Microsoft launches msnNOW for Twitter, Facebook and breaking news buzz

Microsoft launches msnNOW for Twitter, Facebook and breaking news buzz Microsoft, via its MSN portal, has launched a new social reader called msnNOW. The website aggregates breaking news stories and hot topics from social media sites including Facebook and Twitter and highlights rising search trends.

The http://now.msn.com/ website is built for young digital consumers (with short attention spans); people that want to known what’s happening now but don’t want to spend hours searching the web or reading hundreds of articles for the latest info.

Trending news items on msnNOW are fed to readers in bite-sized pieces. “In a hundred words or less, we summarize trends, arming you with what you need to know about the topics you want to talk about with your friends,” said Bob Visse, General Manager, MSN.

“We’re using technology we built that analyzes all the social signals from Twitter, Facebook and the Web as well as search signals that come from Bing,” added Visse who will lead the new service’s overall direction.

MsnNOW spans sporting events, fashion, technology products and even political stories, but it has its feet firmly rooted in celebrity gossip, entertainment reports and lifestyle news.

It also features a “Biggest Movers” leader board of real-time trends, similar Twitter’s trending topics list.

News aggregation sites -- especially those which marry computer algorithms with human curatorial skills to bubble up the best of the web -- are springing up all over the place as readers try and wade through the insurmountable jumble of social and web content available to them.

In December Google launched a mobile app called Google Currents to rival news aggregation mobile apps such as Flipboard and Summify (which was recently acquired by Twitter).

Users can grab an “infosnack” now by visiting msnNOW on the web, via the msnNOW Facebook app, or on Twitter.

Apple Mountain Lion: Why No Facebook?

Apple Mountain Lion: Why No Facebook? Mountain Lion, the new version of Mac OS X which Apple announced Thursday, is deeply connected with the online world -- Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo are all practically part of the OS -- but one very big name is once again missing: Facebook.

With its 845 million active users, Facebook still overshadows Twitter, which had 100 million active users in September 2011. Despite competition from Twitter and Google's new kid on the block, Google+, Facebook is not a social network, it's the social network, and many Apple users would surely like to see it integrated more deeply into the OS.

[More from Mashable: Apple Mountain Lion Embraces Flickr and Vimeo Sharing]

Now, Facebook isn't 100% absent from OS X. In Mountain Lion, Apple did add the option to share to Facebook from QuickTime, and iPhoto has had Facebook sharing for some time. Even Apple, for all its influence and money, can't deny that Facebook is the most popular place on the web for sharing photos and videos. But the integration with the service is the absolute minimum, amounting to barely an acknowledgment.

For some reason, Apple went with Twitter, leaving Facebook on the sidelines and adding another awkward silence to the uneasy relationship between the two companies.

[More from Mashable: Today’s Top Stories: Facebook Account Verification, iPhone Contacts Controversy]

SEE ALSO: Apple Unveils Mac OS X Mountain Lion: So Long iChat, Hello Twitter

It's been going on for a while. Apple's music social network, iTunes Ping, was originally slated to be integrated with Facebook, but Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg were allegedly unable to work out the details. In the end, Apple went with Twitter (it ultimately didn't help Ping, which is now forgotten by almost everyone).

The Facebook iPad app was, by most accounts, late -- Twitter's iPad app was available 13 months earlier. And finally, Apple's iOS 5 came with deep Twitter integration, and Facebook was not in the picture.

Twitter, Twitter, Twitter -- notice a pattern there? Time and time again, Apple was apparently unable to work out a deal with Facebook, and every time it went with its comparatively lightweight, chirpy competitor. The fact that Twitter is the social network of choice in Mountain Lion is no surprise -- it's just a continuation of this trend.

Officially, everything is hunky dory. "iOS is an important platform for Facebook and we have a good relationship with Apple, working closely with their developer relations team on our Facebook and Messenger apps," a Facebook spokesman told us, unwilling to comment on the matter further. Obviously, the two companies are working together in some capacity -- after all, Facebook has apps on all Apple platforms.

But, judging by the integration of Facebook in Apple's products, a "good relationship" isn't a "great relationship," and it definitely isn't as cozy as Apple's relationship with Twitter.

Part of the reason may be bad communication and mistrust between the two companies. For example, Apple reportedly didn't trust in Facebook’s ability to build a great iPhone application, and the shaky history between the two companies is now probably a hurdle in itself.

Technical hurdles are a possibility, too. Perhaps the absence, at the OS-level, of Facebook, Google+ and YouTube is merely an API issue. The fact that Microsoft, Apple's long time arch-enemy, owns a small part of Facebook probably complicates matters, too.

But there could be another, more important reason: Facebook has become too big of a competitor to Apple. Although both Twitter and Facebook make money from online advertising, Facebook is an app platform, and Twitter is not. This fact alone makes it just a little bit too close to what Apple is doing. Although Apple makes the majority of money selling hardware, the company also sells software, and lots of it.

Put all of these reasons together, and it's quite possible that Apple doesn't really foresee a long-term relationship with Facebook without a messy divorce.

The next iteration of Mac OS X might very well be the unification version -- the one that finally gathers Apple's smartphone, tablet and desktop computers under the umbrella of one OS. If we don't see Facebook integration by then, it's fair to say that these two friends will never get in bed together.

Meet the Mountain Lion.

Click here to view this gallery.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Twitter revamps to connect the world

Twitter revamps to connect the world Twitter announced it has finished rolling out overhauled pages crafted to boost the appeal of the message-sharing service to users around the world.

"At the very core there are fewer places you have to click and less you have to learn," Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey said as he and other executives unveiled the changes at the startup's San Francisco headquarters in December.

"We've done a lot of user testing and it has proven to be much simpler," Dorsey added.

Overhauled navigation features take advantage of the fact that Twitter symbols such as @ and # are making their way into common culture, showing up anywhere from text messages to advertising billboards and television.

Twitter designed Connect navigation tools that essentially turn those symbols into new age URLs, or web addresses, to let people find all posts or other information being fired off about topics.

Twitter also expanded profile pages, letting users tell more about themselves or, in the case of companies, their brands.

Dorsey said revenue from "promoted tweet" style ads has been steadily growing and the startup is easing out a self-service advertising system.

Advertising revenues at Twitter grew 213% to $139.5 million in 2011, up from $45 million in 2010, according to eMarketer.

The market tracking firm predicted that Twitter will bring in $259.9 million in advertising revenue this year, and that the global revenue would hit $540 million by the year 2014.

The Twitter overhaul completed on Thursday includes new Timeline that brings together all Twitter chatter or content related to a particular "tweet."

"There is a universe within every tweet," Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo said at the unveiling. "The 140 characters are a caption associated with a rich canvas that could be a song, a video, a photo or more."

The new Twitter design was described as a platform on which the service will build to reinforce its effort to "reach every person on the planet."

"Of course tweeting is still front and center," Dorsey said. "Any time you have something to tell the world you can do it instantly."

Twitter engineers speeded up the service's engines to deliver content faster, and new tabs at the tops of pages let people jump quickly between Home, Connect, Discover, and Me.

The Connect page lets users search Twitter using the @ sign, which has become Internet age shorthand for "at."

The bottom of the Connect page let people tap on Interaction or Mention tabs that show who is responding or rebroadcasting their tweets.

Discover focuses on searches based on # symbols, which are used at Twitter to label topics such as "#arabspring."

The Home tab leads to the Twitter flow users are familiar with, while "Me" takes people to profile pages.

"We have to provide the simplest, fastest way for people around the world to connect with everything they care about," Costolo said. "This wasn't just a change in the interface; this was a whole company effort.

The Army's Social Media Industrial Complex

The Army's Social Media Industrial Complex Considering the heavy female demographic happening on Pinterest, we were surprised to find the U.S. Army had a well-stocked profile, until we checked out the rest of their online goings-on. The Army is all up on the Internet. And, in a very active way -- it doesn't just have social media profiles to have its hand in the future. It has robust profiles on various sites, ranging from the big social media players like Twitter to newbs like Pinterest, each appropriately using the platform as a PR tool. It's really quite impressive for such an established, bureaucratic organization that one would assume would stink at the Web.

RELATED: Don't Expect Too Much From Social Media Town Halls

All of the Army's many social media profiles are well run. And it has many. It's on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Google+, Vimeo, Slideshare and now Pinterest. There is also an Army Live blog. (Not to be confused with an Army liveblog.) Each profile posts different content, each appropriate for the venue. Twitter and Facebook, for example, are news heavy. Flickr and Google+ are photo driven. YouTube and Vimeo post videos, of course. And, Pinterest has pretty and cute patriotic and Army-themed things, like this entire pinboard of desserts and pastries. For the Army wife demographic, possibly? 

RELATED: Teens Hacking Their Friends's Twitter Accounts Is All the Rage

We've reached out to the Army's Public affairs office to get more insight into their social media strategy and how it works. But for now, we'll just say that we're impressed with what they pull off.

RELATED: Watch Flickr's Slow Decline in Graph Form

The Army knows what's up content wise, in a PR sort of way, at least. Most of the stuff is more like promotional material than anything else, the badass Army image, like this wounded soldier video or these heroic soldier photos on Flickr. The Army even understands social media's potential to hurt its own cause. Since it uses it as a PR tool, rather than a news or information portal, the wrong kind of messages can make it look bad. Hence the social media guide it put out last summer.  

RELATED: Pinterest's Money Making Plans

The understanding goes deeper than "what to post." The Army also gets Internet pace, updating these profiles on just the right type of regular basis, tweeting a couple of times every hour, or Facebooking a handful of times a day. None of the profiles go dormant for too long. Our own social media editor, Jared Keller, tells us that this type of timing is strategic, as to neither bombard or disappoint followers. To maintain all of these unique platforms with the right kind of content as well as the Army does must take ... an army. (Sorry, had to.)

RELATED: What Everyone Can Learn From the BBC's New Social Media Guide

All of this curation has paid off, too. The U.S. Army has followers aplenty: 124,005 on Twitter, 1,184,681 likes on Facebook, 686 Google+ circlers, 2,567 YouTube subscribers, and 259 Pinterest followers. Yet, we're still wondering how exactly the Army got so good at something usually 24 year old Internerds handle. Perhaps they've got drones on it? (Ok, ok, we're done.) 

It looks like part of it has to do with utilizing a thorough research department. Over at its Slideshare page, we discovered this presentation about Pinterest posted last week, timed just as the site entered the Internet zeitgeist. It's a pretty standard document, much like you would probably find in a lot of corporate offices when the bosses wanted to know what the latest online fad is. It's full of statistics and information about the social network of the moment, has a pretty good explanation of the site's purpose. And just as in many office environments, the document is safely vague: "Currently, only a handful of military organizations are using Pinterest. Like many other platforms, as Pinterest grows in popularity, Army organizations will likely experiment with the platform to determine how they can use it as part of a unique social media program." It also warns, "As with all social media platforms, it's important to have a plan before you start promoting your organization's presence on a new social media platform like Pinterest." 

Social Media Roundup - Introduction to Pinterest

Sarkozy joins Twitter on first day of France's campaign

Sarkozy joins Twitter on first day of France's campaign French President Nicolas Sarkozy joined the micro-blogging website Twitter on Wednesday shortly before he was due to appear on television to announce the official start of his election campaign.

"Good day to you all, I'm very happy today to launch my Twitter account. Thank you to all of those who would like to follow me," he said, in his first message, under the official Twitter handle @NicolasSarkozy.

"I have accepted TF1's invitation to appear on the 8:00 pm news tonight and I invite you all to join me," he said, referring to France's main private network, on which he was to launch his campaign.

Sarkozy is due to face around a dozen opponents in the first round of voting on April 22. The two best placed candidates will then have a run-off on May 6.

Sarkozy is coming to the end of his first five-year term and, while he has not formally confirmed his re-election bid, he has made no secret of his determination to run for office despite low opinion poll ratings.

For several months all pollsters have predicted that he will be beaten by the Socialist opposition challenger Francois Hollande, while also facing a stiff challenge from far right flagbearer Marine Le Pen.

After nine hours active, Sarkozy's Twitter account had gained 42,522 "followers" -- a quick start, but fewer than the 150,252 web-users who already receive Hollande's regular updates.

He was welcomed to the Twittersphere by ex-wife Cecilia Attias, whom he divorced in 2007 after an acrimonious break-up and who wrote Wednesday: "Good luck to Nicolas Sarkozy, who is starting his campaign today."

Chris Brown's expletive-fueled, post-Grammy Twitter rant

Chris Brown's expletive-fueled, post-Grammy Twitter rant The mercurial singer unloads on "haters" after complaints that he was showcased excessively on the Grammys. How damaging will his F-bomb be? Just three years after being charged with domestic abuse for assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna on the way to the Grammy Awards, Chris Brown returned to the event's stage Sunday night with (an unusual) two performances and a win for Best R&B Album. Critics weren't happy, blasting the producers for showcasing the controversial singer so lavishly, particularly when the late Whitney Houston received only a brief tribute. Even artists in attendance, like country star Miranda Lambert, condemned the Grammys for so quickly forgiving Brown's past transgressions. On Tuesday night, Brown responded with a Twitter tantrum: "HATE ALL YOU WANT BECUZ I GOT A GRAMMY Now! That's the ultimate FUCK OFF!" Given Brown's ongoing struggles to win back the public, will this "offensive tweet" set him back?

It just adds fuel to the fire: "It's understandably frustrating that people won't let [Chris Brown] move on," says The Hollywood Gossip. The post-Grammy backlash against him was especially confounding since he "did nothing at all controversial during the show." Still, Brown's outburst is no way to win over "haters." He's merely reconfirming his reputation as "a temperamental hothead who shows no remorse or respect."
"Chris Brown to haters: F--k off!"

And proves he doesn't deserve a second chance: Brown apparently can't grasp why so many people are unwilling to forget about his crime, says Andy Neuenschwander at Yidio. He's under the delusion that just because he completed his court-ordered community service and counseling — and won a shiny award — we should all "forget it ever happened." Sorry: Until Brown "stops trying to make himself the victim, he will be deserving of no one's trust."
"Chris Brown thinks his Grammy means we should all 'F--k off'"

It's just a cry for attention: Brown's Grammy win proves that the industry is "willing to let Brown off the hook," says Kyle Anderson at Entertainment Weekly, and has, indeed, given him the second chance he's campaigned for (pointing out that other disgraced artists, like R. Kelly, were allowed to try again). Most fans have forgiven him, too. But a "paranoid" Brown still "appears to feel persecuted at all times." Sadly, with this tweet, it "seems like he's just trolling for reactions."
"Chris Brown's post-Grammys media maelstrom: What does it say about us?"

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House Panel Decries 'Chilling' Effect of DHS Social-Media Monitoring

House Panel Decries 'Chilling' Effect of DHS Social-Media Monitoring Homeland Security officials sparred with members of a House panel on Thursday over the department's monitoring of social media.

Members of the House Homeland Security Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee brandished a report by a civil-liberties group that indicated DHS has paid a contractor to monitor social-media content that “adversely” reflects on the U.S. government, as well as information on potential threats.

“Law-enforcement agency monitoring of online criticism and dissent chills legitimate criticism of the government, and implicates the First Amendment. Freedom of speech and expression are at the core of civil liberties and have been strongly protected by the Constitution and the U.S. courts,” the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which compiled the report from federal documents, said in a statement to the subcommittee. “Government programs that note and record online comments, dissent, and criticism for the purpose of subsequent investigation send a chilling message to online commenters, bloggers, and journalists —‘You are being watched.’ ”

Ranking member Jackie Speier, D-Calif., called the report, which detailed $11 million in contracts with General Dynamics, “deeply troubling.” She pointed to policies that allowed for analysts to collect personally identifiable information on journalists and demanded that DHS suspend its monitoring programs until more privacy safeguards can be developed.

DHS Chief Privacy Officer Mary Ellen Callahan defended the program as limited to helping the agency gather details about natural disasters or other threats. Any criticism of the agency that might be recorded is done in the name of customer service, she said.

“We are interested in the ‘what’ not the ‘who’; that is what’s being identified and what we are concerned about,” Callahan said. “We’re looking at events, not individuals.”

She said many of the most explosive parts of EPIC’s report, including a provision that called for monitoring reaction to major government proposals, are based on old plans that were never implemented.

DHS does not follow specific individuals; instead analysts look for specific key words and websites, said Richard Chávez, director of the DHS Office of Operations Coordination and Planning.

The subcommittee’s chairman, Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., said he recognized the “delicate and difficult” balance between collecting necessary information about terrorists, criminals, or natural disasters, and preserving constitutional rights. But he said he fears some DHS actions may have crossed the line. “In my view, collecting, analyzing, and disseminating private citizens’ comments could have a chilling effect on individual privacy rights and people’s freedom of speech and dissent against their government,” he said.

The panel cited a case in which two British travelers were detained and questioned after one of them tweeted about their intent to “destroy America.” At a hearing of the full House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said the incident was the result of a tip, not a monitoring program. “We aren’t sitting there monitoring social media looking for stuff. That’s not what we do,” she said.