Tweetbot
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Tweetbot update brings new media timeline and image viewer
The popular Twitter client Tweetbot has been updated to version 2.8, bringing the addition of a new "media timeline" and image viewer for the iPhone and iPad apps. Media view allows users to see photos and images that have been tweeted directly in their feeds, with the text of the Tweets neatly located above the media. The app's image viewer has also been updated to be faster and features a redesign. In addition, tweet details such as the number of favorites and retweets have been changed to update in real time, Instagram previews have been fixed, along with the standard bug fixes that come with every update. To locate the new media view, scroll to the top of your timeline and tap the square next to the search button. The update is live now.
Tweetbot for iOS outs pirate users
A lot of us at TUAW use Tapbots' wonderful Tweetbot iPhone app to feed our mobile Twitter habit. The US$2.99 price tag is apparently off-putting to some iPhone users who want the excellent features of Tweetbot, but would rather pirate the app than pay three measly bucks for it. Gizmodo UK has discovered that Tapbots now has a way to get revenge on those jailbreakers who are pirating the app -- those pirated copies automatically insert the following phrase into the compose field: A quick search on Twitter shows that the messages appeared to have peaked a couple of days ago and have since tailed off, so either the shamed pirates are now deleting the message and getting on with their evil ways, or someone has figured out how to remove the "offending" string from the pirated version of the app. Many loyal Tweetbot users are publicly applauding Tapbots' response to piracy, especially since those pirates are chewing up the company's Twitter token allotment. This isn't the first time a developer has tried to shame pirates; Enfour had its plan backfire when it attempted to call out pirates on Twitter and accidentally burned a few valid users of its dictionary apps in the process.
Tweetbot for Mac updated, adds user-specific notifications, Vine and Flickr previews and more
Following on the heels of the recent update for the iOS version, Tweetbot -- the Twitter client for iOS and Mac -- has today updated its Mac app to version 1.2, bringing a host of welcome new features. Most notably, the new version of Tweetbot for Mac brings user-specific notification (disable or enable notifications for specific users) and thumbnail support for Vine and Flikr. Other highlights in the update include UI tweaks, support for adding .mp4 video to tweets and the ability to drag images or .mp4 video into the app icon to create new tweets. For all the details on the update, check out Tweetbot on the Mac App Store. The update is available now for existing Tweetbot users, through Software Update on your Mac or via the Mac App Store, or you can purchase Tweetbot for Mac on the Mac App Store right now for US$19.99. [via MacStories]
Tweetbot for Mac adds thumbnail support for Vine and Flickr
Roughly two weeks ago, Tweetbot for iOS was graced with in-line viewing of Flickr and Vine content, and now the Mac app has gotten a similar treatment with thumbnail support for both services. Version 1.2 of the client not only accommodates the 6-second films, but it brings a slew of other changes and a handful of bug fixes, to boot. Now, users can opt in for notifications when tweets are sent out from specific Twitter accounts, and can start writing messages by dragging videos or images to the app's icon. Tapbots has also tuned the application to play nice with MP4 files and to allow for account reordering in the preferences section. In addition, the software now uses version 1.1 of Twitter's API and sports a tweaked UI that complies with Costolo and Co.'s new visual requirements. Come March 5th, older versions of Tweetbot for Mac will give up the ghost thanks to Twitter's API changes, but upgrading to the fresh release (or future versions) will ensure your social networking will go uninterrupted. Click the bordering source link for the download and complete changelog.
Tweetbot for iOS adds in-line Flickr and Vine viewing
Whatever the platform, Tapbots' Tweetbot is known for supporting in-line content viewing that doesn't always appear in other Twitter clients -- it's a survivor of the Instagram-Twitter fallout, for example. With the launch of version 2.7 updates for iOS, the app may have microblog media well and truly covered. The upgrade adds easy Flickr viewing, to accommodate Instagram exiles, as well as quick peeks at Vine's 6-second video loops. Third-party app integration likewise expands its boundaries: links can now open in either 1Password or Chrome, instead of Safari. Both the iPad and iPhone releases are live today, so hit the relevant links to see the imagery you might have been missing. [In-photo image credit: Steve Kovach, Vine]
Tweetbot 2.7 for iPhone adds Vine, Flickr previews
The awesome Twitter client from Tapbots has just been updated. Tweetbot 2.7 for iPhone (US$2.99) adds some welcome additions that make it easier to take advantage of some video and photo sharing services. If you've downloaded and installed the Vine app for sharing video clips with others, you're going to love Tweetbot 2.7. The update now provides inline viewing support for Vine and photo sharing app Flickr. Some of us don't use Safari on our iOS devices, preferring the Google Chrome browser instead. Now Tweetbot settings provides a way to select your favorite browser to open links in. Finally, users can tap and hold a link and select "Open in Chrome". The release notes also state that there's an ability to open links in 1Password, although that's only true for versions 4.0 and later of the secure password keeper app. The update is available for immediate download for existing users of the app.
TweetBot for Mac updated to 1.01, adds support for Reading List and j/k navigation
TweetBot for Mac has been updated with just a .01 version, but the update still adds in some pretty powerful functionality. First of all, the update makes TweetBot compatible with Apple's Reading List service, so you can now add content to your Safari Reading List directly from the Twitter client. There are a number of improvements added as well, and finally, TweetBot has added in something called "j/k navigation," where you can use your j and k keys to head up or down your tweet list. I am actually a big fan of this kind of navigation -- I use it to go through Google Reader all the time, so having it available on TweetBot will be a nice bonus. TweetBot for Mac is available on the Mac App Store right now for $19.99. [via RazorianFly]
Daily Update for October 18, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
TweetBot for Mac reaches the Mac App Store, keeps the 3rd-party Twitter client flame alive
When Twitter put out its strict new API guidelines, there was some doubt as to whether or not third-party clients like Tapbots' Tweetbot for Mac would even make the cut -- the user caps and other curbs on unofficial apps potentially made it tough to develop competition around a different (and possibly better) experience. That makes today's official appearance of Tweetbot in the Mac App Store as much symbolic as it is practical. While there won't be many significant shocks for those who've been participating in Tweetbot's alpha and beta stages, the finished version gives everyone running OS X Mountain Lion a major and sometimes more advanced alternative to official choices, such as TweetDeck, as well as existing third-party options like Twitterrific. A $20 price doesn't make Tweetbot the cheapest way to buck convention by any means, but it might be worth the investment if you're already committed to Tapbots' iOS apps or want to make a statement on the value of third parties in an ecosystem.
iPhone 5 / iOS 6 app update roundup: new versions for a taller world
Call it a hunch, but we suspect that at least a few of you picked up an iPhone 5 today, or at least made the leap to iOS 6. If you're in either position, you may be wondering just what apps to feed Apple's flagship (or that fresh new firmware) once it's ready to go. We've got a quick-hit list of titles that have been updated to take advantage of the tall display and new OS that go beyond Apple's own work. The biggest upgrades of the lot come from keynote darling CNN as well as Flipboard: both have done more than add extra columns on the iPhone 5, offering an interface you won't see on any mere 3.5-inch iPhone. Some bread-and-butter apps have made the launch week cut as well, such as Facebook and Twitter. There's even more if you're willing to dig deep. Third-party Twitter client Tweetbot beat the official app to the punch by days, and we've likewise spotted updates to Evernote, its rival Remember the Milk and Yelp. We know some apps aren't fully iPhone 5- or iOS 6-native -- Instagram, for example, and most anything from Google -- but it's apparent that the holdouts are increasingly the exception, rather than the rule. Did you catch any other noteworthy apps that received a boost in recent hours? Let fellow owners know in the comments. CNN - App Store Evernote - App Store Facebook - App Store Flipboard - App Store Kindle - App Store Pulse - App Store Remember the Milk - App Store Tweetbot - App Store Twitter - App Store Yelp - App Store
Tweetbot for Mac hits beta, runs headlong into new Twitter API limits
We've been using the Tweetbot for Mac alpha for several weeks now. It's about time that a more polished beta version arrive, we'd say -- and the new 0.8 revision does its best to justify moving one letter up the alphabet. Most of the upgrade focuses on improved multi-column and keyboard support, along with a heap of bug fixes. The real story, though, may be what Tweetbot can't do. Twitter's tough new API limits put a sharp curb on the number of new users that a third-party developer like Tapbots can bring into the fold. To maximize the number of customers buying the finished version, the company is limiting beta access solely to those who've already linked their Twitter accounts to the alpha; if you aren't already part of the secret club, you're not getting in today. We're still looking forward to the completed Tweetbot release, but the hoop-jumping required to keep the app commercially viable doesn't bode well for any future competition with the official Twitter clients.
Twitter changes cause Tweetbot for Mac alpha to be pulled
We're starting to see changes to Twitter and Twitter clients following the announcement of new API rules. Late yesterday, Tapbots pulled the alpha version of Tweetbot for Mac. Paul Haddad explained that the company tried to work with Twitter to get around the user token limit during the beta-testing period. Twitter didn't find any solution acceptable, Haddad said, so the public alpha download was pulled. Those who already have the alpha client are still able to use it. Haddad assured users that the final version Tweetbot for Mac will be available in the near future. He also urged those who tried the alpha and decided not to use it to revoke access and up the user token. Meanwhile, The Next Web points out that Twitter no longer identified which client was used to post a tweet.
Twitter's API v1.1 rules put user caps on third party clients, exert more control overall
Last spring an announcement from the platform team at Twitter not-at-all-subtly suggested developers of third party clients should find something else to do, and today a list of changes to its API turns that whisper into a firm nudge. The limit that most directly affects any of the unofficial clients you may be interested in using is that existing apps currently servicing more than 100,000 individual user tokens will be allowed to double their current count, but cannot add any users past that without Twitter's permission. Going forward, any app that needs more than 100,000 tokens to do things like access the timeline, show DMs or anything else a client app might do will also need Twitter's permission to operate. Other changes include that any pre-installed client app on something like a phone, computer, or TV will need Twitter's permission before it ships (sensing a trend here?), or potentially face revocation of its application key. Moving on, the Display Guidelines about the information any app that displays tweets must provide are shifting to Display Requirements, with violators potentially losing that application key. Those Twitter Cards that started rolling out over the last few months are also getting a big push, with plans to include other ways for developers to bring their rich content to Twitter, and embed real-time Twitter content on existing websites. In a section of the blog post that specifically calls out popular third party clients like Tweetbot and Echofon, it puts them in a zone of Twitter apps that it believes developers "should not build" since they mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter client experience. Other services focused on aggregation like Storify and Favstar.fm are also called out as not having much of a future in Twitter's view of its universe A-OK, see the update below. It's pretty clear where we're headed, as Twitter seeks to monetize a growing and talkative user base, it wants to make sure users are all seeing things in the format it wants them to. With a six month migration period ahead, developers and users may have hard choices to make. Tweetbot developer Paul Haddad has already tweeted that "the sky is not falling...the cap is pretty huge and we aren't going anywhere", and we'll undoubtedly hear from others soon. The rest of the details reside beyond the source link, but let us know first -- are you learning to love the official Twitter clients, or are you thinking paying $50 a year for an entirely unproven alternative with no users doesn't sound so ridiculous after all? Update: Twitter platform director Ryan Sarver tweets that Favstar.fm and Storify are actually "good examples" of services it would like to see. Also, TweetLanes developer Chris Lacy is apparently encouraged by the change, thanking Twitter for "giving client devs a chance"
Tweetbot for Mac's latest alpha adds experimental 'snap-together' column layout
Tweetbot's been offering a rough-around-the-edges alpha version on its upcoming refresh for a few weeks now, but it's the latest update that's caught our attention -- again. There's several substantial changes that could tempt you away from other desktop Twitter clients. These include a new multiple account view, with separate columns that can either be docked to your main feed or left in their own window. You can spin out mentions and search results into their own space, and even adjust each column's height and width -- if you're looking to squeeze even more Twitter content into a single screen. A new menu bar icon offers access to your multiple accounts, new tweets, direct messages and mentions, while the latest build also improves support for media upload and Mountain Lion's notification bar. Tweetbot's alpha is still free to try for now, but once the kinks are eventually worked out, expect to pay for the finished article.
Tweetbot for Mac arrives as free alpha, we give a quick hands-on
Seemingly anyone who's used an iPhone (and often the iPad) knows Tweetbot -- it's often the go-to Twitter app for those who prefer not to go the official route. It's to those users' delight, then, that Tapbots just posted a free alpha version of Tweetbot for Mac. As you'd anticipate, it's an attempt to bring much of the app's power user mojo to the desktop world: you can check just retweets of your content, mute overly chatty people or hashtags, and otherwise get more control than just watching your stream drift by. It's even (mostly) Retina-ready for that new MacBook Pro. Alpha does mean that there will be a fair amount of things missing; it won't tap into iCloud or Mountain Lion's Notification Center until it's official, for example. But if you're willing to deal with that and a few potential bugs, it may be time to brush other apps aside -- just note that you'll need Mountain Lion or newer when the app is ready to face the Mac App Store, even though it works with Lion today. We've had a quick spin with the app, and it largely does what it says on the tin: it's Tweetbot, on the Mac. The primary differences are changes that make sense when a mouse pointer and a larger screen area are available. You can reply, retweet, or view whole conversations from buttons that appear as you hover, rather than using the myriad taps and swipes of the iOS apps. It's a wonderfully minimalist app, if that's your thing, and you can open multiple windows (currently through a keyboard shortcut) to get some of that TweetDeck-style power user layout. Our main gripe? Tweetbot on the Mac always updates in a live stream, and there's no option for intervals; if you follow a lot of people, there's a chance you might miss something. Still, for an alpha, it's a decidedly polished and useful effort that doesn't leave us wanting like a few clients, including Twitter's own.
Tweetbot 2.4 brings keyword mute filters, offline favorite and read later support
Tweetbot just got the update treatment, enabling a handful of features aimed at optimizing the way you interact with Twitter, both online and off. These added gems include an option to mute certain keywords ('cereal' may be a good start), location-based keyword searches, along with offline favorite and read later support (for booting links to apps like Instapaper or Pocket, for offline viewing). Most other functionality remains unchanged, as does the $2.99 price tag. You'll find the full list of updates after the break, with download links just below.
Tweetbot update adds location-based searching
The 2.4 update to Tweetbot for iPhone and iPad adds a number of new features, but the biggest one is an updated search feature that gives users the chance to view tweets made nearby. You can change location to do searches in different areas. Other changes include: Improved search box Adding top tweets to browse section, and moving the trends and people categories there as well Double-tap search tap to open a search with the keyboard Keyword mute fulters Offline favorite and read-later support Dismiss web and map views on the iPad with a 2-finger swipe down gesture. iPad users also can hold down on an image for options when viewing it in full screen Swipe to the right on profile views to go back a level Sending items to pinboard marks them as unread A number of other tweaks and bug fixes
Tweetbot for iOS updated with iCloud syncing of timelines and more across devices
Nearly a year after it debuted and caught our eye as an incredibly well structured Twitter client for the iPhone, Tweetbot's latest revision uses Apple's cloud servers to sync the experience instead of just content. Version 2.2's iCloud based syncing of account settings, timeline position, DMs and Mute filters lets those deep in the iLife go from iPhone to iPad or vice versa without missing a beat. The only possible fly in the ointment? The tablet and phone version are still separate apps that cost $2.99 each, but satisfied customers who have already ponied up can start enjoying their seamless transitions as soon as they've updated.
Confirmation of Apple rejecting an app for accessing UDID
Paul Haddad of Tapbots confirmed that Apple is rejecting apps which send out UDIDs. The developer posted a rejection notice for version 2.2 of its popular twitter client Tweetbot. The notice says that Tweetbot was rejected because the "app does not obtain user consent before collecting their personal data" and points to the UDID as the culprit. Tapbots says it was using the UDID for its push notification service and has disabled the code in the most recent version of Tweetbot that it submitted to the iOS App Store. Haddad advised other developers who rely on the UDID, "If you are an app developer and depend on UDID for any functionality it's time to migrate away from it, sooner or later Apple will catch you."
Daily iPad App: Tweetbot emerges as a top Twitter client for the iPad
I admit I was late to the Tweetbot bandwagon. I was tempted by the initial reviews, but wasn't keen to spend the money. Yeah, it was $2.99. But, if I wanted to spend money on a Twitter app, I wanted to buy one and have that be it for awhile. The free native Twitter app, which evolved from Tweetie, suited me until the overhaul in December. While there were some features I liked, others drove me up the wall. I found that I was using Twitter less and less because I didn't care for the redesigned iPhone app and web interface. So, I finally turned to Tweetbot, and I haven't looked back. Steve Sande told me during Macworld that he had a beta for Tweetbot on the iPad and got the appropriate green-eyed monster stare in return. Along with the release of Tweetbot 2.0 for the iPhone, we can finally use it on the iPad as well. If you're familiar with Tweetbot for the iPhone, the iPad version should be a piece of cake. It's set up in the way Twitter used to be set up. There's no "connect" or "discover" in this, and no hard-to-find direct message notifications. Everything is clearly laid out so it's easy to navigate among timeline, mentions, direct messages and more. Swiping to the left on a tweet shows any replies it's received, and swiping to the right shows the conversation thread. Because the iPad has more screen real estate than the iPhone, menus that were collapsed on the iPhone version now have their own place in the sidebar. In portrait mode, the side of each button is highlighted when there's a new tweet. In landscape mode the button is highlighted, and you can see how many tweets are waiting for you to peruse. %Gallery-146863% One of my favorite new features comes when you select a link. Tapping a link opens it in Tweetbot's native browser. See that little switch next to the webpage title in the top menu bar? Flip it, and Tweetbot automatically kicks the article into Readability so it's easier to read. You can set up a read-it-later service through the account settings so you can save the article to Readability, Instapaper or similar sites to read later. The onscreen keyboard is tweaked for power users, with @ and # keys thrown in for easy access. As with Tweetbot for iPhone, you get a lot of information with each tweet including location with map, easy conversation threads, access to retweets, replies, actions, details and favorites with a tap and more. When you create a tweet, you can easily target who it'll go to, plus add tags or a picture. I love how you can automatically have it use the last photo taken as well. While the Twitter for iPad program is OK, Tweetbot feels like it was designed by developers who actually get Twitter and understand how people use it. Based off the stream of enthusastic tweets and the reaction in the TUAW newsroom, I'm not alone in thinking that. Check out the gallery above to see Tweetbot in portrait and landscape mode. Tweetbot for iPad is a separate purchase from its iPhone sibling and is $2.99. Is it worth paying $3 each to get both apps? Absolutely yes. You can pay a lot more for other Twitter apps and, to me, they don't even begin to come close to Tweetbot. It's a great bargain at the price and worth it to support the developers. Now, could we get Tweetbot for the Mac, please?
