Latest about Twitter: News, Features, Opinions and More  Don't panic! It's just that Facebook has been down
Facebook has been down on Tuesday night, giving users error messages or long response times. Facebook set to beef up Instagram with video?
Speculation abounds that Facebook Thursday will unveil tools to enable its popular Instagram app to take and share short videos. Yahoo discloses user data requests from U.S. law enforcement agencies
Yahoo has received between 12,000 to 13,000 requests for user data from law enforcement agencies in the U.S. between Dec. 1 and May 31 this year, the company said Monday. Does encryption really shield you from government's prying eyes?
If you're thinking about encrypting email in light of revelations about U.S. government spying, you may be wasting your time. Facebook copies social rival Twitter, adopts hashtags
Taking a page from Twitter's playbook, Facebook started to roll out the use of hashtags. Facebook, Twitter support Google's call for transparency in surveillance requests
Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft have joined Google in asking for greater transparency in surveillance requests, following widespread criticism of the U.S. government's surveillance programs and the role of the Internet companies. Google asks DOJ if it can release details on government data requests
Google has sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI director Robert Mueller seeking permission to disclose specific details about the information it is required to provide to the government in response to requests for user data from U.S. intelligence agencies. NSA leaker Edward Snowden is a hero to some, traitor to others
Depending on whom you ask, National Security Agency (NSA) contract employee Edward Snowden is either a hero or a traitor for leaking details about top-secret U.S. surveillance programs to the media. Forget the keynote. WWDC is still about the developers
As usual, the Apple rumor mill has been on overdrive as WWDC nears. But all the hype about anything CEO Tim Cook might reveal misses the point, says columnist Ryan Faas. WWDC is still about developers. Twitter says error in 'routine change' caused brief outage
Twitter was back in working order on Monday afternoon after experiencing multiple technical issues earlier in the day that caused some users' tweet streams to not update, among other problems. Amid riots, Turkish leader calls Twitter a 'curse'
As riots erupted in Turkey and protesters and government officials took to social media to fire back and forth online, the country's prime minister called Twitter a "curse." Open-source luminary Atul Chitnis dies of cancer at age 51
Atul Chitnis, a pioneering technologist and former contributing editor to the landmark Indian IT publication PCQuest, died Monday at the age of 51, following a battle with intestinal cancer. Android finally gets Twitter's video app, Vine
A little more than four months after Twitter unveiled its video service, Vine, the company has launched a version for Android. LinkedIn aims to block hackers with two-factor login
Add LinkedIn to the list of Internet companies trying to make themselves safer from cyberattacks by adding two-step authentication. Researcher cracks the code on what makes a tweet popular
Twitter has become an essential part of the small business marketing playbook, but it remains a difficult platform to get your arms around. Some tweets will go gangbusters, others will land with a thud. Ads hit Tumblr desktop feeds as Yahoo takeover looms
Tumblr is now putting ads in users' feeds on the desktop, in what could be the first move toward making sure the social blogging site is a profitable business for Yahoo. Facebook starts verifying VIPs (unwashed masses need not apply)
The coveted blue check mark that indicates you're a Very Important Person on Twitter is now making its way to Facebook. Facebook puts its stamp on public figures with verified Pages
Just like on Twitter, Facebook is now putting a small, blue check mark next to the names of celebrities and other high-profile people and businesses on the site to signify their authenticity. Twitter claims a win against spammers with Skootle settlement
Twitter has reached a settlement with Skootle that prohibits the Tennessee-based company from spamming Twitter users' feeds with marketing and other promotional content. Twitter's two-factor authentication implementation can be abused, researchers say
Twitter's SMS-based, two-factor authentication feature could be abused to lock users who don't have it enabled out of their accounts if attackers gain access to their log-in credentials, according to researchers from Finnish antivirus vendor F-Secure. Google ready to start shipping Glass to #ifihadglass Explorers
For the 8,000 or so people who signed up this spring to be Glass Explorers, your wait for the computerized eyeglasses may soon be over. Facebook is the new religion, Ashton Kutcher says
Internet communities are more trustworthy than some big corporations, but mobile is proving a hard nut to crack even for the best of them, actor and venture capitalist Ashton Kutcher told CTIA Wireless Thursday. Twitter aims to become safer with two-step sign-in
Twitter, in a much-needed move to keep its users safer from cyberattacks, is introducing a more secure login process. Teens growing cool on Facebook but warming to Twitter, Pew study finds
Some teens are growing tired of the excessive sharing and "drama" on Facebook and more are turning to sites like Twitter and Instagram to express themselves, according to a new study. Google Glass ecosystem grows with Twitter, Facebook and CNN apps
Google is working to build out the app ecosystem for its upcoming Glass, showing off work today at Google I/O from partners like Twitter, Facebook, CNN and Elle. State social media privacy laws a mixed bag for businesses
New social media privacy laws that have been enacted in several states around the country, or are in the works, present something of a mixed bag for businesses. Tech may sink immigration bill if unhappy, Sen. Hatch warns
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday began debate on more than 300 amendments to the comprehensive immigration bill, including a number of changes to sections on H-1B visas. BlackBerry Messenger is expanding to iOS and Android
BlackBerry's free Messenger service is being expanded to work with iOS and Android devices, the company announced today at its BlackBerry Live event. 7 steps to securing Java
Java, the popular OS-independent platform and programming language, runs on just about every kind of electronic device imaginable, including computers, cell phones, printers, TVs, DVDs, home security systems, automated teller machines, navigation systems, games and medical devices. Does your cloud vendor protect your rights?
When an organization's data is in the cloud, requests to provide access to it for legal reasons are more complicated. Twitter buys big-data analyzer Lucky Sort
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. What Open Source Hadoop Coming to Windows Means to IT
Hadoop is nearly synonymous with the analysis of big data. The Hortonworks Data Platform on Windows is significant as it means that companies lacking Linux expertise will finally be able to benefit from the big data analysis platform, which has been out of the reach of Windows shops. Bing adds more Facebook to search
Bing is adding some new social features to its search engine, by letting users comment and "like" their Facebook friends' posts directly on the site. The Onion explains how its Twitter account was hacked
Hackers who commandeered The Onion's Twitter account used simple but effective phishing attacks to obtain passwords, according to a writeup by the publisher's technology team. Twitter buys Ubalo to speed up its back-end
Twitter has acquired Ubalo, a company that provides various services aimed at speeding up the coding process, the social network announced Thursday. 6 Tips to Build Your Social Media Strategy
With so many social media options, how do you pick the best one(s)? IT executives and social media experts share their top six tips for selecting the social media platforms that will provide the greatest return on your investment of time and resources. Downdetector.com scours Twittersphere to detect service outages faster
A Dutch startup has launched a service that studies data from social networks to quickly identify online service outages -- sometimes, it says, before the service providers know about the outages themselves. Yahoo recruiting iOS developers to 'radically improve' Flickr
Yahoo's Flickr mobile app may be getting a completely new look in the months to come, as the company seeks to hire multiple iOS engineers to "radically improve" the photo-sharing site's app and attract new users, the company said in a recent job notice. Twitter opens self-service ads to everyone
Twitter is expanding its self-service advertising platform so that any business in the U.S. can pay the site to promote its accounts and tweets. How IT Innovation Helps International Speedway Engage Racing Fans
The chief marketing officer at International Speedway offers insights into how innovative technology can improve the guest experience. Designing your digital legacy
We lead rich virtual lives on social networking sites like Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. So what happens when real life catches up, and our flesh-and-blood bodies succumb to mortality? For our virtual selves, at least, some concrete answers are available--ways to settle our digital affairs after death, while minimizing hassle and heartache for loved ones. Make your Twitter feed less annoying in 3 simple steps
A combination of lists and software clients can help you manage the social and informational irritants of Twitter. After hack, LivingSocial tells 50M users to reset passwords
More than 50 million users of the daily deals site LivingSocial are being asked to reset their passwords after hackers attacked the company's servers and potentially made off with personal data. How to Recover From a Twitter Hack
Do you know what to do if your Twitter account is hacked? Here are four steps to take to regain control of your account and ensure it doesn't happen again. Apple's WWDC sells out in under 3 minutes
Apple set a record today by selling out its annual developer conference in under three minutes. How companies should navigate social media in a crisis
Companies using social networks like Twitter and Facebook need to face what to do during a national crisis like the Boston Marathon bombing. Tumblr updates iOS app for wider social media sharing
Tumblr is giving its users more options to share their posts across other social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, with a new iOS app released Wednesday. AP Twitter hack looks like a security tipping point
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. AP's Twitter account hacked; false 'Obama injured' tweet sent
The Twitter account of the Associated Press was hacked today and a bogus tweet was sent claiming President Obama had been hurt in an explosion. Wall Street pushes for exemptions in state social-media monitoring laws
Even as several states have put in place, or are proposing new laws barring employers from monitoring the social media activities of their employees, one Wall Street regulator is seeking exemptions to such rules for some financial services companies. Yahoo slims down, again, trashing Deals, SMS Alerts
Yahoo is giving itself a bit of a makeover. Earlier this week it launched two new mobile apps for email and weather; now it's ditching numerous longstanding products, including Deals and SMS Alerts, in an attempt to sharpen its focus, the company announced Friday. Update: Boston police use Twitter to inform residents during manhunt
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. Get social with OS X's Twitter integration
Beginning in Mountain Lion, OS X features social media integration options with both Twitter and Facebook, letting you post to the services from the OS itself, as well as sync contacts. Twitter unveils new #music app and service
Twitter today is releasing a service that the social network hopes will change how people find music and artists. Americans spend 16 minutes of every hour online on social nets
Americans are so fixated on social networks that they spend an average of 16 minutes out of every hour on them, according to a study by Experian Marketing Services. Twitter to target ads based on tweeted keywords
Users on Twitter are now more likely to see ads based on what they tweet about. Google Apps, Gmail services disrupted this morning
Google Apps, including Gmail and Google Documents, suffered a disruption this morning. 7 quick tips for holding a successful Twitter chat
A Twitter chat is an awesome way to engage an audience, increase your brand's social visibility, and connect with an audience in a new way. The perils of corporate tweeting
Many enterprise level-tech firms have sophisticated social media strategies. Unfortunately, all it takes is one employee with inflammatory social media skills, and the firm's brand takes a beating. Investigators comb social nets to look for bombing clues
With federal and state investigators searching for clues about the person or organization behind the Boston Marathon bombing, social networks could hold a treasure trove of information. Give enterprise software a social makeover to attract users
When it comes to developing enterprise applications, organizations are increasingly realizing that user experience is as important as functionality. In response, vendors are taking a more agile approach to building those apps in order to better meet users' needs. Open your data to the world
Not having an API is becoming like not having a website, but the interface has got to be easy for outside developers to work with. Boston blasts show two sides of social media
Twitter users reacted fast to the explosions that ripped through the Boston Marathon Monday, but the incident also revealed how social media can only be so reliable in such situations. Majority of Aussie companies using social media for customer service
More than two-thirds (70 per cent) of Australian businesses are using the social media to deliver customer service, according to a study by consultancy and research firm, Fifth Quadrant. Emergency! EN systems alert employees when disaster strikes
Today's emergency notification technology allows enterprises to send out, and employees to receive, real-time situational advisories. Twitter readies launch of music service
Several signs are pointing to Twitter launching a new music app, and speculation has the company unveiling it Friday. Twitter brings trending topics to 160 new locations
Twitter, in an effort to make its site more useful to an ever-increasing number of people, is rolling out its Trends topic discovery feature in 160 new locations. Facebook, Pandora and Twitter seize mobile ad display market
An IDC study has found sweeping changes in how mobile display advertisements are sold, with Facebook, Pandora and Twitter successfully wresting away control from advertising networks over the last year. Windows 8.1: What's in a name (and why it matters)
The more information that leaks about Windows 8's expected summer upgrade, dubbed "Blue" by Microsoft, the more questions that pop up, analysts said today. Twitter provides access to mobile apps from within tweets
Twitter's in-the-moment stream of quick comments and links might seem tailor-made for those with short attention spans, but the company is rolling out changes that will make tweets more interactive, including the ability to access mobile apps from inside a tweet. SEC clears social media for investor announcements after Netflix case
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has cleared the use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter to announce corporate information. Facebook speculation turns to launcher, HTC partnership
News leaks and speculation are pointing to a launcher for Android smartphones as the mysterious announcement expected from Facebook on Thursday. Google+ Sign-In feature expands with Janrain, Gigya integration
Google is aiming to expand the reach of users' Google+ profiles and social data across the Web through new partnerships with Janrain and Gigya. Social Media Certifications Prepare Students, Employees for Social Business
Using social media to market your business or collaborate internally means more than having a presence on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook. To teach college students that lesson, Syracuse University adopted HootSuite University's certification program. Syracuse isn't alone: Social media certifications are a growing trend, but is a training course right for you? Don't de-friend the citizen
Last year, when an earthquake hit Melbourne, Twitter was the first on the scene. Within minutes, the subject became the top Twitter-trending topic worldwide and even caused the Geoscience Australia website to crash as people went online to see what had happened. Twitter's Biz Stone hints Jelly app will be for doing good
Some of the details surrounding Biz Stone's new Jelly app have just been firmed up: Apparently it will help people "do good." Leaked BlackBerry road map reveals two phablets, widescreen tablet in coming year
BlackBerry plans to release a larger tablet and two phone-tablet combos, or phablets, over the next year, according to a leaked road map presentation slide. Vine moves beyond Twitter with new embed feature
Vine's branching out. Videos made with the trendy Twitter-owned mobile app can now be posted anywhere on the Web. Google chooses thousands as Glass 'Explorers'
Google said Wednesday that it will reach out to "several thousand" people through Twitter and its Google+ social network to take part in its Explorer project for trying out its computerized eyewear. Enterprise apps get social
Combining the ad-hoc nature of social media with the more structured world of enterprise apps such as CRM is often the best of both worlds, implementers say. How to tell if your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn efforts are paying off
As businesses make more use of social networks, the number of engagement, analysis and monitoring tools has exploded. Enterprises are trying to understand their return on social media investments, to find out if their Twitter and Facebook marketing campaigns are actually delivering customers. They want to track social mentions across multiple networks and be responsive to both kudos and complaints. Cautionary tale from a Twitter 'share-cropper'
Twit Cleaner is a popular web app that has been used by hundreds of thousands of Twitter users to clear deadwood from their accounts. 12 simple steps to safer social networking
Confession time: I'm an inveterate social media junkie. From Facebook to Instagram to Diaspora, whenever a newA communication platform rolls around--or comes back around--I'm ready to leap aboard. Twitter archive available for a dozen more languages
Twitter is offering archives of tweets in 12 more languages as part of a global rollout of the facility. #HappyBirthday! Twitter and 7 years of transformation
Seven years ago today, Twitter was born when the first tweet was sent out, marking the arrival of a new way to communicate online. As long as you did so in less than 140 characters. Bing weaves more Facebook, Twitter data into search results
Bing is incorporating more information from outside social networks such as Facebook and Twitter into how it displays search results involving people. French Jewish Students' Union seeks $50M in criminal damages from Twitter
The French Jewish Students' Union has filed a lawsuit seeking 38.5 million euros (US$50 million) in criminal damages from Twitter and its CEO Dick Costolo over the company's failure to identify those responsible for a series of anti-semitic posts last October. Twitter retorted that the union was "grandstanding." Chirpify opens up Facebook's News Feed for business
Facebook's News Feed is a popular landing page for photos and updates from friends, but now it can also function as a digital storefront of sorts, through a partnership with e-commerce startup Chirpify. The iWatch conundrum
For the past month or so, the hot topic among Apple users has been the iWatch. Columnist Michael deAgonia weighs on whether there's really a market for the device. Twitter gives small businesses more advertising options
Twitter is beefing up its self-service ad platform to give smaller businesses more targeting and analytics tools to reach potential customers on the site. Update: Google reports Google Drive outage resolved
It was a tough Monday morning for some Google Drive users who had to deal with a service outage that lasted about two hours. Pope Francis takes to Twitter with prayer request
Pope Francis made his first foray into the world of Twitter, making his first tweet on Sunday. 500K users flee dead-RSS-walking Google Reader for Feedly
Feedly, a free Web-based RSS service that also offers iOS and Android apps, has added half a million new users since Google announced it would pull the plug on its Reader RSS feed this summer. More innovation means less control. Is that bad?
Innovation in mobile computing, search and social media increasingly means taking control away from users, says Mike Elgan, but at what cost? #TwitterCopy! Facebook may incorporate hashtags
Facebook reportedly is taking a page from social networking rival Twitter and may start using the hashtag. Petitions plead for Google Reader's life, collect 100K signatures
Americans took to the Internet Thursday as tens of thousands signed petitions on sites pleading for Google Reader's life. Do social media ads really work? We put them to the test!
Social media sites already offer free advertising in the form of tweets and Facebook posts, but these tools can only take your brand so far. The next step involvesA paying forA social media ads, and if you're considering this option, you're probably most concerned with one big question: What will my return actually be?A Will spending money on an ad on Twitter or Facebook bring more customers to my business than the same amount spent on Google AdWords? Twitter for Windows 8 released
Twitter has released an app for Windows 8, with several features designed specifically for the new operating system from Microsoft. Twitter adds line breaks, draws mixed response
Do SXSW 2013: No new Twitter, but marketing and hardware stand out
South by Southwest Interactive is best known as the technology festival that put such social networking mainstays as Twitter and Foursquare on the map. But if there was a 'next big thing' at this year's event, finding it would be pretty hard.
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Our blogs about Twitter Microsoft: We've had surveillance requests on over 31,000 customers
How much snooping do government agencies actually do on people and businesses? Judging by the surveillance requests they ask of Microsoft, quite a bit. Microsoft reports that for the second half of last year, it had received requests on between 31,000 and 32,000 customers. And Google, Facebook, and Apple have had many tens of thousands others.
With #TweetsFromHillary, Clinton jumps on Twitter
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has joined Twitter -- with a sense of humor and some fanfare.
Twitterwatch LIVE: On the ground in #Watertown, nr. Boston
Something a little different today: I'm glued to Twitter, watching events unfold in Boston's Watertown surburb. Watch along with me, as I curate the story in tweets from people on the ground...
Microsoft, Apple, and Google agree: The federal ban against gay marriage must go
Microsoft, Apple, Google, and other tech giants rarely agree on anything. But they all agree on this: The Supreme Court should rule that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which for federal purposes defines marriage as only being between a man and a woman, is unconstitutional.
Microsoft tops Facebook and Twitter for getting "cooler," survey finds
You might think that the words Microsoft and "cool" rarely come in the same sentence, but a new survey finds that more young people think Microsoft is "cooler" today than in the last few years than think that Facebook or Twitter is "cooler" today than in the past few years. So finds a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Anti-social networking: The new chic?
A number of popular social networking services -- many of whom made their names because they could interact with other services, adding their value to the others -- are now pulling in their gangplanks and trying to keep their users onboard their ship and their ship only.
Instagram hates Twitter. Users hate them both.
Instagram now hates Twitter: It's official. The picture sharing service, now owned by Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), has broken its Twitter integration in an effort to make users spend more time on its site. Pictures appear weirdly cropped, off-center, or worse. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers make obvious jokes about hipsters.
Twitter password reset email: Legit change or phishing hack?
Twitter sends password reset email to many accounts, thanks to a security breach. Or, at least, it looked like a breach, but it may just have been the usual phishing hack attempts. Twitter says it's sorry for sending email to the wrong people, but warns us all to be on our guard where a password change is concerned. The email read, in part, "Twitter believes that your account may have been compromised by a website or service not associated with Twitter. We’ve reset your password. ... You’ll need to create a new password for your Twitter account." In IT Blogwatch, bloggers check for dodgy DMs.
Microsoft: We hate conservative pundit Ann Coulter...oops, never mind
Microsoft for a moment this weekend seemed to weigh into the cultural wars, criticizing controversial conservative pundit Ann Coulter with a tweet, before deleting it and apologizing. Apparently, it was a private tweet sent by a Microsoft employee, who mistakenly sent it out via Microsoft's official Twitter account.
Social and collaborative technologies are a compelling fit for health care
Social and collaborative technology has potentially deep ramifications for health care. So far there’s limited data on how effective social media is at improving health quality. But the fundamental qualities that social technologies reinforce—immediacy, transparency, openness, and connectedness—could amplify the impact of that environments and behavior have been observed to have on health and wellness.
Twitter API 1.1 changes: App devs revolting
Twitter is changing its API: Version 1.1 has application developers in uproar. 3rd-party clients especially will have a hard time making money in future, it's said. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers weigh the pros and cons of the big, blue bird's prognostications. Not to mention: We're NASA and We Know It...
Apple fancies The Fancy -- but can it make it work?
Apple may plan to make iTunes media sales a little more social with the rumoured acquisition of Pinterest competitor, The Fancy. Will this help the company begin to make an impact on social networking, or will a little of what it fancies be another social media fail?
Why I'm skeptical about the Twitter Political Index
Interesting? Yes. Accurate measure of public sentiment? Maybe, maybe not. Election predictor? Probably not. Here's why.
Twitter down! #FAIL but no #WHALE...
Twitter went down hard twice in a few hours. It's back to the old days, except this time, there was no Failwhale, just timeouts galore. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers get a life for a short time.
Will iPhone 5 boast removeable lenses? No, but it might fix Apple Maps
A recent Apple [AAPL] patent filing for replaceable lenses on the iPhone shows the company continues to focus on photography as part of its smartphone offering. This suggests the iPhone 5 will quickly become the most used camera on social services, including Facebook, Flickr and Twitter -- and hints on future developments for Apple Maps.
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