03/27, 5:15pm
Tech already used in many third-party titles
Tweetie developer Loren Brichter, now with Twitter, has a US patent application in review for the pull-to-refresh gesture common in many touchscreen apps, reports note. To get around the interface limitations of some devices, many apps -- such as the Facebook iOS app, or Twitter clients -- will let users "drag" a portion of the interface down to force a feed refresh. Some apps use the same gesture to trigger different commands.
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11/04, 9:00pm
Twitter iOS app creator quits unexpectedly
Twitter's iPhone and iPad app developer Loren Brichter revealed a surprise departure from the company. Friday was his last day at the company, and he signaled that he wasn't leaving for another company. He was instead "taking some time to figure out what’s next," according to his own Twitter notice.
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08/08, 1:50pm
Site offiers users to share passions
Twitter has acquired the social networking website Bagcheck. Bagcheck allows people to create and share a collection of personal items and explain why they are so passionate about them. Other individuals can then comment or give gold stars to what's "in the bag" if they like it.
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06/30, 3:45pm
FTC talks to Twitter over possible abuse in apps
Developers confirmed reports that the FTC was investigating Twitter's policies towards app developers. The exact claims are unknown but are expected by SAI to revolve around its temporarily blocking UberMedia's apps and moves that have prevented rival ad services or have steered users away from visiting third-party hosting sites. Concerns might also exist over Twitter's attempt to discourage the creation of apps that are similar to the official titles and its tendency to buy out competition like Atebits' Tweetie or TweetDeck.
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05/25, 12:40pm
Twitter and TweetDeck deal to keep app
Twitter on Wednesday discussed its buyout of TweetDeck with a promise the existing app would stay. Rather than subsume it as with Atebits, the company planned to keep developing the app "that users know and love." It saw the multi-platform client as a way of giving companies and power users a way to track conversations. TweetDeck founder Iain Dodsworth saw itself as occupying a high-end where the web and the mobile apps covered everyday users.
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05/23, 10:30pm
Twitter makes TweetDeck deal official
Multiple sources Monday night confirmed that Twitter has bought TweetDeck. The deal is worth $40 million in a combination of cash and shares. Twitter had yet to confirm the move but is expected to do so within the next day.
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05/02, 6:15pm
Twitter locked into TweetDeck buyout
Rumors that Twitter would buy TweetDeck firmed up on Monday night after a source said the deal was now settled. The terms reportedly had the app developer being sold for at least $40 million and as much as the $50 million reported earlier. In talking to TechCrunch, the source claimed that it would be formally unveiled within the next few days.
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04/18, 5:50pm
Twitter in talks for TweetDeck buyout
Sources claimed Monday that Twitter was close to buying a second major Twitter app developer, TweetDeck. The deal is reportedly in the "advanced" stages and worth $50 million. Tipsters for the WSJ didn't glean Twitter's plans, but it would likely roll key features into its apps for Android, iOS, and other platforms.
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10/19, 6:25pm
Developer dodges with "direct statement"
MacHeist buyers who were promised access to the beta for Tweetie 2, a popular desktop Twitter client for Mac, may not see it for a long time if ever, thanks to doubts raised by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams and some light-hearted but vague tweets from Tweetie developer Loren Brichter, TechCrunch has reported.
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05/19, 2:00pm
Twitter iPhone app expands on Tweetie 2
As promised, Twitter today officially launched Twitter for iPhone (free, App Store). Apple's platform is one of the last modern platforms to get an official Twitter client but is getting a significantly upgraded version of Tweetie 2 following the buyout of atebits. It adds a unified search that includes updates, users and Top Tweets at the same time. Users no longer need to be signed into an account just to read and can sign up from within the app itself.
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04/14, 2:15pm
Twitter to use POIs for location data
Twitter at its inaugural Chirp conference today said it would add points of interest to its geolocation features. Location-aware computers and handhelds will now recognize when they're at a notable location and identify any tweets as coming from that place. The feature could potentially be used to follow all updates from a particular location, such as a convention center or a concert.
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04/09, 11:35pm
Twitter hand-picks Tweetie for apps
Twitter this evening caught users off guard by acquiring Atebits, the creator of Tweetie. The deal will put author Loren Brichter in Twitter's mobile team and make Tweetie the official Twitter app on Apple devices. This will include adapting Tweetie to the iPad, Brichter said.
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11/29, 5:05pm
Tweetie 2 update adds new Twitter features
iPhone developer atebits on Sunday signaled the formal launch of Tweetie 2.1 ($2.99, App Store). The update gives the client support multiple features that Twitter itself has added to its microblogging service, including the geolocation feature that now gives all Twitter users the option of marking each tweet with its position. It also acknowledges Twitter's new user lists and the native retweet format.
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