04/17, 2:10pm
Twitter Innovator Patents Agreement defense-only
Twitter VP of Engineering Addam Messinger in a statement hoped to reassure developers that it wouldn't sue over patents like Loren Brichter's pull-to-refresh control. A new Innovator's Patent Agreement would only allow using a patent for defensive purposes unless Twitter had explicit permission from the inventor. The pact would also see that level of control transferred with the patents, preventing a company buying the patents from turning around and suing against the inventor's will.
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03/29, 4:00pm
Tapbots used tech for push notifications
Apple is indeed rejecting apps that collect UDIDs without consent, Tapbots has confirmed. The Tweetbot developer says it has received a rejection notice after trying to submit a v2.2 update to the App Store. "We found your app does not obtain user consent before collecting their personal data, as required by the App Store Review Guidelines," the message reads. Apple singles out the use of UDIDs, which are associated with individual iOS devices.
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03/22, 4:00pm
Twitter, Facebook among scrutinized companies
The US Congress' House Energy & Commerce Committee chairman Henry Waxman and chairman Fred Upton have issued a letter to 33 iOS developers, asking them about privacy policies when it comes to apps, reports say. A number of prominent developers are included in the list, such as Twitter, Facebook, SoundCloud, Turntable.fm, Path, and Tweetbot creator Tapbots. The letter actually claims that 34 developers have been contacted, but only 33 are mentioned.
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02/08, 4:15pm
Tweetbot gets big overhaul with tablet version
Tapbots revamped its signature Twitter apps in large form on Wednesday, starting with the surprise release of Tweetbot for iPad ($3, App Store). The new version both adapts to the bigger canvas of the tablet and shares its support for creating multiple timelines from one account and gestures to save time. Likewise, it can save content for later through Cloudapp, Instapaper, and Read it Later.
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