Why an American named John Lewis gets lots of Twitter hassle from Brits
Spare a thought for Twitter user John Lewis. When he signed up as @johnlewis soon after the app launched in 2006, little did he know that one day he would become the de facto customer service contact for the British department store of the same name. Mr. Lewis says he now receives as many as 50,000 tweets a year.
DT Daily: Amazon HQ2(s), Indiegogo’s CEO, and Chris Bevans of Dyne
Today on DT Daily we talked about Amazon's decision for HQ2, what the introduction of autonomous cars means for tourism, and what Amazon products to buy on Black Friday. We also brought on the CEO of Indiegogo, David Mandelbrot and the Creative Director of DYNE, Chris Bevans.
Twitter boss hints that an edit button for tweets may finally be on its way
Twitter has been talking for years about launching an edit button for tweets, but it still hasn't landed. This week, company boss Jack Dorsey suggested a quick-edit button is "achievable," giving hope to millions of users that it might actually be in the works ... though don't build your hopes up.
To be or not to be 280 characters: All of Shakespeare’s works in a single tweet
It might sound like a Dan Brown tech thriller plot point, but it's not. A computer science undergraduate really has managed to hide the complete works of one of the world’s greatest writers in a single tiny image that was shared in a Twitter message. Here's how he carried it out.
Twitter tests home screen button that offers more control of your timeline
Twitter recently relaunched its reverse-chronological timeline, but accessing it means diving into settings. Now it's testing a button on the main screen that lets you switch between the two styles of timeline more easily. The design is intended to give users even more control over their timeline.
How a comic turn by David Schwimmer may help British cops nab a suspect
When cops in the United Kingdom posted a photograph of a suspect they wanted to speak to in relation to an alleged theft, many people hit social media to point out how the man bore a striking resemblance to actor David Schwimmer. No one could've expected what happened next.
How to get followers on Twitter
There's a fine line between building your brand and looking desperate on Twitter, but it can be walked. From picking the right photos and using hashtags, to knowing when to tweet, there plenty of things to consider when you're looking to gain followers. Here are a few of our suggestions.
Twitter has sorted out those weird notifications it was sending
Twitter started churning out weird notifications of seemingly nonsensical letters and numbers to many of its users on Tuesday morning. The bizarre incident even prompted Twitter's CEO to get involved. The issue has now been sorted out, but the company still isn't entirely sure why it happened.
Twitter’s new Data Saver feature does what it says on the tin
If you want to use less data with Twitter, a new feature rolled out for the app on October 3 has your back. Called Data Saver, it prevents videos from auto-playing and loads lower-resolution images. Should you want to view a higher-resolution image in Data Saver mode, you can do so in a couple of taps.
Twitter squashes security bug leaking direct messages since 2017
The team at Twitter has discovered and corrected a security bug within one of their developer APIs that has been leaking sensitive information sent in direct messages to business accounts. Third-party developers may have received messages meant for businesses using their platform.
A lot less clutter! Twitter relaunches purely chronological timeline
If you still miss the reverse-chronological timeline that Twitter ditched two years ago and are fed up with all of the extra tweets in your timeline, there's some good news for you. You now have the option to once again see the most recent tweets first without any of the algorithm-generated clutter.
Watch live: Twitter and Facebook executives testify before Congress
Executives from Facebook and Twitter are testifying before Congressional lawmakers today, offering their views on the state of social media and disclosing what is being done to combat bias, harassment, hacking, and election meddling online.
Amazon is paying employees to tweet nice things about its warehouses
Amazon is paying employees to say nice things on Twitter about working in the company's fulfillment centers following reports of poor working conditions. The "FC Ambassador" accounts all share a standardized format and make similar, positive comments about working for Amazon.
Facebook, Twitter boot accounts tied to Iran, Russia for coordinated deception
Around a million users followed Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to coordinated groups that misrepresented themselves and had ties to Iran and Russia. The social networks said that the groups were removed for coordinated deception. Many of the accounts were based in Iran.
Twitter’s new guideline seek to curb abusive comments on Periscope
Twitter recently announced a new set of policies regarding how it handles abusive comments on its video streaming service, Periscope. In addition to allowing community members to report abusive comments, the company will soon start suspending or banning repeat offenders.
As Twitter cleans up spam, monthly users drop, but daily engagement increases
Twitter is engaged in an overdue war against abuse and spam -- but moving resources to clean up the platform has left the network with a loss in the monthly user count. Daily engagement has increased, however, and Twitter says the focus on network health will drive long-term growth.
A safer Twitter may be around the corner thanks to API guidelines, restrictions
Third-party developers have been able to leverage the Twitter API in order to build apps and other software that work with the social media firm. But now, those who want to access the API will have to undergo a more comprehensive vetting process in hopes of keeping out folks who may want to spam users.
Google, Microsoft, Twitter, and Facebook team up on new data transfer project
Some of the largest tech companies in the world have teamed up to make data portability a little easier. The initiative is called the Data Transfer Project, and the likes of Google, Twitter, Microsoft, and Facebook are all on board. There's no product to show off just yet, but the project could be groundbreaking.
Watching the World Cup on your phone while at the theater isn’t a good idea
Theater actors give it their all during their shows, hoping to move the audience, or make them laugh or think. But sometimes they look up and see people's faces lit up by smartphone screens. It happened the other night as a couple in the front row checked the soccer scores, and the actors weren't pleased.
Facebook and Twitter introduce new tools regarding ad transparency
Facebook and Twitter are getting serious about how they deal with advertisements on their platform. The social media networks are introducing tools to make it easier to see how ads work on their platforms.
Twitter’s Happening Now, Explore are about to get more personal
In a post sharing a number of different changes coming to the platform over the next few months, Twitter is working to make the experience more tailored to each user's interests. The personalized news will be coming to the Happening Now Section, as well as notifications and a tab inside Explore. Moments is also getting a more Twitter-like redesign.
Xbox reportedly lays off its support staff, replaces them with volunteers
Microsoft has reportedly laid off several paid Xbox Support team members and replaced them with volunteers that the employees helped train. The Xbox Support Twitter account appears to have been affected, as it has slowed down its responses to inquiries made by Xbox One users.
ABC cancels ‘Roseanne’ revival series following Barr’s racist tweet
ABC has canceled the wildly successful revival of Roseanne after series star Roseanne Barr posted a racist message on Twitter regarding a former adviser to President Barack Obama, ending the show's return to television after just one new season. The network will now scramble to fill a big hole in its schedule.
A.I. scans social media to predict when protests will turn violent
In a new study, researchers at the University of Southern California created an artificial intelligence algorithm that scanned posts and correlated their content with impending violence. Such a tool could be used to better prepare for demonstrations that are prone to escalation.
Judge rules it’s unconstitutional for Trump to block critics on Twitter
Finding that Twitter is a public forum when used by a public official. a federal judge in New York ruled that President Trump may not block critics. Although the president has blocked users in the past, the judge ruled this amounted to a violation of First Amendment rights of those who criticized him.
Twitter kills some TV apps, but updates Windows and other support
Twitter seems to be in the midst of an evolution which involves both some deaths and rebirths. Beginning May 24, the social media company will no longer support its TV apps on Roku, Android TV, or Xbox. But if you're a Twitter Lite or Twitter for Windows user, you're in for some snazzy new updates.
Save your tweeting eyes with Tweetbot 3’s new dark mode on MacOS
An upgrade to the Tweetbot client brings it to version 3.0 and offers features like dark mode and a revised timeline management system. It may be easier to use and more pleasing on the eye than older versions, but it comes at a price. Tweetbot now costs $10 when purchased on the app store.
Less than 10 percent of Twitter users questioned fake news, study suggests
A new study from the University of Buffalo suggests less than ten percent of the users that interact with a rumor question the Tweet's accuracy. The study looked at 20,000 tweets on fake news surrounding the Bostom Marathon bombings and Hurricane Sandy. A majority of those that responded helped spread the tweet.
Don’t hold your breath for Vine 2 — it’s on hold indefinitely, co-founder says
If you're waiting for the second iteration of Vine, the short-form video app, don't hold your breath. As per an announcement from the app's co-founder Dom Hofmann, Vine 2 has been placed on hold for "an indefinite amount of time." Community forums will be kept up, but we could be kept waiting awhile.
Twitter urges its users to change their passwords due to a bug
Twitter is currently urging over 330 million of its users to change their passwords following a bug that was identified on the social media platform. While the bug has since been fixed, the company assures users there were no signs of breach or misuse of the passwords by anyone.
Twitter doubles list of original shows with new deals, renewals from MTV to ESPN
Ready for more Twitter original shows? Twitter today announced a list of more than 30 new deals and renewals for original series and live content, effectively doubling the number of originals from last year. The list spans topics from news to gaming and includes several big brands, like MTV and BuzzFeed.
Twitter sold tweets to the guy who made the Cambridge Analytica app
As Facebook faces privacy criticism, Twitter confirmed that Aleksandr Kogan, the researcher behind the thisisyourdigitallifeapp, accessed Twitter data. Unlike the original Cambridge Analytica scandal, only public tweets were accessed, but Twitter also sold that data through its data licensing program.
Social (Net)Work: Fake news spreads faster than truth, but bots aren’t to blame
A recent MIT study suggests that fake news spreads farther, faster and deeper than the real thing. Don’t point fingers just yet though -- data suggests the bots aren’t to blame.
Twitter will now highlight news stories shared by your network
Over the past couple of years, Twitter has made a strong push into the news market. The social network's newest feature is based on that goal and will make it easier to see news stories shared by your friends.