Twitter’s Bing-powered translations are back
Twitter’s great for connecting its users to people from around the world, but what about when they don’t speak the same language? After testing out a solution in fits and starts, Twitter has officially introduced Bing-powered translations right in the feed. Of course, if you’ve ever relied on machine-translation (and if you’ve worked the late shift on a tech site, you definitely have) you know the results can vary in quality, but it’s usually enough to get the gist of what’s being said. It’s definitely easier than copying characters back and forth, so until you actually crack open that copy of Rosetta Stone, just look for the globe icon and “translate this” button. (If it’s not there, make sure “Show Tweet translations” box is checked in your account settings).
We’re introducing Tweet translation with @Bing Translator so you can read Tweets in multiple languages: https://t.co/RuraBeYa5S
– Twitter (@twitter) January 22, 2015
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Source: Twitter Support
Twitter doesn’t want its biggest users to post Instagram links
In December 2014, Instagram overtook Twitter’s monthly active user number. Well, someone from Twitter must have found that alarming, because the microblogging website is now urging its most prolific users not to tweet out links to Instagram photos. In a screenshot obtained by Mashable (embedded below the fold), you’ll see the splash page the company’s showing its power users, asking them to post their pictures directly on the website. A source confirmed to the publication that Twitter unleashed the prompt to a number of notable entertainment, media and sports accounts, in part to remind them that the website does have native photo editing tools and to show them how those work.
Yes, Twitter does have its own photo editor and filters, in case you’ve been too busy crossposting pictures to notice. They were even launched around the same time Instagram killed off Twitter photo integration. But, and we’re sure you’ll agree, people still choose to crosspost Instagram content even if they show up as links instead of actual pictures, because, well, it’s just more convenient that way. It’s unclear if the rest of us will see the same prompt in the future, but for now, Twitter’s likely hoping its influential clientele can set an example, so to speak.
Filed under: Internet
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Mashable
Twitter is ready to replace your apps’ web passwords with phone numbers
Ready to ditch old-fashioned passwords on the web? Twitter is, too. It just released a developer kit that lets mobile apps’ companion websites use Digits phone number logins. While you still have to create an account on your phone to get things started, you’ll have the option of using your number to sign in on the web from then on. About the only additional hassle is having to enter a confirmation code (sent to your handset) the first time you use the new method. It’s going to take a while before developers add Digits to their sites and let you use it in the real world, but the framework is in place.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
Via: The Next Web
Source: Twitter Developer Blog
Falcon Pro 3 comes to the Play Store with a Material Design refresh
Thanks to Twitter’s frustrating API limits, many third party Twitter app developers have been forced to remove their apps from the Play Store. In the past, one of the most popular third party apps, Falcon Pro, reached its token limit pretty early on which forced the developer to find a token limit workaround that unfortunately didn’t resolve many issues. Developer Joaquim Verges has revamped his app with a Material Design refresh and released it to the Play Store as a version 1.0 release. There are some pretty handy features in this application, so let’s take a closer look at what’s being offered.
The first big enhancement you’ll notice with Falcon Pro 3 is the addition of Material Design. Navigating around the app is fluid, fast and offers some really nice animations. All of your notifications are tucked away on the left side of the screen in a slide-out menu that combines all of your account inboxes into one. You can even clear notifications to de-clutter your activity. The app features column-based navigation that allows you to add or remove as many different columns as you’d like. The developer even added a refresh time algorithm to only pull mentions and favorites based on your activity. So, if you’re constantly tweeting, the app will refresh more often than if you rarely use it. Just like most other Twitter apps out there, Falcon Pro 3 also features position holding on each column along with an unread indicator.
While all of these features are nice, this is still a version 1.0 release, so there are a few major features missing from this app so far. There are no settings menus, widgets or DM columns to be found throughout the app, but the developer is working hard to add all of these features in the next update. Even though it’s missing quite a few important properties, performance is pretty great so far. If you just use Twitter to tweet (and not navigate around too much), you’ll have no problem using this app with ease.
To bypass all of the tokens being used up, the developer has come up with a pricing scheme to keep the app in the Play Store as long as possible. Falcon Pro 3 is available in the Play Store for free, though functionality is very limited if you don’t want to pay. Adding one account will cost you $3.99, and each additional account runs $1.99 extra. After being burned by Twitter’s API limits in the past, this is a seemingly good way to keep the token usage down.
It may not seem like it now, but Falcon Pro 3 will likely be one of the best Twitter apps available in the coming weeks. It’s available now, so head to the Play Store link below to try it out!
Hackers claiming ties to ISIS take control of Pentagon social accounts
A group referring to itself as the CyberCaliphate and claiming ties to ISIS appears to have taken over social media accounts belonging to the United States Central Command. For the past hour or so, the group has been using CENTCOM’s YouTube and Twitter accounts to share pro-ISIS videos and supposedly leaked documents, though Twitter has already suspended CENTCOM’s account in a bid to keep things under control. While it’s still unclear whether ISIS proper had a hand in orchestrating the breach, a defense official confirmed to NBC that the accounts were compromised and that the Defense Department is “taking appropriate measures to address the matter.”
Meanwhile, as is de rigueur these days, the hackers have taken to Pastebin to issue and offer up a taste of information said to have been pulled from private military systems.
“We broke into your networks and personal devices and know everything about you,” the statement reads. “You’ll see no mercy infidels. ISIS is already here, we are in your PCs, in each military base. With Allah’s permission we are in CENTCOM now.” Fair warning: We haven’t yet been able to confirm what’s exactly in these dumps, so do your due diligence and protect yourself and your system if you decide to sift though things.
Still, the data posted on CENTCOM’s Twitter account prior to its suspension was not the sensational, game-changing stuff one might expect — among other things, there’s a list of retired Army generals (complete with phone numbers) and “Korean scenarios” outlining North Korea’s state of military readiness. ZDNET’s Zach Whittaker has preliminarily explored the files and determined that some — if not a significant percentage — are materials that have already been publicly released. A Pentagon official speaking to the Wall Street Journal clearly agrees: They said that the information shared via Twitter was not highly classified.
This is a developing story, please refresh for updates.
Twitter wants to put ads in other companies’ apps
Twitter isn’t growing as quickly as it used to, so it can’t just count on a horde of new social networkers to pump up its bank account. What’s it going to do, then? Sell ads elsewhere, apparently. Sources for the Wall Street Journal claim that Twitter is planning to offer ads for the tweet feeds you see in other companies’ apps and websites, sharing the money it makes with its partners. It’s not certain who’s onboard with the idea. Twitter reportedly cited both ESPN and Flipboard as examples during a presentation at CES, but a WSJ tipster says that there’s no official deal with ESPN just yet.
There’s also no comment from Twitter so far. However, the strategy would effectively make it a very targeted ad network that makes cash whenever a company wants to capture the social zeitgeist, such as reactions to live events. It wouldn’t have to worry so much about getting new users, since it’d make money even if you’re simply visiting a news site that happens to have a live Twitter stream. And before you ask, there aren’t any signs that these ads would pop up in third-party Twitter clients like Tweetbot — from all indications, this would be strictly for content providers that want to make a little money on the side.
Filed under: Internet
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Wall Street Journal
President Obama uses Facebook and Vine to preview his free college plan
President Barack Obama is previewing parts of his State of the Union address in a bid to drum up support ahead of the big speech, and his latest effort is breaking some ground — both in the policy and how he’s presenting it. The head of state took to Facebook, Twitter and Vine to unveil a proposal that would give Americans two free years of community college so long as they maintain good grades and graduate. It’s a rare move for discussing politics online. While the president regularly makes announcements on social networks, it’s not often that you get a peek at the State of the Union while you’re catching up on friends’ status updates and looping cat videos.
The proposal itself is potentially significant for tech as well. If you meet the criteria, you either get two years of academic credit (which you can transfer to a public college or university) or a training program that gives you the skills to work in a given field. The move could lead to more locally-sourced tech workers, not to mention more incentives for companies to open US factories. There’s no telling whether or not the idea would work as well as planned, and it’s bound to face stiff opposition from Congress, but it’s certainly a bold concept.
BREAKING: Watch President Obama announce his #FreeCommunityCollege proposal http://t.co/8YTKdPKa7U https://t.co/vtM3wGwEUd
– The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 8, 2015
Filed under: Internet, Facebook
Source: White House (Twitter), (Facebook), White House Blog
Keeping up with Engadget on the ground at #CES2015
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And if you look at the lyrics to the Andy Williams classic, it can easily be adjusted for the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (and despite impending sleep deprivation, we’ll still do our very best to “be of good cheer.“) We’re perched up in a gorgeous trailer (with plants!) and broadcasting live from our delightful stage right in the heart of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Engadget is sharing the news on nearly every social media platform out there, so pick your poison: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vine, Google+, Tumblr, Pinterest, RebelMouse and App.net. But for the most important updates, @Engadget on Twitter is your best bet and we’re also going to pop additional content onto @EngadgetEvents including our stage happenings and other miscellany as we run around.
In addition to the official channels, you can keep up with our team on Twitter. Use this list or individually follow the folks below for an unfiltered look at CES through our eyes. If you’d like to see all the conversation surrounding #CES2015, check out our Tagboard!
Aaron Souppouris – Senior Editor (@engadget)
Ben Gilbert – Senior Editor (@realbengilbert)
Billy Steele – Associate Editor (@wmsteele)
Blake Hamilton – Video Producer (@blakehamilton)
Chris Velazco – Senior Editor (@chrisvelazco)
Christopher Trout – Executive Editor (@mr_trout)
Dan Cooper – Associate Editor (@danielwcooper)
Dana Wollman – Managing Editor (@danawollman)
Devindra Hardawar – Senior Editor (@devindra)
Edgar Alvarez – Associate Editor (@abcdedgar)
James Trew – Deputy Managing Editor (@itstrew)
Jamie Rigg – Reviews Editor (@jmerigg)
John Colucci – Engagement Editor (@johncolucci)
Jon Turi – Associate Editor (@jonturi)
Jonathan Hall – Video Producer (@jmhall_)
Joseph Volpe – Features Editor (@jrvolpe)
Mat Smith – Senior Editor (@thatmatsmith)
Michael Gorman – Editor-In-Chief (@numeson)
Nicole Lee – Senior Editor (@nicole)
Richard Lai – Senior Editor (@richardlai)
Richard Lawler – Senior Editor (@rjcc)
Terrence O’Brien – Managing Editor (@terrenceobrien)
Tim Seppala – Contributing Editor (@timseppala)
Will Lipman – Photographer (@lipmanphoto)
Twitter Video will be a lot more like YouTube than Vine
Twitter’s plans for a built-in video player have been public for a while, but now we’re finding out more details. TechCrunch points to Daniel Raffel’s tweets, where he’s cracked open the JS file on a placeholder page to uncover a “full blown YouTube” competitor. Its features are more like Google’s video site than Twitter’s existing Vine app, with support for videos of up to 10 minutes in length, with whatever file size and video bitrate users like. The FAQ uncovered is written with an eye towards commercial partners more than regular users, but it draws a clear line in the sand — it won’t simply accept a YouTube link, requiring uploads to Twitter. Bring your 16:9 MP4 or MOV files and you can enjoy more control over how it’s presented than by using links from elsewhere is the promise — we’re just hoping that when this launches it doesn’t turn into another Instagram-style fight that causes other thumbnails to disappear.
https://t.co/2htJRqkmRs Twitter Video will support “mp4″ and “mov” with an aspect ratio of 16:9, and videos can be up to 10 minutes long.
– Daniel Raffel (@danielraffel) January 3, 2015
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Daniel Raffel (Twitter), Twitter Video
Twitter has a new way to keep you up to date while you’re AFK
It isn’t quite a “filtered feed” (yet), but it’s looking like Twitter’s rolling out a new feature to keep you up to speed when you aren’t constantly refreshing your timeline. It’s dubbed “while you were away,” and, as TechCrunch points out, it appears to be rolling out to a large chunk of the microblogging service’s users. What it does is compiles top tweets since you last logged in (likely based on amount of favorites and retweets, although the methodology isn’t quite clear), and places them at the top of your timeline on mobile. Along with those daily email summaries, it seems like another way to keep people in the loop if they aren’t the most hardcore users. And possibly to the dismay of them, it makes the service a bit more like Facebook’s non-chronological news feed. We’d love to hope this recap function won’t pull in sponsored tweets from a certain bikini model shilling a mobile game, but that likely won’t be the case.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile
Source: TechCrunch
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