Twitter for Windows 8 released

IDG News Service - Twitter has released an app for Windows 8, with several features designed specifically for the new operating system from Microsoft.

The company said the app features two Windows charms for searching and making posts on Twitter. The search feature is similar to existing Twitter apps, allowing users to find specific accounts or filter by hashtags, while the other allows them to make posts using photos or text from a separate app.

Charms on Windows 8 and Windows RT are presented as icons in a menu bar that can be summoned on the right side of the screen. They provide features that link currently launched apps to the system or other apps, like search or sharing data, as well as access to system features like settings.

The new Twitter app also works with the Windows 8 notification system, providing pop-up updates on users' Twitter feeds when using separate apps, as well as Live Tiles for the start screen that displays recent tweets.

The company has set up a product page dedicated to the new app, and describes the features in a blog post.

Twitter's new app also has several tablet-friendly features, including landscape view for showing larger version of photos posted by other users as well as swipe and tap controls enlarging photos or shuffling between them.

The new app was released Wednesday in the U.S. The company also released line breaks in tweets, a feature that drew a mixed response online. Earlier this month the company said it would retire its TweetDeck application for mobile phones, focusing instead on the Web version.