Twitter releases new app for mobiles

The folks at Twitter have been working hard towards developing a new interface for mobile browsers – and the San Francisco company has began to roll it out.

The company said, “This web app allows us to provide a high-quality and consistent Twitter experience on high-end touchscreen devices – whether or not an official Twitter application is available.”

It further said: “It was built from the ground up for smartphones and tablets, which have more advanced browsers that support the latest web technologies, including HTML5.”

The new app replaces the previous rather cumbersome version with an interface that closely resembles the iPhone app, for example, the introduction of icons for @mentions, messages, stream and search – something the old mobile browser lacked. In the case of the new mobile web interface, however, the icons are at the top, not the bottom. Android users will be more familiar with the icons-on-top look.

The designers of the new interface say they have made something quick to use – quick to scroll through the timeline, quick to move between tabs and quick to compose tweets - although we think that rather depends on your typing prowess. The blog post says that the new interface “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.”

The new application for mobile browsers is being rolled out gradually. Twitter says it is releasing it “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.” In the meantime, the old mobile interface will remain available to users.

microblogging can boost business

Twitter is wooing businesses with a "Twitter 101" online course in how the hot microblogging service can be used to boost bottom lines.

While the company itself grapples with how to cash in on its rocketing popularity, Twitter has freshly-added to its website lessons in ways that "tweets" can help businesses improve their image and win customers.

"While this work was envisioned for businesses, it's also useful for anyone using Twitter so have a look if you like," Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said.

"We coordinated with business students and writers to surface some interesting findings, best practices, steps for getting started, and case studies."

A "Twitter 101" presentation titled "A Special Guide" can be found by following "Business" links at the bottom of Twitter Web pages.

"We're focused on enhancing value across Twitter in general; these documents are just a first step," Stone wrote.

Businesses can tune into Twitter to find out what people are saying about products or services and then instantly join real-time conversations in order to build on positive comments or address concerns of customers.

"Twitter connects you to your customers right now, in a way that was never before possible," an opening page at 'Twitter 101' maintained.

"Businesses of all kinds, including major brands, increasingly find that listening and engaging on the service lead to happier customers, passionate advocates, key product improvements and, in many cases, more sales."

The conversational nature of Twitter lets businesses build relationships with customers and get feedback for improving products or services, according to the 101 course.

Stone has said publicly that money-making strategies being considered by Twitter include charging fees to business users while remaining free for others.

Twitter, meanwhile, has been deleting accounts believed to be used to "spam" users with specious pitches or other junk text messages.

The service invites people to use computers or Internet-linked mobile telephones to fire off text messages answering the question "What are you doing now?" in 140 characters or less.

Twitter has become a sensation since launching in 2006.

Xbox gets Facebook-Twitter Integration

Microsoft's Xbox is about to get a lot more social. Social networking sensations Twitter and Facebook, along with Internet radio star Last.fm, are connecting to the Xbox 360 videogame console online world.

Twitter-Facebook Integration
The Xbox Twitter-Facebook integration, revealed at the E3 video game conference in Los Angeles, will bring the two services into the Xbox Live online gaming service. In addition to the service's multiplayer functionality, you'll be able to send and receive status updates with the social networks straight from your Xbox console.

Some games will be ready to take advantage of the added options, too. An upcoming version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour, for example, will allow you to send screenshots and score updates directly into your Facebook stream via the Facebook Connect interface. You'll also have the option of inviting friends to join your games without so much as shifting your eyes off the screen. It's all expected to become available sometime this coming fall.

Last.FM Additions
Twitter and Facebook aren't the only social services being added into the Xbox world - music-streaming service Last.FM will be built into Microsoft's expanded Xbox offering as well. Xbox Live users with paid “gold level” subscriptions will be able to listen to tunes via their consoles, using the site's "personalized radio station" setup to select songs.

Microsoft also confirmed a new partnership with U.K.-based Sky TV that'll let British users view movies and live TV shows through their Xbox systems. Of course, you can do that here in the States now, too, if you know how.

Amidst all the excitement, one burning question has yet to be answered: With Microsoft's search service, Live, now officially known as “Bing”, will Xbox Live follow suit?

Console owners that subscribe to Xbox Live become part of an Internet videogame community with benefits such as being able to connect to Netflix online film rental service.

By year's end, Xbox Live members will be able to access their Twitter or Facebook accounts through consoles, posting content and connecting with friends the same way they might by using computers or smart phones.

The link is essentially a Facebook application for Xbox 360 users, and the California social networking firm is set of making similar links to online communities for Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii console users.

Microsoft bought a 1.6 percent stake in Facebook for 240 million dollars in 2007.

Social Networking Service Twitter is not for sale

The popular micro-blogging and social networking service Twitter is not for sale, one of the co-founder of the company has declared.

Biz Stone made the declaration in an appearance on the ABC show "The View."

When host Barbara Walters - mentioning rumors that Google Inc, Microsoft Corp and Apple Inc might be interested in acquiring the company - asked whether Twitter is for sale, Stone answered, "no."

"We're just getting started as I've said. The company is two years old, we have so much to do, so much product stuff to fix, and so much growing to do."

Twitter has been the subject of takeover speculation since the company turned down a $500 million acquisition offer by social networking heavyweight Facebook.

Twitter is a free service that allows people to send short, 140-character text messages to their network of friends.

According to Nielsen Online, which measures Internet traffic, Twitter's website had more than 7 million unique visitors in February, compared to 475,000 in February 2008.

The company, based in San Francisco, California, is focusing on monetizing its service this year.