There’s An App for That: Twitter Edition

This installment of my multi-part series is dedicated completely to Twitter status update clients. This one is actually one that I’ve used most (if not, all) of the applications that I’m recommending. In past versions, I’ve been recommending applications based upon user experiences, reviews, and feedback. I also recommended based upon my own usage. This time, these are based purely upon my own usage. This is probably the most involved I’ve been with app recommendations. I’ll actually be looking back at my other installments and re-tuning them by moving apps to better categories and fine tuning the details. Anyways, this one is all about Twitter clients, so here we go. This one will be short, as I have had very little time to add a lot of content due to working in the Apple Store. Don’t worry, I’ll add as I see fit.

Tweet, Tweet

• Twitterrific – This application was one that I originally downloaded when I got my iPhone. Originally, this app was riddled with a bunch of problems. It was everything I DIDN’T like about a Twitter client app. It was buggy, laggy, unintuitive, and had no real instructions for usage. Since then, this app has turned a full 180. It’s actually one of my favorite Twitter client apps to use. They answered every single one of my qualms with it in classic style. This application allows you to quickly copy-paste a link or user name into the window while still typing your tweet. It even allows you to search for Twitter users. Along with what you can do user-wise, you can follow, unfollow, and block (though, the block feature is a still little wonky) them. You can also translate tweets from different languages, as well as bring up an entire conversation thread between yourself and another Twitter user. Another advantage of this one is that you can view Twitter user pictures full screen on your iPhone (or iPod Touch). They’ve even improved the user interface so well that it’s actually fun to use the app. The Premium version is ad-free and has performance improvements, but carries a hefty price tag. They still don’t use push notifications, even in the premium version. Tools include quick retweeting, URL shortening, text compression to save characters, and core location for nearby tweets. The location aware portion of this app can actually be done two ways. You can give people your exact coordinates, or you can give the general city area. The fact that I can make personal notes on Twitter users is very helpful, as well. I quite like being able to make notes about people I talk to, because I like to remember information about them so I can ask them about things they know about and learn from them. There IS one thing with this application that really bothered the holy heck out of me. It’s the random “TWOOSH!” that pops up during random tweets. I looked through the settings for the app and finally turned it off, but it’s very startling to a user to have that randomly happen and not know why. Alas, that didn’t stop me from using this application as much as I do. This app is actually my Twitter application of choice. I use this one more than any other. I’m sure you’ll like it as well. Price: Free. Also available: Twitterrific Premium; Price: $4.99.
• EchoFon (formerly known as TwitterFon) – EchoFon is an application that really grew on me the more I used it. This was actually the first Twitter client application I ever used. I really liked it originally, but it started to show it’s colors as I started using other clients. EchoFon has made vast improvements since then, so odn’t rule it out. Of course, it wouldn’t be on my recommendations list if it wasn’t any good, right? Anyways, I digress. EchoFon can easily be described as a bare-bones Twitter client application. It doesn’t have a whole lot of cosmetic enhancements or anything special looking. It’s more about function than fashion. Tweeting with this app is actually rather enjoyable. There is a definite learning curve with this app, though. The buttons and icons aren’t easily interpreted or intuitive enough to be used by anyone, but at least EchoFon was nice enough to put what they mean on their website. If all else fails, you can always just find out by trial and error. You can also view an entire conversation thread with a user. The conversation thread looks exactly like the iPhone SMS/MMS conversation threads. This app also syncs really well with the FireFox extension by the same name (formerly known as TwitterFox). This app can be set to automatically reload all the feeds at a set time interval or reload them manually. Though user navigation and following/unfollowing is a little wonky, it wasn’t enough to turn me off to the app. Blocking a user is a lot easier on this app than most other apps. It’s also a lot easier to view a user’s timeline, as well. The upsides to this application are the fact that it is a very powerful Twitter client app, can be used anywhere, have great core location, and allows you to post pictures to your image uploader of choice. The Pro version of EchoFon allows you to get push notifications for follower updates, replies, and direct messages. Much like the Twitterrific application, the hefty price for the lack of ads and only one true upgrade feature. Alas, that doesn’t stop me from using the free app. It has been quite enjoyable to keep using this app when/if Twitterrific or Mixero acts up on me. I always keep this app on my iPhone just in case of fire. It’s core location feature is quite precise when looking for nearby tweets and placing my own location. The downside to it is I can’t make the location more general like I could with Twitterrific or some others. This is just a small gripe, so don’t let it stop you from using this awesome app. Price: Free. Also Available: EchoFon Pro; Price: $4.99.
• TweetDeck – This application is more like its desktop counterpart than it is a quick Twitter client. TweetDeck for the desktop is a column Twitter browser, if you will. Each column is in essence a new feed for you to look at. These feeds can range anywhere from your own timeline to nearby tweets by people you follow. As highly customizable as TweetDeck is, I had a harder time using it. I gave it a shot, though, and found many things I liked. The fact that I can cycles through many timelines at once is a real time saver. The juxtaposition of the buttons and alerts within the application made my inner aesthetic happy. The downside to it is that this app will eat up your API calls (that is, how many actions within Twitter you can make) faster than Kobayashi eats hot dogs. Even when Twitter upped the API call limit from 125 to 150, I shied away from this app. If you’re someone who is a serial tweetist like myself, this app won’t be your favorite. However, if you’re someone who tweets a few times a day, likes to lurk around, read most of the time, and manage multiple accounts at once, this application is for you. The iPhone app isn’t as enthralling as its desktop counterpart, but still retains most of the functionality and looks. Syncing multiple accounts with your desktop and across Twitter is transparent and automatic, and the customizable columns are nice to have. I haven’t run into any real problems with this app other than a lengthier load times than some other Twitter client apps. Price: Free.
• Tweeterena (formerly Twitterena) – This iPhone app is actually more bare bones than most others. Its look, feel, and overall usage are much like that of EchoFon. In all actuality, the only real differences between Tweeterena and EchoFon are the icons each use and the fact that Tweeterena has a couple of skins that you can choose between. Tweeterena also allows for push updating with the Lite and Pro versions. There are a couple other features available in the other versions. I happened to download Tweeterena when it was free for the Lite version. It’s still a quick application worth the price tag for the beginner Twitter user and veteran alike. Unfortunately, even in the Lite version (which is now paid), you still have ads in every frame possible. You’ll have to excuse my lack of a long review on this one, as this application is quite literally a clone of EchoFon.
• Mixero – This application has the potential to be the best Twitter client application of all time. Unfortunately, it falls short because of rushed development and laggy, buggy usage. This application is a mixture of Twitterrific’s user experience, TweetDeck and TwitBird’s group management, and Seesmic’s powerful desktop experience. However, this is where the praise stops on this app (at least, for now). My usage with it has lead to a lot of bugs (especially when assigning my followings to groups) and crashes. This app probably runs better in its desktop reincarnation. This application is actually decently easy to use, despite all of the bells, whistles, and power behind it. If the makers of it would hurry up and fix the issues with it, this app would be my main Twitter client application. Still, even with the problems and bugs, I don’t stop using it, as it is smaller in space of most Twitter client applications I use. Definitely worth the look at, especially since they’ll update it soon. Price: Free.

Where Do We Tweet Now?

The past weeks have brought about some massive changes in the Twitterverse. It all started with webpage and profile page changes in late September. Early October brought about an announcement of some new features that were to be added.

Bells and Whistles

Then, in Mid-October, the Lists feature was rolled out in Beta form. Those of you who are unfamiliar with how things like this work in the computer and gaming world, you’re in luck, here’s the quick and dirty process on how things get to market on the webpages you use: (Quick note: though most of these steps are in order, not every company does the closed beta test. A lot of companies have actually gone straight to the open beta style-letting all users use and log bug reports [see: Google].)

1. The feature/idea is pitched
2. If a lot of people like it, a designer draws up a preliminary draft
3. Designers and programmers get together and get a working model up and running that they test
4. The designers then invite (or simply randomly choose) some users to use and test the feature/program/tech, reporting any bugs they encounter along the way (also known as closed beta)
5. The designers take the input and data, applying it to their tech. They then refine the tech, then send it back to closed beta again (not always)
6. After the closed beta testing goes well, they get a complete working build going and release it for download, but not mass use (also known as open beta). Users can make their own adjustments to the tech, streamlining it or simply changing aspects of it. Users are also allowed to submit their own builds of the tech to the company for use.
7. After getting a few more refinements done, they package their tech and put a price on it, ready to sell. They may simply just make it an added feature to their users on their website. It’s ready for the world to use.

I got a chance to use the Lists feature while they were doing their beta testing of it. Here’s kinda what some of the lists look like from my end.

and again

Then, on Sunday, November 1st, they rolled out their new Retweet feature. Retweet is much like the “pass it on” portion of Twitter. Many of the Twitter clients on phones instituted this feature long before it was added to the Twitter website. It’s very popular among users, so it surprises me that the minds at Twitter waited almost 3 years to institute it on their own website. Well, it is now on the website, so users who are restricted to desktop use are able to retweet natively in their browser without having to download an additional client application to do so. My initial use of the retweet feature on the webpage was positive. Then, it turned negative quickly. It turned negative because I saw some user names that I didn’t recognize showing up in my timeline. True, I retweeted something by a celebrity that I saw, but that doesn’t mean I want to see the originator (or “someone I may know” who also retweeted) in my timeline. That was a spam-esque ideal there. I thought I had auto-followed them just by retweeting. Those of you who are regular readers of my blog know that I have been hit by spam and porn bots numerous times on Twitter. You have also seen my antics when it comes to deal with them. This is why I turned my account into a private account. When the spam and follower churn issue gets fixed, I’ll change it back to a public one. Follower churn is when multiple users follow a single person so they can gain followers, then unfollow in the same fashion. It’s used a lot by “internet marketing” bots and users. To help combat this, Twitter rolled out a “Report” context menu item for users on the website. It was a quiet add, but it was huge for people who needed it. I would file tickets for spammer/porn/follower churn names that would have (no joke) upwards of 50 names each time. It got quite annoying. I really do appreciate the affectionately named (by me, at least) Spamacide Sisters @delbuis and @tiger on Twitter for dealing with all my craziness and all that spam stuff going on. Anyways, I’m actually decently happy with the new features. True, some of you purists may be screaming blasphemy and saying the other Twitter was better (re: Facebook users), but I really don’t care. I like it, and I hope they keep going with them in the future.

Twoffice 3.0

In addition to the new features of the website, Twitter HQ peeps also got a new office. There have been several pictures posted of the new office. Actually, today was the first day that they had in the new office. The had 1Republic play for them in the office for entertainment.  If you want more information on what happened, check out my Twitter HQ list at http://twitter.com/lupin_bebop/twitter-hq . You’ll see what they had to say about their new place. It’s actually been really entertaining to watch (and tweet about) all day. I really wish them all the best, and I hope they continue to grow and bring the word together, one tweet at a time.

A New Look

Well…I had a good friend of mine who likes to design things help make a new banner for my blog. Check it out. Tell me what you think. It shall be added soon.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t243/damson_rhee/Banners%20and%20Avatars/LBbanner.gif