While a lot of people may mostly be using their iPhones to check the weather, the apps I use most frequently are the ones that connect to Twitter. Twitter’s mobile web experience is pretty awful and SMS is a complete and utter rip-off. But luckily, several developers have made some simple, slick apps for using Twitter on the device. My current favorites are Tweetie (iTunes link) and Twitterfon (iTunes link). Both offer rich interfaces for doing a range of things such as checking updates, retweeting and searching Twitter. But what if you only care about actually composing tweets? Than Birdhouse may be for you.
While Birdhouse dubs itself as a “notepad for Twitter,” upon using it, I think it’s more like WordPress for Twitter. The idea is extremely simple: You start it up and compose tweets that pop into your head. Birdhouse automatically saves these tweets in the “Drafts” folder, until you decide you’re ready to publish them. Anytime before you do that, you can edit them, assign a rating for how good you think they are (one to five stars) or delete them. Once you publish a tweet, it’s moved into your “History” folder. From here, if you click on a tweet, you can unpublish it from your Twitter stream.
You can’t check other users’ tweets from Birdhouse, because that isn’t the point of the app. It really is just a content management system (CMS) for Twitter on the iPhone. Whether a format that is limited to 140 characters actually needs a CMS is another story. But it’s one that the guys from Sandwich Dynamics, the creators of the Birdhouse app, explain humorously, if not exactly well, in the video below.
This app would have a lot more value if it allowed you to do timed tweets. That is, write a tweet and set it to publish at a certain time. The company hints that more features are on the way, hopefully that is one of them.
For now, if you truly consider your tweets to be works of art that need refining (and I know some of you do), you may want to check out Birdhouse. It’s $3.99 in the App Store (iTunes link). If you just want a faster way to publish tweets, check out JustUpdate (iTunes link) — it lacks the CMS features, but it’s fast as hell, and free.
[via Laughing Squid]
Really nice work on the icon and that’s a really cool idea. All twitter desktop apps should have this kind of feature
A CMS, no matter how good, is also always going to be marred by the tiny touch screen keyboard – all the more so on the iPod Touch. Doesn’t seem to make much difference from using Tweetie which only costs £0.59 – only aspect is being able to store them for future.
I have doubts that many people will use this app, but the video was excellent.
If that’s all you took away Gabe, then I’m satisfied.
Also worth checking out is Oak, a simple iPhone app that allows you to post tweets to your account without it loading the stream from the people you’re following.
http://oakapp.com/
F*cking useless
Hmm I might actually buy this app … an interesting idea that pushes the way we use and see twitter..
@ Robin Wauters.
It’s great mate, does what you says it does without bells and whistles.
Thanks
Anyone who needs to store drafts of 140 character messages for later review is an idiot. The whole point of Twitter is lightweight real-time messaging. If you are actually going to be putting thought into what you are writing, you are probably better off publishing to a real blog, instead of an echo chamber like Twitter.
$3.99 for that piece of junk? I could code that in a day.
But you didn’t.
Yeah, because I have no interest in doing so.
Whether or not that is true, any credibility you have is voided by posting anonymously.
Not sure about the app although it does jump right into an uncovered area with Twitter. Regardless… the video is great!
Interesting to see the harsh reactions–kinda like some mainstream reactions to Twitter itself.
I say give up your Frapp’ for a day and try it out. If you can code a better one, you can write off the $3.99 as a business expense.
This app provides a needed function in a crippled iPhone OS that lacks cut-and-paste.
Just one thing, the first 30 reviews sound like they are mostly from the beta testers/friends/family.
That’s a great video.
A CMS for twitter. Now that’something you don’t see everyday.
the video was quite entertaining
These guys better grab for all the cash they can. In another year or so, phone apps will seem as retarded as having a browser plug-in for each Web site you visit.
you mean like your flash plug in?
That is a brilliant video. Well done
I really want to know what that music is they’ve used. I’ve been trying to find it for ages. A great ring tone!
Youcna find the tune overhere @ http://blog.bir...-butter-popcorn
Fantastic video! I’d love to have this guy pushing my next product.
I liked the video as well. The audio loop was a nice touch.
If this app could do time delayed tweets, that might be interesting.
I think they are releasing that as a separate app called Birdfeed? just guessing tho
http://birdfeedapp.com/
My current favorite Twitter app for iPhone is Twittelator Pro. It does everything Tweetie and Twitterfon do and more, including letting you save and edit draft tweets whether on or offline. Seems it does what birdhouse does and more.
I like very much the writings and pictures and explanations in your adress so I look forward to see your next writings.
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