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Seesmic posts

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Social Software, Microblogging

New Seesmic beta is the first Twitter client to support lists

Seesmic might not be the best Twitter client, but it is the first to support the new lists feature. Users who sign up to Seesmic's mailing list can get access to the latest beta version of the Adobe AIR-based desktop client, including lists. List support is not complete yet: you can view your own lists and add people to them, but you can't see which lists have added you. It looks like you can create a new list, but you can't, yet -- if you check Twitter's web interface, you'll see your list isn't really there. These features are coming sooner than later, though, and this limited support is enough for Seesmic to call "first!"

I like the idea of lists in a Twitter client, but Seesmic really seems to be taking the kitchen sink approach to development. Last time we wrote about it, Facebook Page integration had just been added. There's a good chance you'll find one killer feature in Seesmic, whether it's pages, lists, or something else, but there'll be a bunch of other features that you don't need. Seesmic's strength is in being the first or only client to implement some of its features, but I think it's spreading a little thin in trying to be a top-flight client for both Twitter and Facebook.

Meanwhile, Seesmic's competitor in the "widescreen," AIR-based Twitter arena, Tweetdeck, is lagging behind on lists. Techcrunch reports that Tweetdeck plans to introduce the feature soon, though, with "extensive" integration.

[via ReadWriteWeb]

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Social Software, Microblogging

Seesmic Desktop 0.6 adds Facebook Page integration, still bloated

Seesmic, a cross-platform social networking client that connects with Twitter and Facebook, just released a new version, 0.6, that adds the ability to read, manage, like and comment on Facebook Pages. It's nice that Seesmic keeps adding more features, but it's already a bit of a bloated memory hog, and I hope it trims down a bit before it hits version 1.0. It gobbled up nearly 200mb of ram on my MacBook, and Lee reported similar numbers on his Windows machine. On top of Pages, there's also a new favorites column, and a reply-to-all option for Twitter.

Facebook Pages are just one example of Seesmic's tendency to try to be all things to all people. Seesmic has the distinct disadvantage of running on Adobe Air, which, although it makes the app cross-platform and usable by everyone, is notorious for its poor performance.

Successful Twitter clients do one thing, and do it really well. Tweetdeck focuses on groups, Tweetie focuses on simplicity and streamlining, and Bluebird does customizable skins. Seesmic doesn't do any particular thing better than the other apps out there, and I don't know that managing Facebook Pages is the feature that's going to convince someone to switch.

Filed under: Social Software, web 2.0

Does Seesmic's new browser client look familiar?


Seesmic's got a new browser-based client out, to go with their desktop client for Twitter and Facebook. Before you even consider the features of Seesmic Web, though, you might notice something quite familiar about the interface: there's a single-column mode that looks a heck of a lot like Gmail. Timeline, replies and direct messages are in a sidebar, like Gmail's folders, and the text of the tweets or Facebook posts themselves goes right where you'd expect to see a subject line.

Seesmic isn't the first Twitter web client to try this approach. Just a few months ago, Brad wrote about TwitteReader, a Google Reader-esque Twitter site that even incorporated Google Reader's familiar keyboard shortcuts. Seesmic has more bells and whistles than TwitteReader does, but both gain something by copying Google's approach: users are instantly familiar with the UI, and it probably doesn't feel entirely like learning to use a new app, or even a new service.

[via TechCrunch]

Filed under: Internet, Text, Web services, Adobe, Freeware, Social Software, web 2.0

Seesmic Desktop packs TweetDeck's features with a smaller footprint


Seesmic's Thwirl may not be as popular as it was a year ago, but it's still one of the most popular desktop Twitter apps around. They've lost a lot of ground to TweetDeck - which they no doubt hope to claw back with the release of the all-new Seesmic Desktop.

Yes, it's also an Adobe Air app. Unlike the relatively inobtrusive Thwirl, however, Desktop offers a customizable, multi-paned display that allows you to simultaneously view different bits of Twitter's bottomless supply of data - your @replies, direct messages, searches, and more.

The interface is clean, though possibly a bit too "Mac" for some users. Color schemes aren't easily adjustable (yet), though there are 15 XML config files in the "color schemes" folder. Links can be shortened using six different services - including Digg, and inline uploading of images to TwitPic is also available.

Seesmic Desktop doesn't have TweetDeck's voracious appetite for RAM. At startup it weighed in at about 65Mb and has reached 79Mb after letting it run overnight. Leaving TweetDeck on would typically result in anywhere between 300 and 600Mb of memory consumed. Seesmic also supports multiple Twitter accounts, so it bests TweetDeck beaten on two fronts.

But wait, where's the Facebook support? When Seesmic released their Air-based client for FB last month, they told us a unified client was coming. Seesmic Desktop is likely it, but since it's still a preview we'll have to wait and see what other features are added in upcoming releases. Right now, though, Seesmic Desktop definitely shows promise.

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Social Software, Beta, web 2.0, Windows x64

Seesmic releases Facebook client, Twhirl integration coming

Seesmic's Twhirl is one of the most widely-used desktop clients for Twitter, and now it's got a sibling. Loic Le Meur announced on Saturday that the company has released the first version of a similar application for Facebook.

The app requires Adobe Air, and does seem a bit intense on memory use for what it's doing (currently using about 65Mb on my Windows 7 x64 system). Once it's installed, you'll just have to click through the usual Facebook authorizations to get it running.

It's a lot like taking a slice out of the middle of your Facebook home page, minus the handy threading. At this stage of development, most users will likely opt to stick with the web interface.

Remember, this is a preview release. More important than how Seesmic's Facebook app functions right now is Le Meur's statement that they " will soon have a client with both Facebook and Twitter integrated into one." Combined with Twhirl's support for Twitter, Identi.ca, and Friendfeed, that would make for a very intriguing desktop app - especially for users needing to manage multiple Twitter accounts.

Filed under: Blogging, Social Software

Twhirl adds Identi.ca support

Adobe AIR-based microblogging client Twhirl already supported Twitter, Friendfeed and Seesmic, and now its coverage of the world of mini-updates gets even broader with the addition of Identi.ca. Identi.ca is something like a less-popular open-source version of Twitter. This is a big deal for the Identi.ca folks, because Twhirl may actually be better-known than their service.

Along with potentially pumping up the userbase of a fledgling microblogging site, Twhirl has also position itself to be to these micropost what Trillian and Adium are to IM. Keeping several services readily accessible from the same app is a proven winner when it's done right, and Twhirl delivers on the usability and appearance side of things. It was already one of the most popular clients back when it could only handle Twitter, and its main competition is going to come from some of the better Twitter-specific clients that attract people who don't use the other sites Twhirl handles.

[via ReadWriteWeb]

Filed under: Internet, Video, Windows, Macintosh, Linux

Seesmic acquires Twhirl, will add videos to popular Twitter client

TwhrilSeesmic, which is in private beta, is basically a micro-video-blogging service, which allows users to record and share short videos and respond to videos from other users. Seesmic has often been described as Twitter for video chat. Today that comparison becomes a bit more apt, as Seesmic has acquired Twhirl, one of the most popular desktop clients for Twitter.

Twhirl is one of several Twitter clients built on Adobe AIR which use Twitter's API to essentially make a web-page based service feel more like an instant messaging client. You can run Twhirl as a desktop application on your Windows, Mac, or Linux machine. When new messages come in, you get an alert, and you can sort messages by replies, directs, or personal and public timelines. Twhirl also recently added the ability to repost messages to other micrblogging services like Jaiku and Pownce.

So what does this acquisition mean? First and foremost, Twhirl will be getting Seesmic video capabilities soon. As you can see from the screenshot to the right, video messages will show up in a timeline just like Twitter messages. Users will be able to click on a video message to open up a window that will play the video.

Second, so far Twhirl's creator Marco Kaiser has been developing Twhirl in his free time. Yet he's been able to build one of the most capable Twitter clients around. Now that he's working for Seesmic, Kaiser will be able to work on Twhirl full time. We can hardly wait to see the results.

Not surprisingly, Seesmic founder Loic Le Meur decided to share his thoughts on the acquisition with a video. You can check it out after the jump.

Read more →

Filed under: Fun, Internet, Blogging, Symbian, Beta

Seesmic announces new features, much needed mobile support

Nokia N95Social video site Seesmic has announced some cool new features at DEMO08, a conference that showcases new software and web projects. Even though it's still in private beta, the so-called video Twitter now allows you to instantly see video responses to posts as an uninterrupted stream.

Now Seesmic also has a mobile application for Nokia's multi-talented N95 smartphone. Rather than being a live stream application such as like Qik, mobile Seesmic posts will be pre-recorded video snippets. You will also be able to view Seesmic videos on the mobile application.

While we're happy to see Seesmic branching out, we can't help but hope they touch more mobile phones than just the N95. Perhaps they can expand to additional Nokia handsets or even better yet, to Windows Mobile.

[via CNet]

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