TDL Live This Week: Apple, Twitter, and iPhones, Oh My!

If you didn't get to catch it live last night, well thank your lucky stars as this is your chance to see TDL Live this week. Jamie DeGrazio continues to sub for Adam Ford (watch for the "Where in the World is Adam Ford?" game soon), and Carolyn stops by to help us give thanks.

Oh, and of course we round up the tech news including of course the iPhone 3G S launch, green laptop claims, and the love/hate world of twitter:

Apple Profiles Twitter, Where Apple is a Trending Topic Talking About Twitter,etc.

You know, Twitter founders, we have our own Mac-Powered Business segments we've been working on. All you had to do was Tweet us that you were a Mac shop...

In Apple's own business profiles section, they've recently added a look behind the scenes at Twitter. It's a fairly mundane article, but the importance of Apple embracing, nay even recognizing a web 2.0 company in this fashion is interesting. Perhaps rather than (or in addition to) a YouTube app, the next iPhone will have a Twitter client built-in...

Here's the link to the Apple article.

Tweetube? Do we need this?

TUAW has a nice review of tweetube. Essentially, tweetube is a mashup of youtube and twitter, allowing you to make short, 25 second video clips, then make them available via a link in twitter.

My question, and it is a question, because I'm just not sure about the answer. On one hand, why have a service with an arbitrarily short limit on video recording? Can't we get our fill of self-made media on Youtube already. On the other hand, Twitter has shown that for better or worse, there's an appeal for short, frequent communications. A short text message though, is much easier/quicker to compose than a video.

For the person receiving the link, it's much quicker to read a short post than to watch a short clip. Plus, when does the shortness of a clip rob it of any meaning? Tweetube is limited to 25 seconds, but there's also12seconds.tv  which, as the name implies, has a 12-second limit on video.

What do you think? What are some clever uses for these kinds of services, if clever uses exist?

We're All A-Twitter

Yes, it wasn't so long ago, that we were dissing Twitter. We didn't quite get it, and couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Much like grandpa trying to program the VCR, it was just too newfangled for us.

Well, at long last. The Digital Lifestyle has entered the Twitter age. You can follow us @TdlLive . Yes, that "follow" is probably supposed to be a link somewhere. No, we don't know where it's supposed to link.

Also, that's the official twitter account for the site, meaning multiple people will "tweet." We'll use initials to differentiate. Since I'm the main tweeter, no initials for me (Ryan) I know, it's elitist...

Today twitter, tomorrow... Loopt? Don't hold your breath

Twitter - What are you doing right now

What are you doing right now . . .

Twitter seeks to help you broadcast this answer to anyone who wants to know. It's quite fashionable these days to be in the know. It's also apparently fashionable to have a baby at 16 years old. But not all fashionable trends are a good idea...

Now that I've offended all of the young parents out there (really I was only looking to offend Jamie Lynn Spears) lets talk about Twitter. With all this commotion I decided to check it out, since when is the general public wrong? After several attempts to sign up were thwarted by a whale caught in a fishing net trawled by small birds (tweets) telling me that Twitter was "broken", I finally was able to create my account.

I must say the site is functional. It was obvious how to send updates, invite people to join Twitter, and search for people you know. It's not obvious to me WHY I would do this. It took me several minutes of sending updates to myself to realize that no one who spends time away from their computer will find this useful (unless you have an unlimited texting plan). The site seeks to answer what you're doing now. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?? If a tweet is sent and no one is there to read it, does it make a sound . . . or something like that.

So I update my "status" with what I'm doing RIGHT NOW, it gets broadcast to anyone who wants to know. This whole concept hinges on a) people caring what I'm doing RIGHT NOW [I'd be amazed if anyone does] and b) that people who do care are always connected [many of my friends can just about operate a universal remote].

Additionally this is just another outlet for me to keep updated (I realize this is the point). My life basically becomes a production. Brushing my teeth, getting dressed, having breakfast . . . god forbid I forget to update my "feed". My friends might think that I'm still brushing my teeth (I know my teeth are still wishing I were). This could cause cataclysmic concern for the welfare of my teeth.

All right, all joking aside, I realize Twitter is a big hit. Tons of people use it, and tons of people want to know what others are doing right now. I consider myself a connected individual . . . rarely away from a computer or my iPhone. If I want to know what someone is doing I'll send them an email or give them a call. I just think this Twitter business has made communication less personal while creating more work for everyone. Needless to say I won't be keeping up with my Twitter account.