Software : Web service shutters Twitter Triggers following controversial API changes |
- Web service shutters Twitter Triggers following controversial API changes
- Facebook tests Photo Sync, updates Messenger, starts charging for Offers
- Nokia leaps on Apple Maps app criticism, claims superiority
| Web service shutters Twitter Triggers following controversial API changes Posted:  Twitter's controversial decision to dramatically reign in the power of third-party app developers is beginning to negatively affect services that harness the social network's API. The IFTTT service, which cross-pollenates Twitter posts with a host of other online apps and portals like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, will disable what it calls "Twitter Triggers" on Sept. 27. In IFTTT-speak, an example of a Trigger could be: ''every time I post on Twitter", while the automated Action that followed could be: "the tweet is pushed to Evernote." This combination is called a Recipe, but as a result of Twitter's decision to prevent developers uploading Twitter content to a cloud-based service, IFTTT is removing all Recipes that contain Twitter Triggers. The loss to IFTTT users is perhaps the first tangible example of the usefulness of a third-party services being undermined by Twitter's desire to direct users only to its official apps. Respecting Twitter's wishesIn an email to users, CEO Linden Tibbets explained that although he's disappointed that Twitter has chosen this route, it's important that the social network's wishes are respected. "At IFTTT, first and foremost, we want to empower anyone to create connections between literally anything," he wrote. "We need to make sure that the types of connections that IFTTT enables are aligned with how the original creators want their tools and services to be used. "We at IFTTT are big Twitter fans and, like yourself, we've gotten a lot of value out of the Recipes that use Twitter Triggers. We're sad to see them go, but remain excited to build features that work within Twitter's new policy." Tibbets points out that Recipes involving Twitter Actions, like thanking new followers with a tweet, or automatically sending a tweet everytime you update Wordpress, will still work as normal. A Twitter spokesperson, when asked for comment, pointed TechRadar to a TechCrunch story that reported the clampdown on updating Twitter content to a cloud-based service was not a new addition to Twitter's API policy during last month's update. That report claimed IFTTT had actually been violating the rules for some time before Thursday's announcement. TechRadar has also reached out to IFTTT (pronounced "lift" without the "l") for comment and will update this story if and when we receive more information. |
| Facebook tests Photo Sync, updates Messenger, starts charging for Offers Posted:  Facebook has pounded out a handful of updates and trials over the last few days, least of which is a test-run of a new "Photo Sync" service for its Android app. The Photo Sync functionality, currently open to a select group of users, automatically uploads a photograph to Facebook as soon as it's snapped by a user's smartphone camera. All photos remain in a private folder named "Synced from Phone," rather than the alternative of potentially compromising pictures appearing directly on the Timeline. Facebook hasn't revealed if and when the feature will be rolling out to all users. Messenger and Android apps get a faceliftBeyond Photo Sync, the company has also updated its Facebook for Android and Facebook Messenger apps to enable a new text message-like conversation view for messages. The apps have also received a significant speed and reliability boost, while users of the standalone Messenger tool can now simply swipe to the left to see who's online. The Messenger update also lets certain smartphone users - those with HTC's Evo 3D and One X, LG's Optimus Black and Optimus Hub, and Samsung's Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S3, and Galaxy Y - to send texts to their contacts inside Messenger. As for Facebook for Android, it now has a button in the News Feed's upper-right hand corner that shows which contacts are available to chat. The app will also show who's active in order to gauge a message's response time. Users can pick up the updates in the Google Play store. The update comes about a month after Facebook significantly updated its iOS app - making it twice as fast as its sluggish predecessor These Android updates aren't as severe, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg has promised a native Facebook for Android client is on the way. Offers also updatedMeanwhile, in a bid to secure some shareholder-pleasing profits from its mobile app, Reuters reported that Facebook is about to start charging businesses to use Offers. The Groupon-like Facebook Offers service launched last year and allows local businesses to tempt Facebookers with deals from within their vicinity. To establish the service, Facebook had offered it to businesses for free, but now they'll have to pay "at least $5" (£3) to run the ads, according to Reuters. As part of the update, businesses will also have the opportunity to include a QR code into their deals, meaning transactions are now likely to take place outside of Facebook itself. |
| Nokia leaps on Apple Maps app criticism, claims superiority Posted:  Nokia has used its official Conversations blog to take a thinly-veiled shot at Apple's new Maps application. The new in-house solution, which replaces Google Maps in iOS 6, has come under fire from some reviewers and users, who've pointed out inaccuracies and shortcomings. Nokia has taken the opportunity to pounce on the criticism by playing up the strengths of its own Nokia Maps application, which itself has been six years in the making. The blog post benchmarks Apple Maps against Google Maps and Nokia Maps, drawing attention to Apple's lack of public transport information, offline support, and the presence of turn-by-turn navigation in only 56 countries. Pretty isn't enough"Unlike our competitors, which are financing their location assets with advertising or licensing mapping content from third parties, we completely own, build and distribute mapping content, platform and apps," wrote Pino Bonetti of Nokia Conversations. "In other words, we truly understand that maps and location-based apps must be accurate, provide the best quality and be accessible basically anywhere. "That's been standard practice at Nokia for the past six years, and we also understand that "pretty" isn't enough. You expect excellence in your smartphone mapping experience." In other words, brains, not beauty, count when you're trying to get somewhere. Generally very goodIt appears that Apple's new Maps app isn't 100 percent complete at the time of release, a point made clear by a Tumblr blog poking fun with poorly rendered maps and incorrect location data, and other online criticisms. Despite the criticism, our TechRadar iOS 6 review, found Maps "generally very good," though the reviewer did "encounter a number of errors." Flyovers - Apple's answer to Street View - are "superb where they're available" although they're limited to a few cities at the time of writing. Our reviewer found that the level of detail offered in Google Maps will be what most users will miss when using Apple's solution. |
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