Tuesday, 24 May 2011

Twitter Blog

  • Mission: Permission

    Tuesday, May 17, 2011

    The Twitter ecosystem contains hundreds of thousands of interesting third-party applications designed to enhance your Twitter experience. Third-party apps let you do things like automatically share your Tweets on other networks, connect to other players on gaming platforms, or instantly tweet whenever you update your blog.

    All third-party applications that you allow to access your Twitter account go through a permissions process. Today we’re announcing an update to help you make more informed choices about the way third-party apps integrate with your Twitter account:

    More Control: Beginning today, we’re giving you more control over what information you share with third-party applications. Apps that you use to access your direct messages will ask for your permission again. By the middle of June, applications that do not need access to your direct messages will no longer have it, and you can continue to use these apps as usual.

    More Detailed Permissions Screen: When you first connect an application to Twitter, we’ll give you more detailed information about what you’re allowing the app to do with your account. These activities may include reading your Tweets, seeing who you follow, updating your profile, posting Tweets on your behalf, or accessing your direct messages. If you’re not comfortable with the level of access an application requests, simply say “No, thanks”.

    We’ve been preparing these changes in response to requests from users and developers who asked for a greater level of clarity and control. For a summary of the applications you’ve approved or to make changes to this list, visit the “Applications” page in your Twitter account.

    Posted by @jodiolson at 10:00 AM

  • Twitter for Mac update

    Thursday, May 12, 2011

    When Twitter for Mac launched at the beginning of the year it received praise for its simplicity, speed and look. It also came packed with features like auto-shortened URLs, Tweets appearing in real-time, and multi-account support.Today, we’re releasing the first major update to Twitter for Mac. Some of the highlights:

    • See multiple timelines at once. You can open more than one Twitter for Mac window at any time, giving you a chance to view your home timeline, @mentions, lists, multiple accounts, and more – all at once. Just go to the Window menu and then scroll down to “Open in New Window”.
    • Take actions more quickly and easily. We made design changes that make the app easier to use and look even cleaner.
    • We added a bar along the top that lets you easily click back to previous pages.
    • There is now a separate “New Tweet” button in the bottom left corner of the app.
    • We improved the design of Direct Messages, making it easier to view a conversation.
    • User profiles now make it easier to learn about and interact with a user.
  • Tweet faster. Twitter for Mac now has username and hashtag auto-complete.
You can download the update from the Mac App Store now.

Posted by @cpen at 6:00 AM

  • A better app for your mobile browser

    Wednesday, May 11, 2011

    We want you to be able to access Twitter no matter where you are; regardless of what device you use; or, whether you prefer to access Twitter through a mobile application or the browser. Today, we’re starting to roll out a new version of twitter.com for mobile devices. This web app allows us to immediately provide a high-quality and consistent Twitter experience on any device – whether or not an official Twitter application is available. It was built from the ground up for high-end touchscreen devices, such as smartphones and tablets, which have more advanced browsers that support the latest web technologies, including HTML5.

    The app is fast – you can quickly scroll through your timeline, move between tabs and compose Tweets. It’s rich – it takes advantage of capabilities that high-end device browsers offer, such as touch gestures and a large screen. And it’s simple – it’s easy-to-use and has the features you’d expect from a Twitter application, including your timeline, @mentions, messages that you can read in conversation view, search, trending topics, lists, and more.


    We are releasing this application today to a small percentage of users on iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android smartphones, and we’ll be rolling it out to additional folks with those devices in the coming weeks. You can use Twitter on your phone’s browser by going to twitter.com. If you don’t yet have access to the new web app, you’ll still be able to use the existing version of twitter.com for mobile browsers.

    Posted by @cpen at 2:00 PM

  • Your Mom...On Twitter

    Thursday, May 05, 2011


    When you’re hanging with your mom this Mother’s Day, try teaching her a thing or two about Twitter. As you see in the above video, moms on Twitter are like moms in real life: fun, funny, caring, adorable and engaging. It’ll bring you closer and provide some laughs as well.

    Here are some things to prepare for...

    She says, “But, I don’t have anything to say.”

    You say, “Ok, but I know you don’t like it when I don’t call you back. Sometimes I get busy and if you’re curious what I’m up to, Twitter is an easy way to find out. You can get a lot out of Twitter without ever tweeting. Once you get comfortable with it, you can reply to me and I’ll see it just like I’d see a message from a friend.”

    She says, “I don’t care about celebrities.”

    You say, “But you care about me! There are tons of interesting accounts that you would like, too. Did you know that Martha Stewart (@marthastewart), Margaret Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) and Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) are all on Twitter? And, I know you like [gardening/art/travel/skydiving]. There are all sorts of accounts to keep you connected to your interests.”

    Voilá!

    This Mother’s Day, connect with your mom in a new way. Use the hashtag #MyMomTweets to honor her new account.

    Posted by @jennadawn at 10:18 AM

  • Watching Together: Twitter and TV

    Wednesday, May 04, 2011

    TV and Twitter have a special connection. Broadcasters are eager to provide new ways to drive viewer engagement. Twitter provides a forum for real-time context and commentary that turns watchers into participants.

    Over the past few years, Twitter’s media team has worked with broadcasters on a new interactive experience. The video below showcases some of the on-air best practices broadcasters have embraced:

    Last week, Twitter enjoyed its widest television integration to date via the live coverage of the royal wedding, as Chloe Sladden from our media team discusses on the Twitter Media blog. During the wedding, users interacted with ABC News’ coverage by using the hashtags #RoyalSuccess and #RoyalMess to voice their opinion about the events unfolding in London. They shared their thoughts with CNN by including the hashtag #CNNTV in their Tweets, causing #CNNTV to trend early in the event. And as audiences around the world watched the events live on TV, they posted millions of Tweets, peaking at 16,000 Tweets per minute between 5 and 6 a.m. EST.

    The royal wedding is just one example of how real-time Twitter integration can enhance TV coverage and help drive viewership. In fact, we’ve found that across networks and genres, when TV shows bring Twitter elements into the broadcast, there’s a direct and immediate increase in engagement on Twitter: anywhere from two to ten times more Tweets created while the shows air. From live tweeting and on-screen hashtags to real-time visualizations of audience attention and the new 360-degree live events, incorporating Twitter into a television event simply and significantly increases audience engagement.

    Posted by @kh at 9:30 AM

  • Twitter now available in Russian and Turkish

    Tuesday, April 26, 2011

    Starting today, you’ll be able to use Twitter in Russian and Turkish. We added these two languages to our Translation Center about two months ago. Thanks to the fast, high-quality work of our translators, both languages are now available on twitter.com and mobile.twitter.com.

    You can change your language from the settings page on twitter.com. Once you set your language to Russian or Turkish, you will be able to browse your interests and find interesting Russian and Turkish accounts to follow. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

    Russia


    Turkey

    For those of you who have an Android device, Twitter for Android is available in Russian and Turkish. We’re working to support these languages in our other mobile applications in the future. We’ve also translated SMS commands and replies into Turkish; Twitter SMS is currently available with Vodafone in Turkey (shortcode is 2444).

    Posted by @cpen at 12:03 PM

  • The Tweets of San Francisco

    Friday, April 22, 2011

    The city where we have started and grown will remain our future home. Twitter is staying in San Francisco and has signed a lease to move our headquarters to Market Square, a historic building in San Francisco’s Central Market neighborhood that is being managed by our new partner and landlord, Shorenstein Properties.

    We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mayor Ed Lee; the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (in particular Supervisor Jane Kim and Supervisor David Chiu); Jennifer Matz and Amy Cohen from the city’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development; Charlie Malet from Shorenstein Properties; and, everyone who worked with them for their vision, effort and perseverance in spearheading legislation that will help revitalize an area of San Francisco where office space has sat vacant for decades.

    We are proud that Twitter will be among the first companies moving into the Central Market area and will be playing a role in its renewal with the city and with other businesses, arts organizations, and the numerous community organizations that have been doing hard work in the neighborhood for many years.

    San Francisco’s unique creativity and inventiveness is a part of Twitter’s DNA, and we feel like we are part of San Francisco. Three-quarters of our employees who live in San Francisco are involved in causes and charities in the city. Our employees are excited to be active members of our future neighborhood as volunteers, customers, diners and patrons of the arts.

    We don’t yet have a timeline for our relocation, but we expect we will move into our new space in mid-2012. We can’t wait.

    Posted by @SG at 1:15 PM

  • Following @Portugaltheman: Musical Antics

    Wednesday, April 20, 2011

    In the past, getting close to your favorite musicians required a backstage pass at a crowded venue. Now you can just follow their Tweets to feel like you're right there with them. One example: experimental rock band @Portugaltheman, which like label-mates @Chromeo, @JayZ and @Paramore, uses Twitter to connect with fans and follow their own personal interests (the Alaskan Iditarod... who knew?).

    Following bands can also get you access to secret shows and cool contests. For example, @Portugaltheman is selecting two followers each day for the next seven days to win a pair of tickets to one of their 26 upcoming shows. If you Tweet about this video and follow their account, you may get lucky!

    So, what to do now? Follow your local music venues, favorite bands, and scan the Music list in our "Browse Interests" section for tons of top-rated music accounts. Here are some more helpful resources:

    --@Amazonmp3 tweets daily deals on digital downloads.
    --@LiveNation shares tickets to hot shows so you can snatch one before they sell out.
    --@AllSongs, @Stereogum and @Pitchforkmedia share album reviews and news about new bands.

    Have fun!

    Posted by @jennadawn at 12:30 PM

  • Live Tweeting to the Stanley Cup

    Tuesday, April 19, 2011

    Not much talk about this but #Kings were a bounce away from being up 2-0 on #Sharks. Looked dominant in game 2 even w/out Stoll. #SJSLAK

    A Foot In The Crease
    AFITC


    The @NHL is using Twitter to immerse fans in the journey to Lord Stanley’s Cup both on and off the ice throughout the playoffs. Indeed, following playoff hashtags on Twitter is like listening to a radio announcer while simultaneously hearing from passionate fans during the game.

    The @NHL has built lists for the teams, players, and has even deemed some fans official by adding the most enthusiastic ones to a team fan list like this one, which follows nearly 70 Coyote devotees. As Tweets fly from the rink, you can sit back and watch the stream from wherever you happen to be, and get the scoop on important calls or moments as they happen.

    Here are some resources to get you closer to the action:

    Stanley Cup Hashtag guide
    --Use the first three letters of each team’s city to track a specific game in the series. For example, to represent the Boston vs. Montreal dialogue, use the hashtag #BosMtl

    NHL Quick Lists
    --NHL Teams
    --NHL Players
    --NHL Media
    --Here’s a useful timeline by Sulia that shows top news from over 600 accounts.

    News and pundits
    --@ESPN_NHL
    --@wyshynski
    --@TSNBobMcKenzie
    --@Real_ESPNLeBrun
    --@DarrenDreger
    --@OnFrozenBlog

    Posted by @jennadawn at 1:22 PM

  • Discover: Basketball

    Thursday, April 14, 2011


    The NBA playoffs are approaching. It's time to prepare for your daily fix of hoops news and grab your seat. Players across the league, from Dwyane Wade (@dwadeofficial) to Dwight Howard (@dwighthoward), and even Shaq (@the_real_shaq) connect with the outside world in Tweets, and in return for fans’ loyalty, teams share exclusive Twitter promotions and off-the-cuff insights.

    In other words: if you're not already following your favorite team and sports news source on Twitter, you should be. Below are great basketball resources to get you in on the action.

    Pick your team:

    — Find your team in this @NBA list and follow along for exclusive insight and free stuff.
    — About 200 NBA players are on Twitter. Here’s an easy list to search through and follow.
    —Wear your colors by applying one of these cool NBA themed profile backgrounds.

    Follow the pundits for opinionated coverage of the playoffs:


    Follow your old-school favorites to see what they’re up to now:


    Join in the madness:

    Hashtags are used in Tweets as tags to track a conversation (learn more here). Search, follow and interact with the ones that interest you. Try #GoLakers, #BeatTheLakers or #playoffs for a general conversation around each game.

    Posted by @jennadawn at 9:50 AM

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