Twitter today switched on its promised integration of in-line media playback. The feature now enables iTunes previews on Twitter from those sharing links as well as from 19 other partners, including others previously limited to native apps. Instagram will leave its iOS app for the first time and show photos shared with Twitter sharing turned on.
Sony has began taking pre-orders for its Dash Personal Internet Viewer and lists the projected ship date as April 15th. It's being described as a more functional version of the Chumby and can show news, play media and Facebook updates on its 7-inch touchscreen with 800x480 resolution. Perhaps most unique is its ability to download from a library of more than 1,500 free apps developed for the Chumby.
As part of a slew of updates brought out with its CES keynote, Sony added the Dash to the mix. Expanding beyond what it mentioned at the presentation, the company views it as an upscale parallel to the Chumby. The all-touchscreen device can display news, make Facebook updates and play media but thrives the most on apps: over 1,000 Chumby apps will work and significantly extend its features beyond what's in the box.
Subscribers to Verizon's fiber optic Internet and cable service, FiOS, now have access to the Widget Bazaar, which lets them check out Twitter apps and log onto Facebook right on their TVs. Users won't be able to post Twitter updates or view their friends' pages, as the young version of the app only allows users to get updates on what they're watching and standard community Twitter updates. The Twitter app remains on the screen as a vertical ticker, even when users are watching TV.
