The Verge - Web & Social Posts

Twitter scoops up Spindle in bid to improve local recommendations

2013-06-19T23:34:21Z

In April, reports surfaced that Twitter was experimenting with new ways to introduce local tweets into the timeline. All Things D reported that the company was looking at different ways to surface nearby tweets, either in the Discover tab or in the main timeline, as a way of making Twitter feel relevant and personalized no matter where you were.

We haven't seen any of those features materialize. But Twitter took another step into local discovery today when it acquired Spindle, makers of an iPhone app that alerted users to nearby events and deals based on their location. The app, which has now been removed from the App Store, integrated with social networks including Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and Yelp. Users could browse it for...

Vine founders tease redesigned UI with drafts and category features

2013-06-19T22:52:38Z

Vine's founders have taken to their own medium to tease what appears to be a number of visual changes and new features to the video service's apps. The apparent redesign would have Vines blown up to the full width of a user's screen rather than existing within individual boxes. The change would create a nearly seamless feed of videos by removing the space that used to be dedicated to comments, likes, and share buttons. Instead, those elements would be overlaid on the very bottom of each post, while a persistent video capture button hovers at the bottom of the screen.

Viacom to debut TV highlights on Twitter at MTV Music Awards

2013-06-19T21:17:04Z

The rumored partnership between Twitter and Viacom has come to fruition. The companies said today they have struck a deal to embed clips from popular Viacom shows and events inside Twitter, starting with the MTV Music Awards on August 25th. It's a high-profile push into television that could prove lucrative for Twitter as it prepares for an eventual initial public offering.

People will be able to tweet out ad-supported clips from the awards show, which Twitter says was the most-discussed news event of 2012 at 14.7 million tweets. Afterward, the ability to tweet clips will extend to shows on Viacom networks including MTV, VH1, CMT, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, TV Land, and Spike, among others.

Office Web Apps real-time editing demonstrated, set to fully compete with Google Docs

2013-06-19T19:46:04Z

Microsoft has offered its basic Office Web Apps free to Outlook.com and Office 365 customers for over three years now, but one of the big drawbacks for students and businesses has been the lack of true real-time co-authoring. Google Docs has long supported real-time editing with multiple users, but the Office Web Apps have been fairly basic when it comes to editing documents alongside other users. Microsoft is planning to change this over the next few months, and the company is demonstrating the changes this week.

In an early preview video it's clear the co-author editing function is almost identical to Google Docs', with improvements that keep the full fidelity of a particular document while allowing others to edit text and other...

Kim Dotcom tweets outrage after LeaseWeb deletes all Megaupload data

2013-06-19T19:13:02Z

Kim Dotcom's Megaupload file-sharing service has been essentially erased from the web. After being taken offline by the Department of Justice last year, data uploaded to Megaupload has now been deleted from the servers it was stored on by Dotcom's former hosting service, LeaseWeb. Dotcom, who has since launched another storage service called Mega, took to Twitter on Wednesday to express his outrage at LeaseWeb's move, which he says took place without warning. LeaseWeb, on the other hand, says that it reached out to Dotcom before deleting Megaupload's data, but it received no response.

Facebook adding ability to post images in comments

2013-06-19T18:17:39Z

Facebook comment threads are about to get quite a bit more crazy. A new camera button is rolling out that allows users to reply to posts with a picture. It's a simple feature, but it's one that hasn't been available on the social network to date. Facebook hasn't yet officially announced the new functionality, but the company has informed The Verge that the new commenting feature will be rolling out globally today to both the desktop and mobile websites. Users on Facebook's apps will be able to view photo comments, but they will not be able to upload such comments until a later date. In the past, Facebook has included automatically-generated image previews when users post a URL in a comment, but with today's addition the picture is...

Feedly updated with Cloud sync and app support ahead of Google Reader shutdown

2013-06-19T15:00:03Z

With less than two weeks until Google shuts down Reader, Feedly has completed the rollout of its Cloud sync service, transitioning all users over to its servers. Announced on June 3rd, Feedly Cloud not only ensures that Google Reader users can continue to access their RSS feeds after July 1st, it is also provides an open framework for developers to build apps on top of the platform. IFTTT, Sprout Social, NextGen Reader, Press, and Newsify are all launching Feedly-connected apps today.

Vdio on-demand streaming service now open to all

2013-06-19T14:38:06Z

It was a long time coming, but Rdio finally launched its streaming movie and TV service Vdio in April — though it was only open to those who were already paying for an Rdio subscription. Today, the shackles come off: anyone can now create a Vdio account using their email address or Facebook login and start buying videos. The service is still only available to customers in the UK or the US, and it works just as it did in April. Users can buy or rent movies or TV shows for prices in the same range as what you'll find from Apple or Amazon, and they're only watchable on your computer or on your iPad using the Vdio app. Outside its fairly limited social features, Vdio hasn't exactly made a strong case for why people should use it over the...

Fierce opposition to online gambling fades, but don't bet on legalization

2013-06-19T14:30:34Z

Rep. Peter King’s (R-NY) incendiary comments about the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs last week ended up overshadowing some more substantial news: his introduction of the Internet Gambling Regulation, Enforcement, and Consumer Protection Act of 2013, a bill that would explicitly legalize online gambling across the country.

By now, most industries — retail, banking, publishing — have online counterparts. The US gambling industry does not. Heavy regulation prevents casinos, Native American tribes, and private companies from opening online gaming rooms, a business that is booming in other places such as the UK.

The idea that online gambling is illegal came from a broad interpretation of the Wire Act, which...

Vevo, edjing, and other Windows 8 apps arrive just ahead of Microsoft's Build developer event

2013-06-19T13:00:03Z

Microsoft is travelling to San Francisco next week to hold its annual Build conference and convince developers to create Windows 8 apps. Exactly one week before the conference begins, it's unveiling a number of new Windows 8 applications that third-party developers have been working on. Popular DJ app edjing will be made available on Windows 8 this week, with pre-cueing and a pitch shifter feature to mix songs from a music library. It's one of the first big-name iOS and Android DJ apps to make its way over to Windows 8, and Microsoft claims it took 15 days to develop the app.

Continuing the theme of entertainment, Vevo, the music industry's video service for the web, is also debuting on Windows 8 this week. Vevo has created a Snap View...