WTF Link
Apparently, even though we all know we should absolutely not click things we aren’t sure about, a large number of folks who know better got got by Twitter’s latest exploit. If you saw a tweet that said “WTF” followed by a link and you actually clicked it, your account would tweet “I Like Anal Sex With Goats.” It would also trigger a second tweet with the malicious link included so that your followers could join in the fun. The bug was limited to Twitter.com and they quickly blocked the link and fixed it. via The Next Web
TwtRoulette Isn’t What You Think
We all know about ChatRoulette, the service which lets you video chat with random people. While TwtRoulette has a similar name, the concept is pretty different. It lets you peak into the life of another Twitter user, viewing their timeline as they see it. As the site says, It’s a great opportunity for extended information discovery and consumption. TwtRoulette also includes a “random” function, which explains the “roulette” part. It was developed by the 15yr old who created iTunes Instant, Stephen Ou. via TechCrunch
Goo.gl Finally Gets a Website
Google’s own URL shortener has been out for a while now, but is just now getting a website where you can use it directly. You can now login to your Google account and see a history of links you’ve shortened along with basic analytics. For those wondering why in the world we need yet another URL shortener, Google offers a few reasons:
- Stability: We’ve had near 100% uptime since our initial launch, and we’ve worked behind the scenes to make goo.gl even stabler and more robust.
- Security: We’ve added automatic spam detection based on the same type of filtering technology we use in Gmail.
- Speed: We’ve more than doubled our speed in just over nine months.
One important point that they barely touch on is that “it will keep working.” One major argument against URL shorteners in general is that they create an ecosystem of links that could go dead if the service provider goes away. Since Google is well on their way to world domination, it’s doubtful they will ever disappear.
An awesome hidden feature of Goo.gl is that you can create a QR code by adding “.qr” to the end of any shortened link. For example, This link http://goo.gl/Jga4 points to this post. Changing it to http://goo.gl/Jga4.qr gives the image to the right. Scanning that image with your mobile will automatically load this post in your mobile browser. via TechCrunch, Google Social Web Blog
Apple Stealing Ad Revenue from Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo!
Apple’s recent entry into the mobile advertising arena with iAds has given them 21 percent of the ad market as well as put a spotlight on mobile advertising. Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! have seen losses since last year. Even though it looks like Apple is in the lead, the mobile ad market is changing extremely fast with independents quickly gaining on the big names. It will be interesting to see what moves these companies make in 2011. via Bloomberg Business Week
Gmail Makes Threading Optional
One feature that differentiates Gmail from other mail interfaces is threaded conversations. They make it easy to follow conversation threads and make your email interface less cluttered. For some reason, many users find this confusing and would rather see their emails in a basic chronological list. Gmail has finally given users the option to disable threading. The primary benefit for this feature is in transitioning enterprise customers using legacy (meaning old) email solutions to Gmail. Just because you’re used to something, doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do things. I tend to agree with Matt Cutts, who said turning threading off is like banging your head against the wall. via Google Enterprise Blog
