tweets

Stateless Systems, the creators of BugMeNot and PDFMeNot, have a new tool called Trendsmap that hasn't been designed to solve any productivity problems. Instead, it does just the opposite and serves as entertainment. It tracks trending Twitter topics by geographical location by combining data from Twitter's API and What The Trend. It then sticks it onto a Google Map where users can sort by city or general region and see trending topics in real time.

All of this information is organized into something resembling a tag cloud, which floats around without any specific, or pinpointed location within each … Read more

The black-tinted, sharp-looking Tweetdeck boldly challenges more established Twitter apps for iPhone with its smart design and a novel column view, which lets you quickly swipe through the friends, direct reply, and @ mentions screens. You can also add columns, like a Twitter Search term, Twitter trends, or a user group. A handy pop-up informs you of the number of unread messages you have. Behind the scenes, Tweetdeck manages multiple accounts, lets you shorten links via Bit.ly, supports geo-tagging and photo uploading, and further hooks into photo services. TwitPic and yfrog. Shortcuts buttons help you quickly reply, send a direct … Read more

The new 0.30 version of TweetDeck, due out Wednesday, supports MySpace. Maybe it's me. Maybe it's my demographic. But who the heck cares about MySpace?

The MySpace addition to TweetDeck, though, shows how much CEO Iain Dodsworth wants TweetDeck to become, in his words, "a browser for the real-time Web."

I like TweetDeck a lot. I use it and Seesmic Desktop in equal proportions. But I'm not sure I want my Twitter client to get all fancy and over-ambitious. Twitter is hard enough to manage even with a good, clean client. If TweetDeck adds … Read more

The National Football League has had a love-hate relationship with social media.

Some teams tweeted to fans while choosing players at the NFL draft back in April. But then last month, a few NFL teams told players they couldn't tweet or text-message during a team function.

On Monday, the league announced that it had modified its social-media policy to limit Twitter and social-networking use by players, coaches, league officials, and even the media.

The NFL said that it will let players, coaches, and other team personnel engage in social networking during the season. However, they will be prohibited from … Read more

I'm always intrigued by backup tools for Web services that don't really need backup. TweetSaver is no exception. This paid service backs up (almost) everything you've ever posted to Twitter, along with private messages and replies from other users. It then adds an extra layer of utility on top of it, like a search tool that's limited to just your messages, simple sharing options for each message, as well as a way to assign a tag to each tweet for categorization.

Of course the usefulness of all of this hinges on Twitter being down and/or … Read more

Twitter's usefulness can most often be measured during times of disaster, when the quick spread of important information can really make a difference. And guess what--that works for traffic jams too. CommuTweet is proof of that, with a new service that lets those who are unfortunate enough to get stuck in traffic, or a long-delayed bus or train line to share that information with others.

The service revolves around the use of a specially formatted tweet that can be localized to whatever state you're in, and what kind of transportation you plan on riding. To get things narrowed … Read more

It's not easy doing a show without Wilson G. Tang, but luckily our good friend CarMac steps into the game to help us out! Today, we tackle Cable versus Fios, Adult Twitter clones, and McDonalds' suspicious new Web site, 365black.com.

CNET reporter Caroline McCarthy fills in for Wilson while he's off in Rhode Island dining fine at a Red Lobster, but we ain't complaining because CarMac represents 1 out of 7 total females that listen to The 404. Jeff takes the first quarter of the show to complain about Verizon Fios not running his stick and puck games on television, but after that's over, we get to more important stories like this a spicy new Twitter offshoot.

Stick around for another Call from the Public courtesy of Sally Henderson and Sean Connery, and stay tuned to the rest of this week's Wilson-less shows!

LG announced that Orange in the U.K. will have the exclusive rights to sell the watch phone. But will anyone who isn't a d-bag want one? We discuss. We also get excited about RIM bringing full Flash to its phones. And Jason forgets how Tom's mind works.

MySpace buys iLike and turns off automusic play on profiles http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10313405-36.html http://www.appscout.com/2009/08/myspace_halts_instant_music_st.php

RIM planning on including full Flash and Silverlight … Read more

"Tweet" might be a word that has been popularized by Twitter, but that doesn't mean that the social network will be able trademark it.

According to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office documents found by blogger Sam Johnston, Twitter's application for a trademark on "tweet" has been preliminarily denied.

Twitter originally filed for the trademark on April 16. In the application, the company expressed its desire to use tweet "through the applicant's related company or licensee the mark in commerce on or in connection with the identified goods and/or services." … Read more