twitter posts

New York Jets' David Clowney's Twitter Account Hacked

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Nov 24th 2009 at 1:06PM

After he heard the latest news about one of his players and Twitter, we're sure that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, from his towering New York office building, gave out a great barbaric yawp: "I told you so!" According to Mashable, New York Jets wide receiver David Clowney has had his Twitter account hacked within the past 24 hours. Unlike when hackers took over a number of high-profile celebrity accounts earlier this year, the tweets sent from Clowney's account aren't funny. They're downright mean and vulgar. Although Clowney has apparently regained control of his account and has issued an apology to his fans, the damage is done. The hacker directed a number of expletive-filled tweets at some of Clowney's 6,700 followers.

Aside from the tweet above, Clowney hasn't yet commented on the attack. According to an Associated Press report on ESPN, the Jets confirmed Monday that his account was hacked, but team officials didn't comment further. Seeing as he was benched earlier in the year for complaining about his playing time via Twitter, we'd suggest that Clowney just cut his losses and give up on the service, altogether. [From: Mashable and ESPN]

Tags: football, hack, microblogging, nfl, socialnetworking, top, twitter, web

Web, Social Networking

Your Friends' Tweets Could Actually Be Ads

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Nov 23rd 2009 at 12:50PM

As part of the latest trend in online advertising, ad companies are paying normal people to pimp companies or products to their online friends or followers. According to the New York Times, companies think that consumers will be more likely to trust the opinions of their Facebook friends than they are a faceless commercial -- even if those "opinions" are formed with the promise of financial incentive. Ad agencies are willing to pay staggeringly high sums to not only celebrities, but to targeted civilian bloggers and tweeters, as well. One everyday guy interviewed for the article said he made $3,000 in October -- just from clicking a button on behalf of an agency. Amazon.com has also announced that it'll start paying customers who refer their friends to the site via Twitter.

The trend, not surprisingly, has been met with controversy. Technology blogger Robert Scoble told the Times that "[it] interferes with your relationship with your friends and your audience," and claims that he unfriends people who send him ads. Joey Caroni, co-founder of the Peer2, a division of a major Hollywood ad agency, insists that he and his peers aren't trying to "create an army of spammers" (although that's sort of what it seems like to us).

Tags: advertising, blogs, endorsements, ethics, socialnetworking, top, twitter

Web

How Do You Say 'Twitter' in French?

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Nov 23rd 2009 at 11:10AM

The mellifluous, oh-so-romantic French language may be dying a slow death throughout much of the world, but on Twitter, at least, it's as vivant as ever.

Just a few weeks after the site unveiled its new Spanish version, Twitter has now made itself available in French, as well. The site commemorated the latest achievement in its ongoing translation project with a French post on its blog. (You can find the English translation here.) If you don't live in a Francophone country, that doesn't mean you can't tweet in French. All you have to do is change your settings, and voila.

Tags: french, language, top, translation, twitter

Web

Net Vices: The Dark Truths Behind Twitter and Facebook

by Thomas Houston (RSS feed) — Nov 22nd 2009 at 1:01PM

The Web may be a wonderful, always expanding source of fun and inspiration, but we probably spend more time connected than we prefer. We've probably spent entire days by now diving deep into the depths of YouTube in search of nothing in particular. You start out searching for a jazz video you heard about, and before you know it, you'll have gathered anyone within shouting distance to show them "the greatest thing ever," usually ranging from dogs parasailing to a clip showing every instance of "father" spoken in Stanley Kubrick's movies.

Illustrator Patrick Moberg (also known for that NYgirlofmydreams business) captures the essence of popular sites like Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo, MySpace, and more by comparing them to common vices. MySpace, of course, gets compared to huffing spray paint ("destroys any chance of looking credible. You will be perceived as having the mindset of a middle schooler..."), while tequila best captures YouTube's sense of entirely forgettable fun. And Google? Don't even want to touch that stuff. [From: Patrick Moberg via Urlesque]

Tags: art, facebook, humor, illustration, twitter

Man's Coffee Cup Twitter Account Restores Faith in Humanity

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Nov 21st 2009 at 11:02AM

Every generation laments the passing of those utopian good-ole days when people apparently always treated one another with respect and compassion. The Internet has only exacerbated those grumblings, as people constantly bemoan living in an instantly gratified society with increasingly narcissistic attitudes.

But, at least one crusader is using a so-called narcissistic and shallow avenue to disprove those Information Age haters. The RoofCoffeeCup Twitter account is attempting to prove that people really do care about one another, or, at least, one another's coffee. According to Boing Boing, a guy known as GitEmSteveDave has magnetically attached a Starbuck's coffee cup to the roof of his car and tweets about people's reactions to the precarious cup in peril.

Tags: GitEmSteveDave, good deed, good deeds, GoodDeed, GoodDeeds, RoofCoffeeCup, top, Twitter

Web

Twitter Now Asks, "What's Happening?"

by Matthew Zuras (RSS feed) — Nov 20th 2009 at 11:10AM

What's in a question? Twitter has long asked its users, "What are you doing?" This, of course, gave rise to the ubiquity of the status update, as people took Twitter's inquiry so literally that they would write about the most banal goings on -- from buying coffee to using the bathroom. But as Twitter's user base has grown exponentially, so have the style and content of tweets. Of late, substantive Twitter missives have become de rigeur, as tweets have chronicled the contested Iranian presidential election and disseminated other breaking news.

As such, Twitter decided yesterday to modify "What are you doing?" to the more appropriate "What's happening?" in order to reflect the open model of communication that tweeting now allows. Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, wrote on the company's blog, "People, organizations, and businesses quickly began leveraging the open nature of the network to share anything they wanted, completely ignoring the original question, seemingly on a quest to both ask and answer a different, more immediate question."

Tags: linguistics, socialnetworking, twitter, whats happening, WhatsHappening

Web, Social Networking

Artist Creates Twitter Avatars From Pop Culture Figures

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Nov 19th 2009 at 7:32AM

Creative folks have been using personalized avatars on Twitter for a while now. But artist Adam Koford, who goes by the pseudonym "Ape Lad," has created a whole flotilla of new designs in the style of Twitter's highly recognizable bird icon. Primarily featuring cartoon characters or sci-fi heroes from yesteryear, Ape Lad's avatars are all uniformly designed -- in the same comma or teardrop shape as the bird -- but each has its own quirky uniqueness. (It's weird to see just how docile a Wolverine-styled avatar can be when cast in a Twitter bird mold.)

You can find the full slate of 11 avatars here, running the gamut from Buzz Lightyear to 'Where the Wild Things Are.' (We'd probably go for Chewbacca, on cuddliness alone.) It's a clever motif, and one that could easily be expounded with greater extremes, and in different contexts; isn't Obama's caricature kind of tailor-made for this shape, anyway? [From: Ape Lad on Flickr and Neatorama]

Tags: art, avatar, socialnetworking, top, twitter

Web, Social Networking

Twitter Moves Into Sleek New Digs in San Francisco

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Nov 18th 2009 at 4:10PM

What's the best part about moving into new digs? Well, decorating it and showing off the space to your friends, of course. That's the thrill Twitter employees are feeling right now. According to Tech Crunch, the company moved into its new, massive San Francisco office space, which had previously housed Bebo, on Monday. Employees are posting online photos more quickly than we can click through them.

Here's a peek of what we've seen so far: The design is super sleek and modern -- from the furniture to the art. According to the Huffington Post, it's the brainchild of Sara Morishige Williams, wife of CEO Evan Williams. There are plenty of birds and '@' symbols plastered around the office. There's a shot of a vanity mirror placed in a spacious bathroom stall (which is a little creepy). And just to prove its own hipness, the company installed a DJ booth for employees to spin records and unwind after long hours of coding. In keeping with Web 2.0 style, there's a kitchen/break room worthy of its own cooking show.

While the micro-blogging service has an estimated worth of $1 billion, it might be a good idea for it to work on a proper business model before splurging on a new crib. You know, the kind where your company makes a profit. We're not economists, but isn't this the kind of reckless behavior that got us into our current financial mess? [From: Tech Crunch and Huffington Post]

Tags: design, luxury, office, socialnetworking, top, twitter

Hulu Adding Music Video Channels, Recovery.gov Provides Made-Up Stats

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Nov 18th 2009 at 11:05AM

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines....

Rumors that Hulu may start charging for content have elicited negative responses from many of the site's loyal viewers, but new additions may actually make the content worth a monthly subscription fee. The site is expected to announce today that it will introduce music channels, beginning with one devoted to singer Norah Jones [From: The New York Times]
Recovery.gov, the site which provides data on stimulus spending and unemployment rates, has earned heated criticism for reportedly listing inflated and fictitious numbers. Is it possible to get a moratorium on the phrase "government accountability, honesty, and transparency?" [From: The Daily Beast and ABC News]
Twitter has apparently relented to incessant conservative whining, and will be eliminating the site's "suggested user" list. Unrepresented California Republicans decried the list because they believed it wasn't fair, so Twitter boss Biz Stone said the site will replace it with one that provides "more relevant suggestions." [From: Beta News]
It hasn't taken long for Microsoft's fledgling Bing to make some noise in the search engine arena, as the site's market share increased again in September, giving it an overall 9.9-percent portion. While Google continued to increase its overall lead, as well, Yahoo!'s share dropped by 3-percent. [From: Boy Genius Report]
Google Labs is currently experimenting with a new feature known as Google Swirl. The image search function, which is in test phase, categorizes relevant images into groups based on "similar appearance and meaning." [From: Google Labs, via Google]
How about paying for "Free" Internet? The FCC is apparently trying to force Internet providers to raise phone fees for the sake of an expanded, less expensive national broadband service. [From: The Wall Street Journal]
Although Twitter can be an incredibly effective and efficient method of interacting with customers, a good number of the old fuddy-duddies on the Fortune 100 list still aren't using the service. While some of the big names, like Walmart and Chevron, have designated employees that tweet often, only 73 of the businesses on the list even have accounts. And some of those are certainly impostors. [From: CNET]

Tags: bing, FCC, google swirl, GoogleSwirl, hulu, microsoft, morningxtra, norah jones, NorahJones, recovery, swirl, top, twitter

Love for Our Tweeps: People Answer 'What Is Twitter?'

by Switched Staff (RSS feed) — Nov 14th 2009 at 4:10PM

Last week, we took our cameras to the streets and inadvertently stumped roughly half the people when we asked, "What is Flickr?" This time, we decided to try our luck by inquiring about Twitter, and, for the most part, everyone had an inkling as to the micro-blogging powerhouse's raison d'être.

Since people are now apparently tweeting 27 million times a day, this should come as no surprise. Not only do we chronicle our outrage over a contentious election via tweets, the Twiteratti have even taken to academic discourse. A zeitgeist has been ignited by 140-character streams of culture.

So what answer most aptly captured the Twitter Experience? "Like, if someone's going to the bathroom, you can know that...I guess that's when they tweet." Precisely.

Next >> 'Twitter 101: Tips and Tricks'

Tags: features, twitter, vox pop, VoxPop

Web, Social Networking

Twitter Sticks With New Retweet Format, Despite Complaints

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Nov 13th 2009 at 1:15PM

Despite Complaints Twitter Sticking With New Retweets

Twitter has been going feature crazy over the past several months. First, it began attaching geolocation information to Tweets. Then it introduced lists, for sharing and for organizing the people you're following. Now, the micro-blogging service is rolling out a standardized format for retweets. While the location data is usually out of the average user's view, the new format for retweets is an obvious change to Twitter's basic interface. And, as Facebook users do every time that site so much as shifts a pixel, tweeters have erupted in revolt.

The new format for retweets replaces the familiar, if clumsy, "RT @username" with an icon that indicates a message is a retweet. Otherwise, it looks identical to the original message. This means that you might see messages in your Twitter feed that appear to come from users you don't follow. This has apparently caused some serious confusion among users, including Justine Bateman from 'Family Ties.'

Tags: retweet, retweets, socialnetworking, top, twitter

Web, Social Networking

Twitter Autobiographies: 140bio Feeds the Narcissism

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Nov 13th 2009 at 10:20AM

Getting published was once the true signifier of an established and bona-fide writer. With its new "paperback microbiographies," though, 140bio is allowing anyone with a Twitter account to join that formerly elite class of professional and accomplished scribes.

For $18.99, the company will actually print your last 3,200 tweets in chronological order, even the replies if you so choose, and then bind them in one of two paperback styles. So, if you're sick of boring your friends and holiday guests with insufferable vacation videos, you can now irritate them with the most self-serving and insubstantial publication that has ever been printed (with the possible exception of the Sarah Palin autobiography). [From: 140bio, via Textually]

Tags: 140bio, books, self-publishing, top, Twitter, twitter autobiographies, TwitterAutobiographies, weird

Web, Social Networking

Spam Spreading on Twitter via Direct Messages -- Again

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Nov 12th 2009 at 1:35PM

Not to sound like a broken record, but there's a lot of spam on Twitter. Let us illustrate. If the Internet were high school, Twitter would be voted "Most Likely to be Spammed." So, it was no surprise when Mashable reported that a number of users have recently been flooded with spam via direct messages. A quick search on the micro-blogging site proves that people are pretty upset about it, too. There's still not a lot of details on the scam, but you should be on the lookout for any suspicious messages from people you don't recognize. For example, if you receive a message from a half-naked girl asking you about a quiz, don't click the link! We know that sounds obvious, but apparently some people are falling for the scam. After all, it takes hacked accounts to continue spreading the spam.

So what do you do if you become a victim? First, change your password right away. While Mashable has reported this wave of spam to Twitter, it's probably not a bad idea for you to report it to the site, too. Last, don't feel ashamed if your account gets hacked. Remember, this isn't the first time the Twitterverse has been plagued by spam, and we're sure it won't be the last, either. [From: Mashable]

Tags: scam, security, socialnetworking, spam, top, trends, twitter, web

Cell Phones, Web, Social Networking

Purdue's 'Hotseat' Brings Twitter to the College Classroom

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Nov 5th 2009 at 9:25AM

Purdue University Bringing Twitter and Facebook into the Classroom

Schools have been surprisingly quick to embrace new online tools to enhance education and encourage participation both in and out of the classroom. Professor Dave Parry, from the University of Texas at Dallas, has taken his class to Twitter, The University of Missouri has required all Journalism majors to own an iPhone or an iPod touch, and Griffith University has an entire course dedicated to Twitter for it's Journalism students.

Purdue University, one of the first to institute an emergency text messaging system and an early adopter of Apple's iTunes U, is testing a custom developed app called 'Hotseat' that allows for students to comment and ask questions in real-time, via Twitter, Facebook, text message, and a Web interface. The university is testing the application in two classes right now, and of the roughly 600 students taking those courses, 73-percent have used 'Hotseat' to ask questions, critique their professor, or vote for topics to be covered.

Tags: education, facebook, school, top, twitter

Celebrities, Web, Social Networking

Man's Criticism of Actor Stephen Fry Draws the Wrath of Tweeters

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Nov 2nd 2009 at 6:25PM

These days, more verbal smackdowns take place on Twitter than do at junior high schools. Of course, these might go unnoticed if the people involved weren't, in many cases, celebrities. Some of these "Twitter Wars" are funny, but some feuds get downright nasty. But it's not just celebrity-on-celebrity disputes that are taking place in the Twitterverse. The beauty of the site is the ability for an average Joe to directly communicate with famous folks -- for better or worse.

For example, a man from Birmingham, England named Richard (who tweets as brumplum) recently posted what he thought was an innocuous tweet about Brit writer and actor Stephen Fry, only to see it result in a social-networking firestorm. According to The New York Times, it read, "Much as I admire and adore the chap, they are a bit ... boring," in reference to Fry's musings. Not only did many of Fry's 934,000 followers respond to Richard's tweet (Celebrity Alan Davies called Richard a "moron."), but Fry even posted a tweet about possibly quitting the micro-blogging service because of the remark. In the end, both men apologized. Fry still tweets, and Richard has more followers than ever.

All is well that ends well, we guess. But what does this spat prove? Twitter isn't a place for the faint of heart. Our advice for sensitive celebs: if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. [From: The New York Times]

Tags: celebrity, socialnetworking, stephenfry, top, twitter, web, writer

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'Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

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Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

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