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Your support makes all the difference.Hot topics in the tech blogs for the week ending April 15: Google provides real-time search for the entire history of tweets and the Library of Congress acquires the Twitter archive; Apple shocks bloggers by approving Opera Mini for the iPhone; Twitter makes big announcements at its developer conference; Microsoft unveils its Project Pink phones for connected teens; and Apple delays international iPad orders.
Google stops Twitter time as the microblogging site announces its Tweets will be preserved
Google took real-time search to the next level with a new feature that lets you search through Twitter's entire history of tweets. Twitter also announced that they were donating access to the entire archive of public tweets to the USA's Library of Congress so they could become part of history. The Library of Congress responded to Twitter's announcement with a cheery, "How Tweet It Is!: Library Acquires Entire Twitter Archive."
Apple approves Opera Mini for the iPhone
In a shock move, Apple approved Opera Software's mobile web browser, Opera Mini, and the mobile application appeared in App Stores across the globe. The approval of the application comes as a very happy surprise to many iPhone users and bloggers who were sceptical at best about the app being approved. "On its first day of availability on the App Store since it was - surprisingly, to many - approved by Apple, Opera Mini for iPhone (iTunes link ) was downloaded one million times" wrote TechCrunch's Robin Wauters.
Twitter launches paid tweets
Twitter had a big week in the blogs. The company held its inaugural Chirp developer conference and delivered some major announcements concerning their microblogging service. Firstly Twitter revealed it had acquired Tweetie - a leading iPhone Twitter client - leaving rival Twitter developers aghast. Then they made the long-awaited announcement about Promoted Tweets, a built-in advertising program that would finally help the company monetize their growing business. Then the news came that Twitter would be launching an official Android App, further driving fear into the eyes of developers and start-ups who had invested time in money creating mobile clients for Twitter.
Microsoft's Project Pink Social Phones unveiled
Microsoft's much-rumoured Pink Project phones, the Kin One and Kin Two were unveiled during a "mystery" press event this week. The two Sharp-manufactured phones are targeted at young, social networking-addicted consumers. Gizmodo called them, "The Perfect Phone for Sidekick Fans" while MobileCrunch's Greg Kumparack said, "neither of these phones are for me. They're probably not for you, either." Days after the announcement the Consumer Reports Electronics Blog questioned, "Microsoft's creepy Kin video: Does it encourage sexting?", and Engadget revealed, "Microsoft Kin notifications have up to fifteen minute delay."
International iPad sales delayed
This week Apple announced that the demand for the iPad in the US has been so high they will be forced to delay shipments to the rest of the world by one month. Bloggers were quick to relay the news that the company had sold more than 500,000 iPads during its first week but canned Apple for its decision to postpone the international launch of the iPad until the end of May. "Apple: US iPad Sales Are Booming, So Everyone Else Has to Wait Another Month" announced MediaMemo's Peter Kafka.
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