Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Ping and Twitter officially integrate

Molly McHugh
By

Twitter and PingIn what feels like a last-ditch attempt to drive up some interest in Ping, Apple has merged its social media-music tool with Twitter. Users with accounts on both sites can now sync them so their activities on Ping will be posted to Twitter, the site announced in its blog. Music reviews along with links to buy the music in iTunes will soon be showing up in tweets. You’ll also be treated to previews of your fellow Twitter users’ Ping updates, previews that will soon be a whole 90 seconds.

Apple launched Ping in September, to minimal success. Up until recently, the company has been in talks with Facebook to somehow combine their sites. Even at Ping’s launch, Apple touted that users would be able to link it to their Facebook accounts, which they could – for a day. For one day users could find their Ping friends on Facebook. After that, Facebook removed Apple’s access to its API. There was still hope though. Steve Jobs was reportedly in conversation with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg less than a month ago, and there was speculation the two were mulling over a Facebook-Ping integration. Clearly, that’s all off the table now.

Recommended Videos

What’s ironic is that Facebook pulled that same rug out from under Twitter. Shortly after Facebook allowed Twitter users to find their friends on Facebook, the social networking site blocked its API. So now, both jilted by Facebook, Apple and Twitter have teamed up. Expect to see Twitter inundated with Ping related updates, as the automatic format when users sign up is for every single bit of activity to be tweeted.

Related

Sooner or later, Apple had to integrate Ping with a more established social networking site. But does Twitter need Ping? The site clearly gets enough traffic as is, which is why there’s speculation the company gets some sort of residual from songs sold through its feature. TechCrunch actually posed that question directly, and more or less were told that’s none of our business.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Molly McHugh
Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
How to create a bibliography in Word on Windows and Mac
A family using the computer to browse Fios internet together.

A bibliography is an important part of any well-structured college essay, dissertation, article, or other researched writing sample. It lets your readers know what sources you used as building blocks for your work, and isn’t too difficult to make without a template tool. Still, if you’d like to skip a few steps, there’s a terrific bibliography generator built right into Microsoft Word.

Read more
The unsung hero behind the modernization of Windows laptops
New Surface Laptop Studio 2 with a Surface Pen.

The large, multitouch trackpad was once synonymous with the MacBook. And starting in 2015, that has also included a haptic feedback trackpad, which simulates a physical click via a motorized engine under the surface. It was quite the revelation, and despite some initial skepticism, it really took off.

As you would expect, Apple held a patent on the technology, enjoying a five-year start ahead of other laptops. The first attempts at haptic feedback trackpads on Windows laptops weren't promising either.

Read more
How to create a Memoji on a Mac
Memoji creation screen in Messages on Mac.

Using emojis is a great way to add flair and personality to what would just be a plain ole’ text message. But if you’re an Apple devotee, you’ll also be able to liven your chats up with Memojis. Introduced on iOS 12, Memojis are custom avatars that you make in your likeness. Choose from numerous clothing, facial hair, and other cosmetic filters to dial in your appearance. When finished, your Memojis can be used with a few iOS apps, including Messages and FaceTime.

Read more