Consumer content

Twitter for iPhone update (with photo filters) hits the App Store

IPhone users, you can stop holding your breath. Twitter filters are yours to play with.

Yesterday, in the latest move in its escalating battle with Instagram, Twitter announced new versions of its iPhone and Android apps that for the first time feature in-app photo filters. That move positions Twitter's mobile apps directly against Instagram when it comes to editing and sharing photos, something that's particularly important given that Instagram recently cut off Twitter Card integration -- a step that means Instagram photos no longer show up in tweets.

But while Twitter said yesterday that the new version of … Read more

Just in time for Festivus, @SeinfeldToday feed debuts

The hit sitcom "Seinfeld" might have gone off the air long before some of the technology we enjoy today was invented, but that hasn't stopped one person from taking to Twitter and guessing at what the modern-day "Seinfeld" would look like.

On Sunday, BuzzFeed sports editor Jack Moore opened a Twitter account, called @SeinfeldToday, where he shares storylines that could have been produced if the show was airing today. The tweets center on scenarios in which Jerry, George, Kramer, or Elaine interact with today's technologies.

"Jerry joins Twitter only to find that a … Read more

Yahoo Mail revamp aims for speed, simplicity

Yahoo Mail just got a facelift.

The longstanding e-mail service underwent a revamp to focus on faster access to e-mail, fewer distractions, and an easier-to-use interface. Yahoo also worked to keep the look consistent throughout a variety of platforms, whether it's on the Internet, Windows 8, iPhone, or Android. The changes were announced today by CEO Marissa Mayer on Yahoo's blog.

Regardless of Yahoo's broader struggles, its e-mail service remains a popular one and a default address for many individuals. As a result, it continues to be a crucial element to sustaining traffic.

"Since it's … Read more

LinkedIn's 'influencers' make big predictions for 2013

With Usain Bolt breaking records in the Olympics, Superstorm Sandy striking out electricity on the East Coast, and the highly anticipated releases of Apple's iPhone 5 and Microsoft's Windows 8 this year, it's hard not to think about what next year will bring.

In anticipation of the New Year, LinkedIn has asked several leaders and CEOs in the business community to make some predictions for 2013. Dubbed "Big Ideas 2013," the social-networking site for professionals has created a package of more than 60 original posts from these leaders on their upcoming forecasts.

While Richard Branson … Read more

Twitter vs. Instagram in a knock-down, drag-out filters fight

With one bold step Monday, Twitter took the photo filtering fight directly to Instagram.

Until yesterday, Instagram was the undisputed leader when it comes to mobile photo filtering and sharing. But with its release of a new version of its mobile app that enables filters, Twitter has launched a very credible challenge to the crown.

To be sure, Instagram has a massive lead, and a very passionate community. But Twitter has a nine-figure user base, and now that it is offering filters -- albeit just eight, while Instagram has 18 free filters -- it can begin to chip away at … Read more

New Twitter (with filters) not available yet for iPhone

Twitter said today that it was releasing a new version of its iPhone and Android apps that would allow users to filter their photos directly from their devices, a move that directly challenges Instagram's stranglehold on artistic photo sharing. But while the new Android version is already available, the iPhone version is not.

In its blog post announcing the new versions, Twitter said that, "Starting today, you'll be able to edit and refine your photos, right from Twitter. The latest versions of Twitter for iPhone and Twitter for Android introduce a few new ways to enhance the … Read more

People young and old enjoy getting news on mobile devices

Maybe today's youth aren't as different as older generations when it comes to tech.

A new report by Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism looks at how different people use their smartphones and tablets to consume news. It finds that younger users are just as likely to get news on those gadgets as older folks.

"While they are much lighter news consumers generally and have largely abandoned the print news product, young people get news on mobile devices to similar degrees as older users," the report reads. "And, when getting news through … Read more

Google Maps lets users explore NASA's 'Black Marble'

Google Maps is now letting users explore Earth's far-reaching lands filled with flickering lights using imagery from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "Black Marble."

The Web giant announced the launch of its own Earth at Night today, which is a global view and animation of the images taken from NASA and NOAA's jointly operated Suomi NPP satellite. These series of images show what the Earth looks like from space once the sun sets.

"It took 312 orbits to get a clear shot of every parcel of Earth's land surface and … Read more

Trade ads for free Internet in your London taxi

A new initiative in London will give passengers free Internet minutes in exchange for watching adverts en route to their destination.

Startup Eyetease has gotten approval from the Transport for London to roll out a new scheme for the city's iconic black cabs that will allow drivers and passengers to connect to the Internet for free in exchange for viewing ads.

Dubbed CabWiFi, the "ads for access" model makes passengers watch a 15-second advert in exchange for 15 minutes of Wi-Fi time. Drivers are given a separate login for the service, which the company touts as a way for cabbies to offset some of the roaming charges that are inflating drivers' monthly phone bills. … Read more

Gmail goes down briefly for both consumers and enterprise users

Last updated: 11:30 a.m. PT

Gmail went down briefly this morning before quickly popping back up.

Twitter users took to their accounts to tell the world that the e-mail program wasn't connecting. It appeared that both the consumer version for "gmail.com" accounts wasn't working, as well as corporate e-mail systems that use Gmail as their e-mail platform.

It's not clear what might have caused the outage, but it appeared to be quite widespread. About five to ten minutes after the outage, however, Gmail came back, and is now operating fine.

Update 9:… Read more