Twitter introduces "bookmarks", a "read It Later" of sorts.

Twitter announced in a blog post yesterday the introduction of a new feature dubbed "Bookmarks", which will let users save Tweets for later. Say, you came across a Tweet about an interesting article and can't read it right away, simply bookmark it to get back to it later. "Bookmarks" is a sort of 'Read it later' feature, similar to how Pocket app works.

The steps to bookmark a Tweet is made easy with the new share icon under the Tweet. Select "Add Tweet to Bookmarks" and it will appear under the profile icon menu. Twitter says the "bookmarks" are private and can be removed at any time.  The new share icon also lets users share via direct message or to other social platforms, email and messages.

'Bookmarks" are now rolling out globally to any Android, iOS devices as well as Twitter Lite and Twitter mobile website. I have not received the update yet. If you're like me, check Twitter in the Play Store as the update may show up anytime from now.

Periscope lets users buy Super Hearts for broadcasters to redeem for cash.

Periscope, Twitter’s live video service, has been updated today and this new update should appeal to the service's fans as it introduces a feature that will allow them to show their love to their favorite broadcasters with Super Hearts.

Super Hearts, as described in the change log, “are new, sparkly, animated hearts, and some are even personalized with your profile pic.” So if static hearts are not enough, get ready to shell out some money  to send Super Hearts. Users will be able to purchase coins by visiting the coin store during a live broadcast to show their love or appreciation of the broadcast.

Periscope also have something for broadcasters. They will be able to join the Super Broadcasters Program and earn some cash. When users buy Super Hearts, broadcasters will accrue a star balance which they can redeem later. The program is currently only available in the United States and will roll out internationally soon. Learn more about the program here.

Periscope broadcasters and users can download the update in Google Play Store.

Periscope introduces closed groups and adds support for external video production tools.

Twitter-owned Periscope, the live video streaming app for Android, will now let users create closed groups and only the group creator will be able to add or remove members as well as change the group's title. The group creator basically becomes the group administrator and is the only user with the power to manage the group.

Periscope has also added a new toggle in the settings of the app for users to stop themselves from being added automatically to groups. On turning off the "Auto-accept Group Invites", users will receive an invitation which they can accept or reject. 

This update also introduces Periscope Producer. This new feature is available to anyone who wants to use external video production tools. More information about Periscope Producer can be found in the Settings of the Periscope app.

The update is already available for download in Google Play Store.

Vine for Android lets you share channels and profiles with followers on different social networks.

The last time I blogged about Vine was on its release and now that video apps/functions are seeing a rise in popularity these days, it's an opportunity to write about Vine's latest update. As a quick note, most social networks now let their users use videos to broadcast themselves live for the world to see. Facebook, Instagram and even Snapchat have recently added videos to their service. But if memory serves me well, Twitter was the first to bring a standalone app in the form of Vine. I have no statistics to share about its popularity, but given Twitter's trouble with attracting new users, I doubt Vine is the ultimate video app out there.

Today, Twitter updated the app so users can share their favorite profiles and channels with their followers on Vine itself and added support for sharing to Facebook, Tumblr and, of course, Twitter. If you are a Vine user, head over to Google Play Store and get the update. If you happen to be an absolute fan of Vine, they have a beta channel to which you can signup to test new features before they get released to the official app. You can signup here and help make the app better.

Twitter for Android gets Night Mode.

I have been enjoying Twitter dark mode on Windows Phone for a while now and it really plays nice on the eye in dark places, like when in bed at night - A practice I do not recommend to you readers. But that is to say that I use my Windows Phone most at night to check my Twitter feed because of that night mode feature that Android does not have. Until today.

Twitter took to Twitter to announce an update to their official Twitter app for Android that brings a dark mode to it which lets you "see your Tweets when the lights go out." That is all there is to this update, but I for one can say it is a big one for its effect on your eyes and your partner's mood. Let's see how to enable dark mode in Twitter after you downloaded the update.

After you've downloaded and installed the update, close Twitter and restart it. To enable dark mode, tap your profile picture and you will find the new Night mode toggle in the list. Toggle to enable it and Twitter will instantly switch to dark mode. By the way, the latter is not black, but dark gray. I'm enjoying the dark mode.

Get the update in Google Play store.

Twitter removes 140-character limit on Direct Messages.

Twitter has announced in a blog post today the removal of the 140 character limit on Direct Messages. Again the change only applies to direct messages. Your tweets are still limited to 140 characters and that doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon. 

Twitter has started rolling the change to Twitter for Android and iOS, Tweetdeck, Twitter.com and Twitter for Mac. Read the full blog post here.

Twitter for Android photo editing improved.

Using the official Twitter client on your Android phone is really a matter of taste rather than practicality, considering the amount of high quality Twitter third party clients in Google Play Store. But it is said that tastes cannot be discussed. No shame if you use the official app :). The app has been updated today with some improvements that still leaves it far behind other clients.

 What's New

This release includes enhancements to Tweet replies and the photo viewer.

• Easily mention other users when you Tweet a photo.

• Improvements to the photo cropping and image rotation

• Better login verification.

• When you’ve read all the latest Tweets, pull to refresh and see recommendations for new content on Twitter.

Source: Google Play

New Twitter update gets photo sharing in DMs.

Twitter today updated its app for Android. An interesting update that lets users send and receive photos via Direct Messages. A nice feature for sharing private pictures with people you follow. The update also contains some other features including:

This update includes a number of enhancements.

New design.

Refreshed look and feel. Home, Activity and Discover now available by swiping in Timelines. Easier access to DMs.

Share photos in Direct Messages.

Send and receive photos via DMs.

Notifications from your network.

Choose to view Replies, Retweets, and Favorites from only the people that you follow.

Receive Push Notifications from the people you care about most.

Favorite their profile to receive a Push Notification any time they tweet.  

The update is available for download in Google Play Store.

InstaWeather introduces InstaWeather Friends.

InstaWeather is an app that lets you share the weather at your location as an overlay added to your photos. Simply snap a picture with your phone and InstaWeather adds your location, temperature and weather stickers that you can then share to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

In an update published today, InstaWeather version 3.0 introduces InstaWeather Friends which lets you see the weather at your friends location. For that to work, all that is needed is a connection established between InstaWeather and Facebook. No need to manually enter your friends location in another app to get that info.

InstaWeather is available in two versions: The free ad-supported one and paid ad-free Pro ($1.94) version.

Twitter for Android gets two-factor authentication, new gallery view.

Twitter has added two-factor authentication to its official app for Android today in an update published in Google Play Store to protect users' account with login verification. This new feature can be activated and managed within the app itself. I strongly recommend that you activate it. Better be safe than sorry.

The update also lets you enjoy a new gallery view for photos in search results and includes the usual bug fixes and improvements.

Get the update on Google Play. 

Vine for Android released.

Android users have been blessed today with the release of Vine, the Twitter-owned service that lets users post short videos to social networks is now available free in Google Play Store. First released for Apple's iOS, Vine lets users create 6 seconds long videos. The app is already popular on iOS and is almost guaranteed to get an overwhelming success on Android. My assumption is based on Instagram success on which Vine seems to take its inspiration from. If you are an amateur of short videos, Vine will fit your needs.
Vine is free for download on Google Play Store.

Chrome Beta, Google Goggles & Twitter updated.

Chrome Beta has been updated to 27.0.1453.74. I challenge you to mentally keep track of the version numbering :-)

• 225243: Links opened from other applications that do redirects do not load
• 232878: Video play icon not aligned properly on nbcnews.com
• 235755: Fullscreen tab cropped in tab switcher
• Crash fixes

Known Issues:

• Embedded videos may be jittery on ICS devices
• Typed character gets deleted sometimes on password fields

Check the blog post for more details.

Google Goggles got a simplified user interface. But more interestingly, the app now starts in capture mode. Which makes sense for an app which primary purpose is to initiate a search that's within the camera's focus. The update also fixes an image rotation issue on some phones and some minor crashes.

Twitter finally shows you the global trend near you and around the world. I say finally because other Twitter clients have had this feature for a while. It's never too late to follow the trend. Here's the list of features:

• See what's happening near you or around the world by viewing Trends in hundreds of locations.
• Get quick access to account switching and settings via the menu button.
• Enjoy a smoother experience thanks to bug fixes and other improvements.

Google Search, Google+, Chrome & Twitter updated. Chrome gets password sync & autofill.

Updates, updates and updates. 

This is just a quick post about updates for the above-mentioned apps. Check out the change logs below before heading to the Play Store. The Chrome update is my preferred one. 

What's new in this version of Chrome for Android:

1. Password and autofill sysnc: Access saved desktop passwords and autofill entries from your Android device.
2. Fix for blank page loads in some scenarios.
3. Several stability improvements.

Google+

1. Set bigger cover photos, with a better aspect ratio.
2. Support for strikethrough formatting
3. Additional bug fixes and performance improvements.

Google Search

1. Real time package tracking from select carriers
2. Quick feedback and settings on cards.
3. Faster Google search results.

Twitter

1. Brand new look and feel crafted for Android 4.0+. Navigate seamlessly between your favorite parts of Twitter with a simple swipe.
2. It's easier to connect with friends and join conversations with @username and #hashtag suggestions that appear as you search or compose a Tweet.
3. Discover, install and launch your favorite apps from Tweets.
4. Other bug fixes and performance.

Saturday's app updates: Pinterest & Twitter.

Pinterest is the app you need to find inspiration and share it with others. This app is among the must-haves on the Android platform. In today's update, the following features have been added:

• Pin images from around the web
• Explore pins and boards you're interested in
• Get inspiration from DIY, Travel, Food and other categories
• Pin with your camera.

Download: Google Play

Twitter got a slew of updates with Search that shows the most relevant people, tweets and photos. A new feature called Discover will provide suggestions of tweets or accounts that may be of interest.

What's new:

• Get more great content faster.
• Search shows the most relevant mix of people, Tweets and photos.
• Discover delivers a stream of Tweets, accounts to follow and more. Pull to refresh or scroll to see more.
• Links open instantly when you tap on URLs in your stream.
• Connect shows interactions like new followers, retweets and mentions by default. You can switch to "view mentions only" in settings.
• Improved support of Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew (Android 4.0 and higher).
• Bug fixes and reduced crashes.

Download: Google Play