Over the past four days, we have discussed the following topics: Twitter – What is it?, How to Get Started and Use it, Definitions and Best Practices, and txt Messages and Twitter.

This post is about a few useful tools to better use twitter.

So, after all this discussion of twitter and how to use it, what is the best way to keep informed of people you follow? Let’s take a look at a few tools.

Twitter.com

The twitter.com website is a great place to update status, but I prefer a few other tools.

Twirl

This application can be downloaded for free at http://www.twhirl.org. It can be  run on Windows and Mac. (I think Linux as well). It has all the features built in like replies, direct messages, managing users, and lookups.

TweetDeck

This application has all the functionality displayed a little different. I like the simplistic design of Twirl, but I like the grouping feature of TweetDeck. It breaks out columns for all tweets, replies, direct messages, and any groups you create. This app can be downloaded free at http://www.tweetdeck.com

What about on Phones or other devices??? Glad you asked… Yesterday I shared about using txt Messaging from phones, but there are a few other nice applications available.

iPhone & iTouch

I use a free application called Twitterrific. It works really well including a feature for using twitpic. I will share about twitpic tomorrow.

Blackberry

My good friend Chris Elrod mentioned that he uses Twitterberry for his Crackberry. Can’t really say if it is good or not, just have to take his word for it!

Windows Mobile

I use to have a Windows Mobile phone but retired it when I got my iPhone. I asked good friend Chris Craft what application he uses on his phone. He recommended Tiny Twitter. Though he did say that there was really not any good ones. Maybe he should write one.

As with any of these apps, you will have to decide which application(s) you like and will use. You can find a few others at http://twitter.com/downloads and a TON OF THEM at http://twitter.pbwiki.com/Apps.

If you have any applications/tools that you use, I would love to hear about them. Please leave a comment for all to see, so they can try them out too.

Tomorrow’s post will be the final installment of this series (serious this time). Stay tuned…

Not Twitter!

Here I am @ 3:40 in the morning and can’t even tell the world that I am awake!!! What’s up with that… People sleeping need to know these things!!! Come on Twitter…

Something is technically wrong.
Thanks for noticing—we’re going to fix it up and have things back to normal soon.

I love the error message… Been seeing it more and more…

I started using my Twitter account again… and then it happened…

I broke it!

I am not sure Twitter.com is ready for me!!!

When it gets back up an running…

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/clreeder

How would you like to know about new music releases…

How about finding out using RSS… (what is RSS?)

You can now… Check it out: http://www.music-alerts.com

I guess the fact that I think this is cool shows how much of a geek I really am…

http://www.brainyquote.com/

“My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.”
Hank Aaron

“Treat your password like your toothbrush. Don’t let anybody else use it, and get a new one every six months.”
Clifford Stoll

“The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do.”
Ted Nelson