Official Twitter Android App Lands

After Twitter's announcement that we'd be seeing official apps across every platform from the service, we've seen two entries, and one acquisition. Twitter for Blackberry underwhelmed. Tweetie for iPhone was picked up by Twitter and is now being reworked and renamed as Twitter for iPhone. In the meanwhile, Android users have a new app to play with. Twitter for Android went live at the end of last week. The app is certainly polished, though it does lack features a power-user might use.

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Hootsuite Gets Friendly With Androids

Hootsuite, a twitter client for professional use, is about to launch a brand new Android app as well as an update to its iPhone app.  The Android app essentially matches the functionality of the current iPhone app: multiple account management, the ability to create streams for hashtags and searches, message scheduling, and some standards like sharing photos and shortening URLs.  There is a paid version of the app that will offer unlimited account management and some nifty in-app statistic tracking.  The iPhone update will add Facebook integration on top of all that as well as a landscape-view.

Here is the interesting part though: both the Android app and the refreshed the iPhone app will be integrating targeted ads through the use of a new start up called 140 Proof.  The partnership between HootSuite and 140 Proof is an effort for HootSuite to boost its revenues.  140 Proof's ad targeting method it pretty simple when boiled down to the basics.  The twitter client, in this case HootSuite, passes 140 Proof a list of usernames (no real names) and the public information that each profile contains.  Then advertisers bid on the ability to have their ads be directed toward specific users based on a number of criteria like keywords in tweets, who the user is following, the device they are using, and their  location.  The ads come into user's twitter streams and act just like a tweet, but are clearly marked as ads.

The partnership is a big one for 140 Proof, and a risk for HootSuite, since it has just launched its product a couple of weeks ago.  Another thing to consider here is that Twitter may soon release its new advertising model sometime in the near future.  Who know what that could mean for HootSuite and 140 Proof.

Seesmic Web Manages Contacts Better Than Twitter.com

Seesmic Web, while certainly not perfect, is easily the best Twitter web experience available. Brizzly is nice, and HootSuite is nothing to shake a stick at, but when I'm away from my computer and I want to get online and hit up the Twitters, I go right to Seesmic Web. They pushed an update this week adding a new tab to their interface for Twitter contacts, and compared to Twitter's contact management, it's a total dream. With faster navigation, scrolling, and Mr Tweet stats, and drag and drop list modification, it's far and away the best web offering right now. The contact lists are brand new so it could use some work, but for the most part, it's a much easier and faster way to weed out followees, and manage lists. Head to Seesmic to try it out and sign up. Did I mention it's totally free?