

We’re committed to helping you tell the best stories with videos, and we look forward to building new ways to showcase rich Twitter content in your Twitter Kit apps.

Vine comes to the Apple Watch with favorite videos and a complication

Twitter’s Vine today launched an application for the the Apple Watch, bringing the ability for Vine users to watch videos that interest them on their wrists. As noted in Vine’s announcement, the simplified Vine interface allows users to quickly watch videos from either the featured category or from their favorite Vine accounts. Of course, the application also allows users to like and Re-Vine clips from the Apple Watch. Notably, the application also includes a watch face complication so users who post videos to Vine can quickly measure their loops. In related news, Vine’s updated iPhone application now lets users more easily swipe between videos.


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Tweetbot for Mac now works in full screen and split view on OS X El Capitan

Tweetbot for Mac has learned a handy new feature with the latest update just released. Tweetbot for Mac now supports OS X’s full screen mode, including El Capitan’s new Split View feature that lets you run two full screen apps side-by-side. This works a lot like the split view multitasking features on the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 4. Tweetbot 2.2 also brings a few other changes to the Mac…
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Tweetbot 4.1 for iOS brings the popular Twitter app to Apple Watch

Tapbots is out with Tweetbot 4.1 for iOS, bringing Tweetbot to the Apple Watch for the first time. The update follows the massive Tweetbot 4.0 launch at the start of October which included a redesigned iPad version plus iOS 9-specific features and more.  The new Tweetbot 4.1’s Apple Watch app is made for watchOS 2 and lets users compose new tweets, view recent activity, respond to mentions, and view profiles. Tweetbot for Apple Watch also enhances the way notifications look with a richer, custom appearance.
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Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer calls 1997 investment saving Apple “craziest thing we ever did”

“In a way you could say that was the craziest thing we ever did.”
In a Bloomberg interview this morning former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer spent some time discussing competition with Amazon for talent in Seattle and then moved on to Apple and Tesla.

With regard to Apple, Ballmer first said that Apple has “done a good job” and took credit for saving Apple with an investment in 1997 when Steve Jobs returned – which was part of a patent lawsuit over Windows 95/stolen Quicktime code. Ballmer went on to describe the investment this way: “In a way you could say that was the craziest thing [Microsoft] ever did.”

Ballmer then moved to the current landscape where he said that Microsoft is the only company (in addition to Samsung) really competing with Apple with its SurfaceBook in a new category.

Ballmer currently is the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team and now owns around 4% of Twitter stock. The relevant clip can be found here with Apple conversation starting halfway through.

 

Twitter for Mac is officially getting a much-needed overhaul, but not just yet

Twitter doesn’t exactly have the best track record in supporting its loyal third-party developers, which is something that could be forgivable if it built half-decent first party applications. The company’s official apps for the iPhone and iPad have dramatically improved as of late, but the official Twitter for Mac client has felt almost abandoned for years.

Today, at the Twitter Flight developer’s conference, the company has confirmed that a much-needed overhaul to the Mac app is on the way…
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Tweetbot adds 3D Touch Quick Actions, Peek & Pop features on iPhone 6s & 6s Plus

The newly launched and universal Tweetbot 4 for iOS is out with its first new update today, version 4.0.1, adding improved support for Apple’s latest iPhones.

For iPhone 6s and 6s Plus customers, Tweetbot 4 now includes 3D Touch support for Quick Actions on the Home screen and Peek and Pop interactions within the app. 
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Apple expands social media presence with new @AppleMusicHelp Twitter account to answer support questions

Apple is continuing to expand its presence on social media services, today launching a brand new @AppleMusicHelp Twitter account to answer queries and support questions live over Twitter related to its Apple Music service. The account is manned each day of the week from 6 AM – 8 PM Pacific Time. Apple representatives will watch the account’s mentions timeline and try to help resolve people’s problems. The service is completely free, but the account will only help with Apple Music-specific questions. The company directs customers to the normal support pages for information or help with other Apple products.


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Twitter launches its ‘Project Lightning’ curated news & events feature called Moments

Just a day after Jack Dorsey was named permanent CEO of Twitter, the social network is launching a big new feature in its app called Moments. What started as Project Lightning showcases for a lot of users the best part of Twitter: keeping caught up with in-the-moment news that you care about. The new Moments feature can be found behind the lightning bolt icon through Twitter’s mobile apps and on the web in the US.
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Tweetbot 4 for iOS adds redesigned iPad UI and new activity view that puts Twitter’s to shame

Tweetbot for iOS has undergone another big upgrade today. The new release marks the first time the iPad version of the app has been redesigned to match the all-new UI introduced in iOS 7. iPhone users need not feel left out, however, as this update has a set of new features and design tweaks for you as well.

Let’s dive right in and take a look at what’s new.


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Twitter for iOS 9 enables quick reply to tweets directly from the notification, adds iPad multitasking support

Twitter has updated its app with support for iOS 9 features, following the release of iOS 9 earlier today.  The update adds multitasking support on iPad, so you can now browse Safari (or do anything really) whilst having Twitter docked in a side column.

More importantly, Twitter adds quick reply to mention notifications. This means you can reply from the tweet without having to enter the app, just like how quick replies with the iOS Messages app. This is a big boon for productivity. Activate quick replies by pulling down on the notification banner to reveal a text box. Type your reply in the message box and press Send — that’s it.


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Twitter’s Periscope adds landscape broadcasting ahead of Apple TV app

Periscope

When word surfaced this week that Periscope has been secretly working on an Apple TV app, it was pointed out that Twitter’s live broadcasting service only supports portrait video capture while TV sets of course are landscape. It appears Periscope already had plans in motion to change that, though, as the latest version of the app released today adds support for streaming in landscape orientation.

Aside from setting the stage for the future app on the new Apple TV announced yesterday (Periscope hasn’t demoed the app, but it’s icon appears in an Apple TV human interface guidelines graphic and was seen on stage), the update creates a better viewing experience for Periscope users. It handles displaying video much better now regardless of how the broadcaster is holding their phone. Landscape streaming doesn’t require viewers to hold their phone in that way, either, and it’s a much better fit for web viewing as well.

Periscope also points out new accessibility enhancements for visually impaired users which has been a popular request. Check out the latest release notes below:
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Twitter overhauls iPad app with responsive design, promises future unified updates

Twitter’s official app has almost always lagged behind the iPhone version when it comes to design and features, but today the company has announced a major update that changes that. Twitter for iOS today has been updated to bring the same iPhone-style interface to the iPad, as well as many of the features that were previously iPhone-only.


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Twitter adds follow suggestions to iPhone app’s main timeline

Twitter has announced a new update to its iPhone app that will make it easier for users to track down new people to follow.

Having apparently come to the conclusion that many users are eager to see more content they didn’t ask for in their main timelines, the social network will now present a list of users you may be interested in following at the top of the screen.


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Twitter introduces Music on Vine: Better audio controls and music discovery on Vine app

Last night, Vine announced that it’s bringing greater music controls to its popular video-looping app on iOS. While users have always had the ability to include audio of any kind in their Vines, this new update makes it far more precise. The biggest update is a feature called ‘Snap to Beat’ which enables users to more easily create a seamless loop, or perfect loop where you can’t tell the beginning of the audio from the end.

To get Snap to Beat working for you, choose a song by tapping on the music note in the ‘Details’ screen. Snap to Beat automatically identifies how much of the song to use to make a seamless loop, then trims the video to fit that music clip. If you don’t want it happening auto-magically, you can switch off Snap to Beat and edit the audio manually yourself. This gives the user complete control over how much sound to include in the Vine, and which part of the video it should play over.

As a part of Vine’s new-found focus on music, there’s also a new audio discovery tool within the app. First up is a new ‘Featured Tracks’ section which you can explore when you create a new Vine and tap on the music note to add a song. What’s more, you can use Vine to detect what you’re listening to while watching other Vines. If a musical note icon appears beneath a Vine, tap on it, and it’ll show you the name of the track, and the name of the artist performing.

The Music on Vine updates will be rolling out to iOS users from today and will be available to download from the App Store for free.

Facebook is reportedly developing a Twitter-like breaking news app

Notification system reportedly being tested (via <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-mobile-notification-breaking-news-app-2015-8?op=1" target="_blank">BI</a>)

Update: A Facebook spokesperson has issued a statement to 9to5Mac, saying “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation.”

Facebook is currently developing a new standalone mobile app geared toward breaking news, Business Insider reports. The mobile app in testing is said to be Twitter-like in a news sense as its focus is said to be around allowing partnered publications to push alerts to users. Another Twitter-like aspect is the character limit of alerts being tested. According to the report, publications will have 100 characters plus an article link for users to click in each alert; similarly, tweets are limited to 140 characters in total.
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