Apple’s decision to unfriend Facebook has turned out to be a boon for third-party social services that are now finding their way into Apple(s AAPL) operating environments. The biggest winner of them all is Twitter. In iOS 5, Apple integrated Twitter. And just like that the company saw “sign-ups more than double and the number of tweets sent increase over 90 percent,” according to Dick Costolo, CEO of Twitter.
Well, Twitter is about to get a yet another boost, thanks to the upcoming release of the latest version of Mac OS X, called Mountain Lion. Twitter, Flickr(s YHOO) and Vimeo are some of the third-party services that will offered as part of new “share sheet” that allows you to share links, photos and videos directly from the app one is using on the Mac. (Interestingly, there is no YouTube(s GOOG) in this share sheet?) Like a photo in your iPhoto? You can share it via Twitter or upload it to Flickr or email it. See a URL, you can share that through either email, the new iMessage for Mac or Twitter. A document can also be shared through Apple’s AirDrop sharing technology.
Twitter, however, is the one that is pretty much everywhere inside the new operating system. Just as on iOS 5, a single sign-on is all it takes to share via Twitter, regardless of the app — Safari, Preview, PhotoBooth, Quick Look and others. The twitter share sheet is no different than the sharing feature iPhone or iPad users are familiar with.
“When you use Twitter single sign-on, the Contacts app displays your contacts’ Twitter profile pictures and usernames right in their contact cards,” Apple says. In the near future, expect a notification when someone mentions you in a tweet or sends you a direct message.
I think the biggest news from my perspective is the developer API.
Developers can take advantage of the Share Sheet API to let users tweet seamlessly from their apps. With the API, developers can leverage Twitter single sign-on and Tweet Sheet, so users can tweet with comments and locations, right from within their apps.
Now that takes major muscling out – one would expect sooner or later to patch things up with the Social Network giant very soon… I may just include this on http://bit.ly/A6GD1M – my thought pad, lol
Can you clarify if this update you speak of is an extension of 10.7 (Lion) or a new 10.8 MacOS X release?
I personally couldn’t care less about twitter integration. Most of those integration points make a lot more sense with Facebook or even Google+, but because Apple decided to take their ball and go home the users lose out. Wake me up when you have a real social network.
Only if you see corporate silos of Big-Data as a legitimate mechanism for social progress?
Some of us do not!
Sounds like to me Apple are merely trying their best not to help Facebook and Google become anymore dominent than they already are.
Facebook is already too powerful and Google with G+ and YouTube are likely to push the Android cause more and more in future.
So they’ve opted for the safe bets, the path of least resistance to iOS superiority in future
Nothing GOOGLE is going to be there for sharing, so forget YouTube. Apple doesn’t ALWAYS do things good for the user, otherwise you’d see Facebook and YouTube with it… They are a company; they are going to do what is good for them and the user at the same time.
This will definitely reignite the “Will Apple Buy Twitter” debate. I don’t think they will, chiefly because they needn’t take the risk. More on that opinion is here: http://bit.ly/wSgkEG
I think APPLE and RIM should merge.
What integration with twitter does Android have, in comparison ?
Dear
Twitter, Facebook, Google, Etc, Etc,
Can you treat the “Communities” that has given you value with respect by becoming transparent about what exactly it is you do with their content and activity to generate hunders of millions of dollars in revenue ?
I have been involved in developing consumer tech for over 15 years and I know that it does not have to be this way.
We the “Community” that have allowed our value to be extracted by Twitter, Facebook and others so that they can generate billions deserve better than to be treated like products that are sold to the highest bidders. The Communities that add the value should be treated with respect.
I have been attempting to develop technology with the idea that “Community” that creates and adds value should come “First”
http://www.kleemi.com is my current attempt to brings this dream into reality. Kleemi is in an early beta but at this point still offers cutting edge search, a news reader, and a micro blog service. In the coming weeks we will make some major announcements about some of our new service that will turn the pyramid right side up.
Twitter and Vimeo, the hipster networks! Tumblr’s next. 😉
It’s weird since Apple’s fast becoming a very mainstream brand. Hoping they patch things up with Facebook and Google (for Youtube).
Btw, share sheets remind me so much of Windows 8’s share charm.