Twitterrific 2.0: It’s real, and it’s SPECTACULAR.
Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review
I’ll be honest, I adore Twitter. I don’t mean “Oh it’s so cute and Oprah’s on it,” I mean in a way that is likely unhealthy. It was just another technology I had an account for but only sort of used until I found out that the Iconfactory created an application for my desktop called Twitterrific that allowed me to have a little corner of my desktop devoted to microblogging. So then I used it a little more.
Then I got my iPhone 3G and the Iconfactory made a version of Twitterrific for that, too. Today, here I sit more than sixteen thousand updates later. Twitterrific was among the first desktop and mobile Twitter apps and terribly exciting. Then some other folks came on the scene, having re-imagined what an iPhone Twitter app could look like. We got Twitterfon and Tweetie, and I found myself very disappointed to have bumped Twitterrific from my home screen.
All of that has changed. Twitterrific 2.0 is out and once again I have an Iconfactory app on my home screen. There are loads of changes, but the standout feature is the option to turn some of these off and on as you desire.
Multiple account support was the revolutionary feature of other clients, and it has now been added to Twitterrific. Adding more is a piece of cake, and the nice thing about it is that your account(s) live on a “Sources” page with the public timeline, saved searches and a list of the current trending topics. I really like this view and it makes things very convenient, especially if you want to check the trending topics on the go.
You’ll notice you get three views of your timeline: A “mini” view with just a name and a tweet, the “standard” Twitterrific view of an avatar and bold name with a tweet, and an additional “mega” view, with a larger picture and the text a bit bigger as well (including the client). So far I am loving the mini view, since I can scan easily.
In case a black background with lighter text isn’t your thing, you also have the option of three different color schemes, Raven (the classic black), Snowy (lighter, with some 3D elements for selected tweets), and Basic (a black and white option). Right now Snowy is the one that’s working for me. I really like the way selected tweets stand out.
Now you can also pick your reply method which is one of the most impressive features. If you have a tweet selected when the entry window comes up, you get your pick of whether or not to tweet, tweet a public @ reply, or DM the author of that tweet based on which tab you choose at the bottom of the window. You can also hide the keyboard to peek back at the timeline in case you want another look at the tweet. This is a really elegant method for entry since a lot of times I want to reply via DM to someone who sent me something publicly, or inadvertently have a tweet selected but I don’t want to reply to it. Every time I use this interface I am happier with it in a new way.
To keep from using a lot of screen for the buttons for different views (one each for your timeline, replies, and DMs) there’s a little funnel you tap that pops up a bar with those view options in it. As a fan of the mini view this helps me pack even more information on the screen and I like how it’s implemented. Next to this icon is a little snowflake/asterisk icon you can tap to get buttons for a link to a selected tweet, retweet, reply to the author, the author’s info page, see the conversation thread, email it, or favorite it. You also get a button to mark a tweet. Marking a tweet is like a favorite, but currently those marks are only saved on your phone (it has been mentioned that this will sync with the desktop version eventually).
Other features I really like: the left-handed option made it forward from the previous version, configurable options for tapping an avatar (1, 2, or 3 taps can be set to different actions like show the author or the conversation, add it as a favorite), and there is a notes field on authors so if you are out and about and add someone you can take note of where you met them or how you know them or whatever else you can sometimes want to keep track of.
I love the new version, and I like to think it came about because others came along and innovated which made the Iconfactory step up THEIR game, so now there are a variety of easy to use and nice looking Twitter clients for the iPhone. Now, on to the desktop!
TUAWTwitterrific 2.0: It’s real, and it’s SPECTACULAR. originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 08 May 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Twitterrific 2 for iPhone and iPod touch available
Filed under: Software, Internet Tools, iPhone, iPod touch
The Iconfactory’s Twitterrific was one of the first Twitter applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. Since its introduction, The Twitter App Wars have begun in earnest. If Twitter is the Belle of the Ball, there’s a long line of suitors who want to be her beau.
The new Twitterrific makes a serious play for her affection. Long-absent features like multiple account support, search and “tweet actions” like re-tweeting are all included, plus new goodies like a gorgeous, color-coded tabbed UI and the Filter Bar. Quickly find your mentions via “@ replies,” direct messages, starred favorites or tweets you’ve “marked,” which are like private favorites.
There’s so much more to this app and we’ll have a full review for you soon. Until then, you can get familiar with Twitterrific 2 on the new “Tweetorials” page. Twitterrific 2 Premium is available now from the App Store [link] for $3.99US. An ad-supported free version is also available [link].
TUAWTwitterrific 2 for iPhone and iPod touch available originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 08 May 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tweetie for Mac OS X: TUAW Hands-on
Filed under: Software, Internet Tools, Reviews
When Tweetie for the iPhone was released late last year, many users begged for requested a desktop version for OS X. Today, Atebits complied and publicly launched Tweetie for Mac OS X.
When it comes to desktop Twitter clients, Mac OS X has a pretty great selection (especially when compared to our Windows and Linux friends). Just off the top of my head, I can list: Nambu (which Mat reviewed last week), EventBox, TweetDeck, DestroyTwitter, Twhirl, Lounge, and of course, the original, Twitterrific. While all of these apps vary in features and interface, the trend seems to be that the more advanced apps all use Adobe AIR, rather than Cocoa. That’s not necessarily a good thing.
Adobe AIR has great potential, but when it comes to something like a Twitter client, I prefer native apps that don’t hog my memory (and I have 4 GB of RAM, but TweetDeck and others have total Firefox complexes). Fortunately, Tweetie for Mac is both native and feature-rich.
Check out the gallery and read on for more details.
Gallery: Tweetie for Mac OS X
Continue reading Tweetie for Mac OS X: TUAW Hands-on
TUAWTweetie for Mac OS X: TUAW Hands-on originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Beta Beat: TweetDeck ripe with potential
Filed under: Software, Internet Tools, Beta Beat
Since it’s turned into Twitter Thursday around here… In a moment of sheer frustration with Twitterrific, I sent out a call on my Twitter feed for recommendations of a desktop Twitter client. Several folks replied with a nod to TweetDeck, an Adobe AIR-based client currently in development for OS X, Linux, and Windows.
TweetDeck is a pretty neat program. The selling point is the ability to split your main Twitter feed into subfeeds that you can then organize into different groups. You can have Twitter be as narrow as a single column while you scroll back and forth in it, or you can make it full-screen and have your monitor filled with nothing but tweeting goodness.
There’s a lot of features as well. If you go over the 140-character limit, you can hit a “TweetShrink” button that will turn some of the words to LOL-speak in order to fit the limit. You can upload pictures — clicking on the TwitPic button will upload the image file to TwitPic and give you the URL for your feed — and you can shorten URLs via your choice of service by clicking the “Shorten” button.
Another very cool feature is the ability to translate your tweets into another language. The translation is pretty accurate — even for more difficult languages such as the Japanese I tested with the application. The program itself is highly customizable, and you can tweak the colors and fonts to whatever you like. You can also set different update times for various feeds: for example, you can have your main friends update every minute, but your private messages every five minutes.
TweetDeck is extremely polished for a beta client and I’ve yet to get the error messages that plagued me with Twitterrific. If you’re searching for a free desktop client for Twitter, it’s hard to beat this one.
TweetDeck is in public beta and requires the Adobe AIR runtime, which is a Universal binary and needs OS X 10.4.11 or higher. AIR will be installed during the TweetDeck installation process if you do not already have it.
TUAWBeta Beat: TweetDeck ripe with potential originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Twitterrific 3.2 squashes bugs, adds small features
Filed under: Software
Twitterrific, from our friends at the Iconfactory, has been updated to version 3.2: the first update for the desktop version of the small-footprint Twitter client in nearly a year.
This new version accurately marks old tweets as read when the software starts, and adds “in reply to” IDs to @ messages so conversations can be more easily tracked.
Also, Twitterrific now uses the more secure HTTPS protocol to communicate with the Twitter servers. Using a proxy server is now more reliable, along with other changes to the network and communication foundation. A complete list of the changes is available on the Iconfactory website.
Twitterrific comes in two flavors: one is free, but supported by ads from The Deck, and the second removes the ads, but is $15. Twitterrific requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later, and a Twitter account (obviously).
The Iconfactory also recently started tweeting themselves, and you can find them at @iconfactory. In related news, remember that you can also follow @TUAW for updates above and beyond what you read on our site, along with tweets from all our contributors, too.
TUAWTwitterrific 3.2 squashes bugs, adds small features originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Twitterrific 3.2 for Mac adds minor features, bugfixes
Most of us here at Ars use the micro-bloging service Twitter, and many of us use the IconFactory’s Twitterrific as our desktop client of choice. Unfortunately, over the last year it has been largely stagnant as the folks at the ‘Factory have been working on the mobile version of the application as well as the mobile version of Frenzic. Poor Twitterrific for the Mac last saw an update in February of 2008. Well the update dry spell has ended, as the company has released the final version of 3.2. Twitterrific 3.2 offers a few new features as well as some bug fixes that have either been part of the application for the last eleven months or have popped up as the Twitter API has been refined.
This release doesn’t necessarily add any bigtime features, but under the “nice to have” umbrella falls encrypted tweets, the ability to make the app’s window disappear when you switch to another application, and the ability to change the number of tweets loaded during a restart or refresh among others. Also, if you reply to a tweet with your name in it, the application will find the first screen name that isn’t yours and make the reply to that person.
The bug fixes honestly aren’t all that exciting. Among them are fixes for accessibility issues, a problem with old notifications appearing, a Tiger crash, and a bug occurring when typing a link in caps lock. These lead the list of 14 bugfixes in relevancy and general interest.
Click here to read the rest of this article
Twitterrific 3.2 for Mac adds minor features, bugfixes
Most of us here at Ars use the micro-bloging service Twitter, and many of us use the IconFactory’s Twitterrific as our desktop client of choice. Unfortunately, over the last year it has been largely stagnant as the folks at the ‘Factory have been working on the mobile version of the application as well as the mobile version of Frenzic. Poor Twitterrific for the Mac last saw an update in February of 2008. Well the update dry spell has ended, as the company has released the final version of 3.2. Twitterrific 3.2 offers a few new features as well as some bug fixes that have either been part of the application for the last eleven months or have popped up as the Twitter API has been refined.
This release doesn’t necessarily add any bigtime features, but under the “nice to have” umbrella falls encrypted tweets, the ability to make the app’s window disappear when you switch to another application, and the ability to change the number of tweets loaded during a restart or refresh among others. Also, if you reply to a tweet with your name in it, the application will find the first screen name that isn’t yours and make the reply to that person.
The bug fixes honestly aren’t all that exciting. Among them are fixes for accessibility issues, a problem with old notifications appearing, a Tiger crash, and a bug occurring when typing a link in caps lock. These lead the list of 14 bugfixes in relevancy and general interest.
Click here to read the rest of this article
Macworld 2009: Interview with Iconfactory’s Craig Hockenberry
Filed under: Macworld, Software, Developer, iPhone
Twitter is arguably one of the most popular social networking platforms in use today. And, one of the most popular ways to use Twitter is via applications for your Mac and the iPhone. In that space, one particular app seems to dominate — Iconfactory’s Twitterrific.
TUAW’s own Christina Warren (A.K.A. @film_girl) sat down with Iconfactory’s Craig Hockenberry (A.K.A @chockenberry) to get all the latest on Twitterirfic, and to find out what else he has in store for Twitter users and elegantly designed icon fans everywhere. Click through to check out the video.
Continue reading Macworld 2009: Interview with Iconfactory’s Craig Hockenberry
TUAWMacworld 2009: Interview with Iconfactory’s Craig Hockenberry originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Tweetie: Twitter client with "oomph"
Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, First Look
Yesterday, Dave published an awesome gift guide for the Twitter addict. It wasn’t meant to be an all-encompassing list, nonetheless, the omission of Tweetie [iTunes link] — one of the newest Twitter clients to hit the iPhone — generated a ton of response via the comments, our inbox and of course, via Twitter. Because Twitter is my crack, I decided to take Tweetie out for a spin. Developer Loren Brichter was even nice enough to get me in on the Tweetie beta so I could take a sneak peek at some of the features coming in future releases.
My initial thoughts are very, very positive; I now know why so many of you were so vocal about your Tweetie love. No sooner did I crown Tweetsville the current champion in the Twitter for iPhone Battle Royale, Tweetie shows up with some serious moves. At this point, I don’t even know if I can adequately name a “champion.”
Another Twitter client?
As I’ve said before, Twitter and the iPhone are a perfect combination — they just go together. That said, Dave makes a solid point: the number of available Twitter clients for the iPhone is getting a tad ridiculous. I have tried almost every Twitter application available for the iPhone/iPod touch (see below) and they can tend to blur together.
And these are just the apps I’ve purchased or downloaded for free
This is where Tweetie really stands out. On the features front, it is pretty similar to what Twitterlator Pro, Tweestville and Twitterfon offer, but its interface is extremely clean and unobscured. In fact, it took me a little while to figure out where some of the more advanced settings for the app are. They are actually in the main “Settings” panel, rather than inline the app itself. That makes sense, and is apparently something Apple recommends, but it’s worth noting because otherwise you might miss where some of the features actually are.
Gallery: Tweetie
Continue reading Tweetie: Twitter client with “oomph”
TUAWTweetie: Twitter client with “oomph” originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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First Look: Tweetsville brings pro features to Twitter on iPhone
Filed under: Internet Tools, Reviews, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
There are a number of Twitter apps available for the iPhone and iPod Touch — and why not? Much like peanut butter and jelly, Twitter and the iPhone are a classic combination. Tweetsville [iTunes Link] from Tapulous is the newest Twitter client available from the App Store, and it offers up an interface and feature set that really gives the competition a run for its money.
But wait, doesn’t Tapulous already make a Twitter application? They do, and Twinkle [iTunes Link] is a neat app. Although the two applications share some interface similarities, the scope and focus are actually very different. Twinkle’s real user hook is in its geo-location features, whereas Tweetsville is a full-fledged Twitter application.
I’m a pretty addicted to Twitter, and have been searching for an app for my iPod touch that could help me monitor and manage my stream with ease. Tweetsville appears to be that app. I follow a lot of users and my biggest problem with some of the other Twitter applications (and with the m.twitter.com interface) is that I can’t view a large number of tweets at one time. With Tweetsville, not only does it grab the last 200 tweets for me, if I leave the application and come back an hour later, it will pull up what I’ve missed. That means I can access 532 tweets at once, rather than just the last ten minutes or so. That’s extremely handy.
Gallery: Tweetsville First Look
Read on for more…
Continue reading First Look: Tweetsville brings pro features to Twitter on iPhone
TUAWFirst Look: Tweetsville brings pro features to Twitter on iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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