twitter

Twitter said today that it has added the ability for advertisers to target ads at people based on keywords from those users' recent tweets.

In a blog post this morning, Twitter characterized the new feature as "an important new capability -- especially for those advertisers looking for signals of intent -- because it lets marketers reach users at the right moment, in the right context."

To be sure, millions of people are letting the world know what they're thinking in real time by sending out tweets about what they're doing, links they've noticed, news they'… Read more

I had a friend running in the Boston Marathon yesterday. Her husband was waiting for her at the finish. When I found out they were both safe, I felt relieved, but still numb.

Others in Boston weren't so fortunate as my friends. They lost so much in such a senseless, awful manner.

Many onlookers around the world went to the natural social place to express themselves: Twitter. Could they add anything? Doubtful. Could they make anything better? Probably not, other than to offer their respect for and solidarity with those who so needlessly suffered and those who risked their … Read more

Twitter has pulled the rug out from under Flattr, a service that let users send a digital thank you to anyone favoriting one of their tweets.

In a blog post today, Flattr noted that it will no longer be able to offer its service because Twitter felt it was a violation of the social networking giant's API terms.

"Recently Twitter contacted us and told us that we are violating their API terms citing [a] clause saying 'Your advertisements cannot resemble or reasonably be confused by users as a tweet. For example, ads cannot have tweet actions like follow, … Read more

Twitter is in talks with TV networks Viacom and NBC to bring more video content to the microblogging site, according to a Bloomberg report.

The deals under discussion would allow Twitter to stream videos to its users in exchange for splitting the resulting revenue with the TV networks, sources told the news outlet. The deals could be finalized as early as next month, with arrangements with other TV networks to follow, sources said.

CNET has contacted Twitter for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

So far, Twitter's video experience has been limited. It launched Vine, … Read more

In the wake of today's deadly twin bombings at the Boston Marathon's finish line, the Boston Police has turned to Twitter to disseminate information and gather potential evidence.

Not long after the explosions killed two and injured dozens, the Boston Police Department's official Twitter feed was devoted to information about the attacks, including giving frequent updates on casualty and injury counts and asking people not to congregate in large crowds.

The police also used its feed to allay fears that an incident at the John F. Kennedy Library in south Boston was related to the marathon explosions. … Read more

People in the Boston area, and those close to people possibly affected by today's explosions there, are understandably worried about their ability to find or communicate with each other. As a result, a number of organizations have created resources to help. This is a collection of several of them.

Tracking friends and family

For those trying to track down people they worry might have been victims of the explosions, there are at least two people finders. First is one set up by Google, and a second comes from the Red Cross. A third service is a list of runners who checked in … Read more

In an age of information overload, apps like Flipboard provide the much- needed organization and curation tools to keep it all in one place. By taking your RSS subscriptions, Twitter account, Facebook account, and other online accounts and combining them into one easy-to-use interface, Flipboard simplifies the consumption of information on an iPad and makes it faster and easier than ever before to get what you need from your device.

When you first open Flipboard, you'll be prompted to create an account. This account will store all of your subscriptions, and you can choose to either create a new … Read more

The police are sometimes accused of linear thinking, especially when it comes to DUI checkpoints.

They set them up on Friday and Saturday nights. They redouble their efforts on New Year's Eve.

Perhaps the finest example would was one police force in the wine country of Northern California that decided to put a DUI checkpoint at the bottom of a winery's driveway. Yes, on barrel-tasting day.

The police now have a stronger enemy in the people -- the people who are using social media to warn others that this particular Friday or Saturday night has been selected for … Read more