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Twitter lets advertisers collect contact info from tweets

Twitter aims to turn the tweet stream into a more efficient marketing channel with the addition of a new Twitter Card that lets people quickly sign up for advertiser offers or promotions inside tweets.

Twitter Cards, also known as expanded tweets, are a 1-year-old feature meant to keep information network users glued to their streams. Cards bring rich media from partners to tweets so that when people click to expand a tweet, they can view and interact with photos, videos, content snippets, and product information without needing to leave Twitter.

On Wednesday, the company added a Lead Generation Card that … Read more

Woman outed after Twitter brag that she hit cyclist

Road rage can mist the eyes. There is no reason, however, for that mist to travel to the brain.

Yet this may have happened in the case of Emma Way and her indomitable belief in the right of Way.

Way was allegedly driving her car through Norfolk, England last Sunday. Maneuvering wasn't, perhaps, so easy as she encountered a 100-mile cycle ride called the Boudicca Sportive.

It seems, though, that she channeled her inner combative Boudicca and asserted herself excessively.

Please don't take my word for it. Take hers on Twitter: "Definitely knocked a cyclist off his … Read more

Hooked Up: The iPad-obsessed Christina Milian and her love of tech

In this week's Hooked Up episode, Kevin Frazier hangs out with Grammy-nominated singer, actress, and fashion designer Christina Milian. She talks about her love for technology, how she started off in AOL chat rooms during the early days of the Internet, and the technology and apps she can't go without.

She's also the social-media correspondent for "The Voice," and she talks about how it allows her to connect the performers to the audience in a genuine way.

Christina's truly a gadget girl and she's obsessed with Google Glass so I'll break down … Read more

Teens: Facebook is just, like, too much drama

When your hormones are harassing you to within an eyebrow-width of your sanity, all you want is a simple life.

You want to be able to curl up with the kind of social network that understands you and doesn't give you headaches.

That kind of social network is, increasingly, not Facebook.

At least this is what teens seem to have told the Pew Research Center during its latest study.

Indeed, the teens surveyed were disturbed by the increased presence of adults and the increased tendency of other teens to angst-ridden self-expression on Mark Zuckerberg's site.

There is, as … Read more

Review: Carbon for Twitter enhances your social media experience

Now that Twitter is no longer blocking third-party apps, it's time to love your Twitter feed again, thanks to Carbon for Twitter. Carbon for Twitter adds all sorts of speed and style to your Twitter profile. It doesn't even sacrifice any of the features you love, in order to do it.

This app lets you view your Twitter profile, so you need to log in to Twitter to use it. It gives your Twitter a darker layout, which is so much easier on the eyes and on your gadget's battery. Carbon for Twitter seems to load new … Read more

Twitter granted 'refresh' patent, vows to use it only defensively

Twitter has won a new patent that it hopes to use as an example to stem the tide of patent lawsuits.

Granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today, the patent named "User interface mechanics" refers to a way of refreshing the screen by pulling it down, a feature found in Twitter's mobile app as well as a host of other apps for smartphones and tablets.

In this case, though, the patent itself may be less important than the way it which Twitter plans to use it.

Under a new assignment known as the Innovator's Patent Agreement, … Read more

Pandora now lets you listen to albums before they're released

Dying to listen to the new Kanye West album before it's for sale? You just might be in luck.

Pandora, the music streaming site and app, on Tuesday launched Pandora Premieres, a station that allows listeners to preview upcoming albums up to a week before their release. The company said it will feature previews from a wide variety of artists, both established and emerging and across multiple genres.

Pandora Premieres will be updated weekly with new releases. Users can choose to hear any track on a featured album, in any order, and as many times as they'd like, … Read more

Guantanamo Wi-Fi shuttered after Anonymous hacking threat

After the hacking collective Anonymous launched a Twitter campaign pledging to go after the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, the U.S. military barred all Wi-Fi access on the base, according to the Associated Press. All social media, including Facebook and Twitter, also has been banned.

Army Lt. Col. Samuel House told the Associated Press that the shuttering of the base's Wi-Fi was because of Anonymous' public plans to "disrupt activities" at the military prison.

While no disruptions have yet been reported, according to the Associated Press, Anonymous has promised to make good on its threats.… Read more

Getting started with Schemes for Android

Being able to schedule an SMS, tweet, Facebook post, or Gmail is extremely useful. An SMS can be used to wish a distant friend or relative a happy birthday. A tweet or Facebook post can help your small business, or remind friends about a local event. And lastly, scheduling a Gmail message is useful when the recipient lives in another time zone and you don't want to disturb them.

The Schemes app for Android lets you schedule all of these message types, at no cost. Furthermore, you can send these scheduled messages without needing to create any … Read more

Twitter will damn your soul, Saudi cleric says

Life becomes more meaningful when someone from a long way away reflects your own thoughts.

It makes you feel less alone, less forlorn on your island of one.

I was, therefore, lifted to heights previously unimagined on hearing that the head of Saudi Arabia's religious police has declared that Twitter is an appalling waste of time, mind, and soul.

Actually, it's worse than that.

As the BBC reports, Sheikh Abdul Latif Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh mused that anyone who uses Twitter "has lost this world and his afterlife."

It may well be that the Sheikh's biggest … Read more