Tweets coming to Apple's Spotlight search, Twitter CEO says
The already-cosy relationship between Apple and Twitter appears to be growing tighter, as the companies are now engaged in an effort to bring Twitter content to Apple's Spotlight search engine.
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo revealed the expanded tie-up during the social network's quarterly earnings call on Tuesday, though he declined to provide additional details. Costolo's comments were first noted by Macworld.
Both OS X and iOS currently provide system-level Twitter account management, which --?among other things --?lets users grant and revoke account access for apps via System Preferences. Users can also tweet directly from OS X's Notification Center or via the iOS and OS X share sheets.
Twitter has long been the apparent clubhouse favorite at Apple, and was the first social network to be integrated into Apple's mobile and desktop operating systems. Numerous rumors over the years have pegged Twitter as a likely acquisition target for the iPhone maker.
While that acquisition hasn't yet occurred, Apple did pick up Twitter analytics firm Topsy in 2013. That acquisition was notable in that Topsy was one of only a handful of companies with access to Twitter's "firehose" --?a realtime stream of each and every tweet --?which may form the basis of the new Spotlight functionality.
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo revealed the expanded tie-up during the social network's quarterly earnings call on Tuesday, though he declined to provide additional details. Costolo's comments were first noted by Macworld.
Both OS X and iOS currently provide system-level Twitter account management, which --?among other things --?lets users grant and revoke account access for apps via System Preferences. Users can also tweet directly from OS X's Notification Center or via the iOS and OS X share sheets.
Twitter has long been the apparent clubhouse favorite at Apple, and was the first social network to be integrated into Apple's mobile and desktop operating systems. Numerous rumors over the years have pegged Twitter as a likely acquisition target for the iPhone maker.
While that acquisition hasn't yet occurred, Apple did pick up Twitter analytics firm Topsy in 2013. That acquisition was notable in that Topsy was one of only a handful of companies with access to Twitter's "firehose" --?a realtime stream of each and every tweet --?which may form the basis of the new Spotlight functionality.
Comments
So now if you type something in to Spotlight search it will be sent to Microsoft (currently) and Twitter (rumored). And if you type something in to Maps search it will be send to Yelp, TripAdvisor and Booking.com. "Your privacy is important to us," says Tim Cook, "you are not the product."
This news just made my day.
No way this will become a hackhole of any kind. /s
If I type @reneritchie in spotlight it opens the Twitter app and takes me to his Twitter profile. What is the privacy issue?
Nope. iOS too.
I used little snitch to block everything from spotlight except searching my Mac.
If I want to search the web I use a browser. If I want to search my computer I don't need to have results cluttered up with all the other crud Spotlight belches up at me.
And, no settings to turn all that off, so I have to hack the UI to get what I want.
????
I already disable everything from Spotlight except what's on Mac. But a nice feature for those that need it. I wish the Spotlight window floated free and was resizable.
I also disable everything from Spotlight except what's on the Mac (and I disable some of what's on the Mac as well). If I want to search the web, I'll use the browser. I really don't want these things tied together; it's two completely different objectives as far as I'm concerned. And I'm not so happy with Spotlight as is. It really should prioritize hits on filenames and bring those files to the top before it displays hits on content within files.
If I type @reneritchie in spotlight it opens the Twitter app and takes me to his Twitter profile. What is the privacy issue?
Privacy potentially comes in when you're searching for a keyword in your own private local files, and Apple submits those searches to Twitter to see if your tweets or anyone you're following contains that keyword.
I saw that story too. Even if Apple didn't want to buy Twitter, Tim could buy Twitter with his pocket changes and a courtesy reach-around.
You have the ability to toggle everything off from within Spotlight itself.
Nice!