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  • An invitation to #ComedyFest (BYOB)

    Monday, April 29, 2013

    This week Twitter is turning into a comedy club, and you’ve got the best seats in the house, all for the price of free. We’re not saying that enjoying your favorite comedians on Twitter is a cheapskate’s way to avoid the cover and two-drink minimum at your local club. By all means, pull up a chair, get on Twitter, and pour a couple of glasses as Comedy Central’s #ComedyFest unfolds on Twitter from April 29-May 3.

    Almost from the beginning of Twitter, comedians have been pushing the boundaries and creating a new form of comedy within the limits of 140 characters.

    And this week, Comedy Central (@ComedyCentral) is celebrating that comedy and those comedians, with the Comedy Central #ComedyFest, running from today through Friday. On Twitter, on ComedyCentral.com and on the air, you’ll be able to enjoy over 20 events featuring 67 comedians, including Q&As, roasts, and live-tweeting stand-up specials and favorite funny films.

    Wait - make that 68 comedians. In the first event of #ComedyFest, the incomparable Mel Brooks will be joining Twitter today as @MelBrooks. He’ll be participating in a discussion with another legend of comedy, Carl Reiner (@CarlReiner) -- the 2,000 year old men, if you will -- hosted by contemporary funnyman Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow). Everyone is invited to watch the conversation between these icons of comedy: the event will live-stream in @MelBrooks’ first tweet, as well as on cc.com, starting at 2pm PT. You can ask these legends questions of your own by tweeting with #ComedyFest... and if you’ve ever seen their routines, you’ll know that nothing is off-limits.

    And that’s just the beginning! Make sure you don’t miss a single laugh by checking out the full schedule here -- and be sure to follow @ComedyCentral for updates and programming. To find and follow all the participants on Twitter, visit this page. Here’s a small sampling of what you’ll find during the week-long #ComedyFest:

    Key & Peele episode live-tweet 
    Monday (4/29) 8:00 p.m. ET 
    Tune-in to COMEDY CENTRAL and follow creators and stars Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele as they live tweet an episode of their hit show "Key & Peele."
    Featuring: Keegan-Michael Key @KeeganMKey, Jordan Peele @JordanPeele

    Tweeting All Up Inside Amy Schumer 
    Tuesday (4/30) 10:30pm ET 
    During the premiere of the new COMEDY CENTRAL series, “Inside Amy Schumer”, Amy Schumer herself will be livetweeting--giving you the inside scoop, telling you things that went right and wrong during shooting, and more!
    Featuring: Amy Schumer @amyschumer 

    The Comedy Directors of Comedy: A Panel 
    Wednesday (5/1) 12:30pm ET 
    This panel gathers some of the best comedy directors out there--Paul Feig, Lance Bangs, Neal Brennan, and more--and gets them to discuss the ins and outs of directing comedy successfully.
    Featuring: Jordan Vogt-Roberts @vogtroberts, Lance Bangs @lancebangs, Rob Schrab @robschrab, Paul Feig @paulfeig, Neil Brennan @nealbrennan; moderated by Oren Brimer @orenbrimer


    Reno 911! Movie! Reunion! 
    Wednesday (5/1) 2:45pm ET 
    Stars Tom Lennon and Kerri Kenney-Silver livetweet their opus, Reno 911!: Miami, with the help of Kumail Nanjiani. Watch the movie with them and get lots of behind-the-scenes stories.
    Featuring: Tom Lennon @thomaslennon, Kerri Kenny-Silver @kerrikenney, Kumail Nanjiani @kumailn; moderated by Michael Ian Black @michaelianblack
    This week marks the evolution of Twitter’s role as the great public square to now include a special corner for the smartasses, fools and funny people. BYOB.


    Posted by Fred Graver (@fredgraver)
    Head of TV

    Posted by @ at 6:00 AM

  • This Week on Twitter - Apr. 29

    On most Mondays, we post “This week on Twitter” to alert you to key things happening in the coming week. Whether it’s a live chat with the cast of your favorite TV show, a Q&A with a political candidate or a pro sports team Tweepstakes, keep current about can’t-miss moments on Twitter in the week ahead. - Ed.

    Monday, Apr. 29 - May 3; 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT
    This week kicks off #ComedyFest from Comedy Central (@ComedyCentral). Mel Brooks (@MelBrooks) and Carl Reiner (@CarlReiner) will answer questions in an “in-Tweet” Livestream event hosted by Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow). Fans should follow @ComedyCentral and @MelBrooks (who will be posting his first Tweet on Monday) for more information. The rest of the festival will celebrate comedy, comedians and everyone who likes to laugh.


    Monday, Apr. 29; 12:35 a.m. ET / PT
    Retta (@unfoRETTAble) will live-tweet her appearance on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (@LateNightJimmy). She'll be performing a stand-up set and promoting the finale of Parks & Recreation (@ParksAndRecNBC). Fans should keep an eye out for behind-the-scenes Tweets throughout the day!

    Wednesday, May 1; 9:00 p.m. ET / PT
    The Office (@TheOfficeNBC) viewers can vote for Dunder-Mifflin’s most valuable employee this week by using the hashtag #DunderMifflinMVE. To see who won, check @TheOfficeNBC on Monday, May 13.

    Wednesday, May 1-4; check local listings
    It's #Derby week! Catch all of the behind-the-scenes action by following NBC Sports Network (@NBCSN). Fans will find everything from backstage photos, to celeb Tweets and Tweets from the horses themselves (yes, they have their own accounts). For the latest fashion trends (specifically hats) #Derby fashionistas should follow along using the hashtag #DebryHats.

    Check back next week for more!

    Posted by Alexandra Valasek (@AlzValz)
    Communications

    Posted by @ at 5:00 AM

  • #OnlyOnTwitter: A Presidential Week

    Friday, April 26, 2013

    It’s been a historic week on Twitter, as two former U.S. Presidents let their presence be known on Twitter. Bill Clinton joined the ranks of President Barack Obama, all 100 U.S. Senators and 95 percent of the House of Representatives, while the dedication of George W. Bush’s new Bush Center brought us closer to all 5 living presidents via Twitter.

    Earlier this week while making an appearance on the “Colbert Report”, Bill Clinton officially  joined Twitter as @billclinton. He sent his first Tweet to the show’s host Stephen Colbert (@stephenathome) and his daughter, Chelsea Clinton (@chelseaclinton), both of whom responded.


    Since then, everyone from fellow politicians to former staffers to other popular Twitter personalities tweeted him with warm welcome messages.


    Also making a splash on Twitter this week was the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, and the George W. Bush Institute (@TheBushCenter), the first to open since 2004. Every living president, former world leaders and dignitaries, as well as Bush Administration alumni and other notable guests attended the dedication, many of whom live-tweeted the event using the hashtag #BushCenter.

    @TheBushCenter also captured a historic and behind-the-scenes view of the reunion of all five living presidents and the first families.


    While a ceremonial affair, there were many lighthearted moments captured on Twitter as well:


    We’re excited to hear more from and about the 42nd and 43rd presidents in 140 characters. Be sure to follow @gov to get the latest updates on the world leaders, politicians and organizations that matter most to you.

    Posted by Bridget Coyne (@bcoyne) and Sean Evins (@evins)
    Government Team

    Posted by @ at 10:15 AM

  • New improvements to Twitter for Mac

    Thursday, April 25, 2013

    Today we’re announcing a few improvements to Twitter for Mac:

    • Photos: It’s easier than ever to share photos. Simply click the camera icon in the lower-left corner of the Tweet compose box, and choose a photo to share. If you prefer, you can still drag and drop photos from the desktop.
    • Retina display support: Now Twitter is even more vibrant and detailed on the highest resolution Mac notebooks. With this update, Tweets will be clearer and sharper, creating a more vivid experience.
    • 14 more languages: In addition to English, Twitter for Mac now supports Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, and Turkish.

    Along with these updates, Twitter for Mac offers keyboard shortcuts, support for multiple accounts and timelines, and other features that you’ve come to love.

    You can get this update now in the Mac App Store. Keep an eye out for more improvements to come, too.

    Posted by Ben Sandofsky (@sandofsky)
    Tech Lead, Twitter for Mac

    Posted by @ at 10:24 AM

  • This Week on Twitter - Apr. 22

    Monday, April 22, 2013

    On most Mondays, we post “This week on Twitter” to alert you to key things happening in the coming week. Whether it’s a live chat with the cast of your favorite TV show, a Q&A with a political candidate or a pro sports team Tweepstakes, keep current about can’t-miss moments on Twitter in the week ahead. - Ed.

     Monday, Apr. 22; 8:00 p.m. ET / PT 
    It's a hashtag war! Tune into Love & Hip Hop Atlanta and vote on the characters' actions with hashtag #LHHATL. Follow @LoveHipHopVH1 for the questions and after the show for results.


    Tuesday, April 23; 8:00 p.m. ET
    The following @NFL greats and ESPN analysts will be live-tweeting the premiere of @30for30 "Elway to Marino": @TDESPN, @MelKiperESPN, @DarrenRovell, @BillSimmons, @wingoz and Bill Polian will take over the @ESPNNFL account. Fans should use #ElwaytoMarino to join the conversation.

    Wednesday, Apr. 24; 9:00 p.m. ET / PT
    Kevin Bacon (@KevinBacon) will host a Twitter Q&A prior to The Following (@TheFollowingFOX) season finale. Fans are invited to tweet Kevin questions on Wednesday using the hashtags #TheFollowingFOX and #AskKevinBacon on Twitter, and he’ll respond on Thursday with a WhoSay video message.


    Thursday, Apr. 25; 8:00 a.m. Central Time
    Follow @TheBushCenter to experience the real-time opening of The George W. Bush Presidential Center — home to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the George W. Bush Institute. In addition to each living President, the First Lady, several campaign surrogates, former staffers, and other noted guests will be in attendance, many of whom will live-tweet using the hashtag #BushCenter.

    Thursday, Apr. 25-27; check local listings
    Catch live coverage of the #NFLDraft including photos from the red carpet by following @NFL and @NFLNetwork. Stevie Johnson (@StevieJohnson13) and Will Allen (@WillAllenWAF) will be among the current players live-tweeting the event. Vote for your picks on Twitter in real time with the broadcast. Check back next week for more!

    Posted by Alexandra Valasek (@AlzValz)

    Communications
    --

    Posted by @ at 5:00 AM

  • Now playing: Twitter #music

    Thursday, April 18, 2013

    Today, we're releasing Twitter #music, a new service that will change the way people find music, based on Twitter. It uses Twitter activity, including Tweets and engagement, to detect and surface the most popular tracks and emerging artists. It also brings artists’ music-related Twitter activity front and center: go to their profiles to see which music artists they follow and listen to songs by those artists. And, of course, you can tweet songs right from the app.

    The songs on Twitter #music currently come from three sources: iTunes, Spotify or Rdio. By default, you will hear previews from iTunes when exploring music in the app. Subscribers to Rdio and Spotify can log in to their accounts to enjoy full tracks that are available in those respective catalogs. We will continue to explore and add other music service providers.

    So, if you’re interested in the songs that have been tweeted by the artists and people you follow on Twitter, you can navigate to #NowPlaying to view and listen to those songs.
    BERJAYA

    Or if you’re scrolling through a chart and you want to learn more about a band, like Chvrches, you can tap their avatar to see their top song, follow them right from the chart, or tap their Twitter username to go to their profile.
    BERJAYA

    Or if you want to listen to music from the artists Wiz Khalifa follows, you can search for his name using the search icon in the top right corner. Then tap one of the artists you’re interested in and hit the play button to begin listening, or press play on the player to listen to all the artists.
    BERJAYA

    And as you discover new songs that you want to share with your followers on Twitter, simply tap the spinning disc in the lower left corner. This opens the player, and you can tweet from there using the Tweet icon in the top right corner.
    BERJAYA

    You can download Twitter #music from the App Store today, or enjoy the web version, which will be rolling out over the next few hours: music.twitter.com. Right now, the service is available in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Over time, we will bring the service to Android as well as to more countries.

    Twitter and music go great together. People share and discover new songs and albums every day. Many of the most-followed accounts on Twitter are musicians, and half of all users follow at least one musician. This is why artists turn to Twitter first to connect with their fans — and why we wanted to find a way to surface songs people are tweeting about. We offered music artists an early look at the service. You can see some of their reactions below. We hope you like it, too.












    Posted by Stephen Philips (@huntedguy)
    Founder, We are Hunted

    Posted by @ at 5:29 AM

  • This Week on Twitter - Apr. 15

    Monday, April 15, 2013

    On most Mondays, we post “This week on Twitter” to alert you to key things happening in the coming week. Whether it’s a live chat with the cast of your favorite TV show, a Q&A with a political candidate or a pro sports team Tweepstakes, keep current about can’t-miss moments on Twitter in the week ahead. - Ed.

    Saturday, Apr. 20; 12:00 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT 
    Comedy legends Cheech and Chong (@CheechandChong) will host a Twitter Q&A in celebration of their new animated feature-length film, “Cheech and Chong’s Animated Movie”. Fans can follow the conversation or participate by using the hashtag #CC420.

    Sunday, Apr. 21; 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
    Phil Keoghan (@PhilKeoghan) will live-tweet “The Amazing Race” (@AmazingRace_CBS) using hashtag #AmazingRace. Viewers are invited to tune in and tweet in, or simply follow along.


    Sunday, Apr. 21; 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT
    Fans of “The Good Wife” (@TheGoodWife_CBS) can follow set decorator Beth Kushnick (@GoodWifeSetDec) and join the conversation as she live-tweets this week's episode.

    Check back next week for more!

    Posted by Alexandra Valasek (@AlzValz)
    Communications

    Posted by @ at 7:12 AM

  • Cast your votes for the MTV Movie Awards

    Friday, April 12, 2013

    For this year’s MTV Movie Awards, the judges are stepping aside and letting the viewers’ voice be heard: fans can now cast their vote via a Tweet. As movie buffs tune-in, they can also tweet-in as they vote, comment on their favorite acceptance speeches, share their picks for best dressed, or join the conversation as their favorite actors live-tweet the show. Viewers can check out the MTV Movie Awards Discover page, for specially-curated content live, leading up to and during the show.

    #BestHero Award
    Fans can use the following hashtags to cast their vote:
    #VoteBilbo - The Hobbit
    #VoteBatman - The Dark Knight Rises
    #VoteCatwoman - The Dark Knight Rises
    #VoteHulk - The Incredible Hulk 2
    #VoteIronMan - Iron Man 3
    #VoteSnowWhite - Snow White and the Huntsman


     The “Giffies” 
    Viewers should follow @MTV to keep up-to-date on the first-ever real-time awards show about the awards show.  @MTV has teamed up up with @VH1 to offer a unique perspective, creating gif categories based on the show that will be tweeted-out in real-time. Fans can keep an eye out for “giffie” categories like “Best smirk," “Best long drawn-out acceptance speech,” and more.

    Live-tweeting cast 
    Whether they’re at the show or on their couch at home, stars will be putting in their two cents on Twitter, live during the show. Fans can follow these VIPs to get an insider’s look:

    Attendees: 
    Ben Platt (@BenSPLATT): performer
    Andrew Jenks (@AndrewJenks): creator/host of MTV’s “World of Jenks”
    Hana Mae Lee (@hanamaelee): nominee, performer
    MTV (@MTV): Official Account

    Couch commentators: 
    Nina Garcia (@ninagarcia): Creative Director of Marie Claire
    Shawne Merriman (@shawnemerriman): former NFL player
    Harry Shum (@iharryshum): Glee actor
    Rebecca Minkoff (@RebeccaMinkoff): designer
    Arlene Van Dyke (@Speakyteeth): costume designer
    Gregory Smith (@Ju_Smith4): NBA player

    Posted by Grace Chu Lee (@Gracelee)
    TV Partnerships

    Posted by @ at 10:13 AM

  • Trends in 160+ locations

    Thursday, April 11, 2013

    Today, we’re introducing Trends in more than 160 new locations. Included in that list are a number of countries that will be getting Trends for the first time: Belgium, Greece, Kenya, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Ukraine, plus more than 130 new cities in countries that already have Trends.

    Trends are an easy way to find out what people are talking about right now –– around the world, in your country, or in your city. By checking out Trends, you can easily find breaking news and current hot topics that are most relevant to you. To find these new locations, click “Change” in the Trends sidebar on twitter.com, and select the city or country you’re most interested in.

    To make Trends more convenient and relevant for people around the world, we’re constantly working to bring Trends to more locations –– be on the lookout for even more in the future. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to check out our support article on Trends for more information.

    Posted by Royce Cheng-Yue (@rchengyue)
    Software Engineer

    Posted by @ at 2:09 PM

  • Tweet Week on CBS

    Thursday, April 04, 2013

    Day in and day out, tuning in with Twitter makes watching TV all the more enjoyable. You can talk to the stars of your favorite scripted shows, see behind-the-scenes peeks of what happens on talk show sets, or receive exclusive color commentary about a big game. Bridging its primetime, daytime, and sports programming, CBS is kicking of #CBSTweetWeek today, offering viewers an exclusive weeklong tweetstravaganza.

    Between April 4-10, the network’s stars and talent will be live-tweeting programs ranging from March Madness to The Price is Right to NCIS. All in all, 47 stars will hold Twitter chats for 19 programs throughout the week. For a full schedule of live-tweeting lineups, visit http://www.cbs.com/TweetWeek.

    Be sure to follow your favorite shows and stars this week:

    You can follow (and contribute to) the conversation with the hashtag #CBSTweetWeek.

    Posted by Grace Chu Lee (@gracelee)
    TV Partnerships

    Posted by @ at 9:44 AM