When I launched the app and refreshed my timeline I found a new working “Slot Machine” addition. Below are two screen shots of this little Easter Egg of sorts, and below my screen shots is the full Mashable article on the acquisition of Tweetie.

Twitter has just announced that it has acquired Atebits, the company behind the popular Tweetie iPhone app and Mac desktop application.

Tweetie’s creator, Loren Brichter, will be joining the Twitter team as well. The app will be renamed “Twitter for iPhone” and be made free in the next few weeks. Twitter CEO Evan Williams explained the move in a blog post:

“We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve entered into an agreement with Atebits (aka Loren Brichter) to acquire Tweetie, a leading iPhone Twitter client. Tweetie will be renamed Twitter for iPhone and made free (currently $2.99) in the iTunes AppStore in the coming weeks. Loren will become a key member of our mobile team that is already having huge impact with device makers and service providers around the world.”

Twitter also specifically mentions that an official Twitter iPad app is indeed coming: “Developers, services, and publishers will be able to leverage the Twitter iPhone and iPad applications to create additional innovative tools and integrations for users,” Williams said in today’s announcement.

The move comes less than a week after a controversial blog post from Twitter investor Fred Wilson, Principal of Union Square Ventures. In it, Wilson explained that he is looking for Twitter apps to not fill holes in the Twitter platform (e.g. photo sharing, mobile apps) and instead focus on innovative products and “killer apps.” The post caught the attention of developers, who feared that Twitter itself would begin competing with their applications.

So it shall be with print media…

Those remotely familiar with the humble beginnings of Twitter would agree it was an “in like a lamb” scenario. What began as a “daylong brainstorming session” in 2006 that was held by board members of Odeo, a podcasting company, to break their collective creative slump, Twitter was born. The father of the fledgling “Twitter” is 33 year old Jack Dorsey, an American  software architect and businessperson, had introduced the idea of an individual using an SMS service to communicate with a small group.

Speaking on the inception of “Twitter”, Dorsey says:

The working name was just “Status” for a while. It actually didn’t have a name. We were trying to name it, and mobile was a big aspect of the product early on … We liked the SMS aspect, and how you could update from anywhere and receive from anywhere.

We wanted to capture that in the name—we wanted to capture that feeling: the physical sensation that you’re buzzing your friend’s pocket. It’s like buzzing all over the world. So we did a bunch of name-storming, and we came up with the word “twitch,” because the phone kind of vibrates when it moves. But “twitch” is not a good product name because it doesn’t bring up the right imagery. So we looked in the dictionary for words around it, and we came across the word “twitter,” and it was just perfect. The definition was “a short burst of inconsequential information,” and “chirps from birds.” And that’s exactly what the product was.

According to the most recent figures released, Twitter has 105 million registered users — and counting! So while “Twitter” entered the media scene like a lamb, it has become a lion with no signs of exiting. Twitter is used by everyone from the arbitrary youth as a conversational tool to major brands for advertising and news agencies as a means of immediately distributing breaking stories.

I personally am not a huge fan of raw statistics but Mashable.com recently rolled out some that are too compelling to overlook. Based on a sample of 2,259 adults, of those who find news online 75% get it either forwarded through e-mail or posts on social networking sites, and half of them (52%) forward the news through those means.

According to the report, 59% of those surveyed get news from a combination of online and offline sources. 7% are getting information from a single media platform and 46% of Americans claim they get news from four to six media platforms on a typical day. When you drill it down even more:

• 78% of Americans say they get news from a local TV station

• 61% of users get news online

• 17% (yes, that few) claim they read news in a national newspaper such as The New York Times or USA Today

These numbers are in constant flux because the more advances made in means of online delivery fewer and fewer people actually defer to physical print media.

So how does Twitter fit into all of this? With many news agencies dictating that it’s journalists must utilize social media platforms such as Twitter. For example, Peter Horrocks, the new director of BBC Global, has informed all of the BBC news journalists to use social media as a primary source of information. Horrocks said it was important for editorial staff to make better use of social media and become more collaborative in producing stories.

In Ariel, the weekly in-house staff newspaper for the BBC, Horrocks said:

This isn’t just a kind of fad from someone who’s an enthusiast of technology. I’m afraid you’re not doing your job if you can’t do those things. It’s not discretionary.

In Reuters’ “Handbook of Journalism”, there is a section on “Reporting from the Internet and using social media” that includes the do’s and don’ts of Twitter use. For example:

There are several ways in which Reuters News journalists are using Twitter to micro-blog as part of their professional duties:

• Specialist journalists use Twitter to share articles and build up a following (see twitter.com/reutersBenHir and twitter.com/bobbymacReports)
• Online Editorial staff and bloggers use Twitter to distribute news and solicit reader comment (see twitter.com/mediafile, twitter.com/Reuters_FluNews and twitter.com/reuters_co_uk)
• Reuters journalists are using Twitter during live events such as Davos and to solicit questions for newsmaker interviews

With every major news agency utilizing new media to disseminate breaking news, continuing stories, and every inconsequential piece of information imaginable what will happen to those agencies who opt out of using platforms like Twitter or Facebook…Well, I’ll let Trevor Horn explain it in song.

Carrey tweeted “Jenny and I have just ended our 5yr relationship. I’m grateful 4 the many blessings we’ve shared and I wish her the very best! S’okay! ?;^>”

McCarthy tweeted, “Im so grateful for the years Jim and I had together. I will stay committed to Jane and will always keep Jim as a leading man in my heart.”

AP reports that both publicists for Carrey and McCarthy have confirmed the split.

I suggest reading “How To Unfollow On Twitter With Class” to perhaps help gain the understanding that to unfollow someone is a choice we all have and should never be afraid to exercise in fear of adverse reactions. I’ve included the most important part of the post below…the steps to unfollow with class:

How To Unfollow With Class

So, you need to unfollow a large number, if not all, of those whom you are following. Here’s how you do it, with class.

1. Establish a Following Policy.
   All you need is a simple statement of why you will, or will not, follow someone. While some feel any policy is too much, I’ve found having a Following Policy allows me to both clarify what I want to get out of the relationship and allows me to set some “ground rules.” I’ve written previously about establishing a Following Policy here on Twitip. Also, you can use my personal Following Policy as an example.
2. Ask yourself why you are cutting yourself off from your Followers.
   Following is a relationship with a real person, especially if that person follows you back. As such, you should have a good reason for unfollowing because you are cutting yourself off. While that person can still reach you through “@” messages, you will miss everything else they tweet.
3. Know the risks.
   Beware; some people may think less of you and even think that you aren’t organized enough to handle something as simple as following. This could even hurt your career if someone you unfollow is a coworker, client, etc.
4. Decide how deep you want to cut.
   Do you want to cut out everyone, or just select groups of people? Try trimming first before going nuclear.
5. Decide whom to tell.
   While you should tell everyone, there are several tiers of people you must make sure to tell.

• Your Closest Followers
• Your Friends & Family
• Your Co-workers & Clients
• Your Fans

1. Clearly explain why you are unfollowing.
   Keep things in perspective. You are not breaking up with a “significant other.” The best notifications are short and to the point, unlike this post . However, it’s still a relationship and a clear message shows that you respect your followers and reduces the chance that you will damage that relationship. Just realize that some Followers will be offended no matter what you do. It’s unfortunate, but it’s reality.
2. Decide which Channels you want to use for notifications.
   If you are unfollowing from a specific platform, notify people on that platform. Writing on someone’s Facebook wall that you’re unfollowing them in Twitter will only cause confusion (and may make you look stupid). You can also send an email to specific, important followers such as an employer, client or family member. But remember, whatever channel you choose, don’t assume that everyone will see the notification. Expect that most won’t.

The current functionality does allow the user to copy a URL from Safari then paste it into a tweet and use the ow.ly shrinking button to shrink the URL so it can be tracked using Hootsuite; what it does not provide is a Safari bookmarklet for easier URL shortening straight from the iPhone’s browser. I have figured out a way to do just that and would love to share the process for those interested. There are a few steps and it’s really not overly complicated.

1) Make sure you have added Hootsuite’s “Hootlet” to your browser of choice on your PC, laptop, etc. & make sure you are logged into HootSuite.

2) Once added, right click the “Hootlet” and from the menu choose Properties.

3) You will see in the Location field the address used for the Hootlet. Copy the entire string and email it to yourself so you can access it from your iPhone.

4) Open the email with the java string from your iPhone and copy the entire address then open Safari. From Safari, open HootSuite’s homepage.

5) Bookmark the page (this will only be a placekeeper)

6) After you have added the HootSuite bookmark choose “Edit” from the Safari bookmark menu. Change the Bookmarklet name to “Hootlet” (to avoid confusion), delete the current URL and paste the java string you copied previously into the address line. Tap Done to save.

At this point the bookmarklet is complete so let’s test it:

1) Open a new page in Safari on your iPhone and navigate to any site you’d like.

2) From the site you navigated to, tap the bookmark icon in Safari and choose your newly created “Hootlet”

3) This will open a new page (you may need to log in the first time using your HootSuite credentials) that looks just like the typical “Hootlet” “Create New Message” window.

4) Make any adjustments you want, choose the social network to update and send.

This will allow the iPhone users of Hootsuite to streamline the entire process of posting from Safari.

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions!

The United States makes up one-third of the Twitter user base at around 23,500,000 visitors. These numbers are for those individuals visiting and making use of Twitter.com alone. When you add in all the tweets from the various clients there are about 50 million tweets sent a day.

How does this relate to business one might ask. My focus, being that I generally write on nightlife and entertainment, is on bars, clubs and restaurants. If your establishment does not have a Twitter account…GET ONE! That’s the first step, which it seems a good number of establishments do. Once you have your account set up, use it; tweet daily and tweet often. Many businesses have a dedicated person employed simply to handle their Twitter account/Facebook page(s). This is free advertising and the name of the game is brand recognition.

As a nightlife establishment, getting your events, specials, etc out to your key demographic is paramount. Plus, out of town visitors will access the feed also and will drive your numbers. A key aspect to this equation is employ an individual who is not only familiar with social media but knows all the tricks to utilizing it. Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare are the tools that can be mastered to bring the bodies and help make an establishment more successful (plus they are all free).

What happens when you get 140 characters from the D.C. area in a room together? Help us find out!

Our @wcp twitter account is about to hit 2,500 followers. To celebrate this little milestone, we’re organizing a D.C. tweetup next week on Thursday, Dec. 10th, 2009. Come out and hang with us and your fellow D.C. tweeps at The Big Hunt in Dupont Circle.

@TheSexist, @MikeRiggs, @wamitchell, @nikkididit, and a bunch of our staff will be there. The date coincides with one night of the “12 Bars of Christmas” promotion from our illustrious sales team, and that means $6 Clipper City Heavy Seas. The event starts at 6 p.m. at The Big Hunt, 1345 Connecticut Ave. NW.

Spread the word! Let @wcp know if you can make it!

Special Double Bonus: We have free stuff to give away! The first 20 people to give @MikeRiggs a hug at the tweetup will be given 2 free passes to Landmark Theaters. Bonanza!

@WashingtonBlade: Hope to see you 6 p.m. Wednesday at Hard Rock Cafe (999 E St, NW).We promise to make it worth the trip.

Around 11:20am this morning via Twitter the below statement was issued:

@WashingtonBlade: “Washington Blade, like all Window Media publications, is closing today. Thank you for your support. (Keep following us for developments.)”

The Washington Blade can only be described as an institution of Washington DC LGBT life and to say it will be missed is an understatement! The best can only be wished to all those who have been displaced at this very sad time.