TwitNine

Many twitterers use the service almost exclusively on their mobile phones. You can use Twitter on your mobile device in three ways:

• SMS (text messages) to and from 40404 (or your country’s short code)
• Twitter’s mobile Web site (http://m.twitter.com) if you have a Web browser on your cellphone.
• Downloadable applications for smartphones such as the BlackBerry or iPhone.

Literally dozens of applications come out for Twitter every couple of months. For more information, and to find the latest Twitter tools, check out Laura’s startup Twitter directory and marketplace oneforty (www.oneforty.com).

Via text messaging

Although text messaging (or SMS) is the most basic way to access Twitter via your cellphone, you need to first make sure that your cellphone plan encompasses unlimited texting. Otherwise, your monthly bill may end up skyrocketing. Check before you enable SMS updates!

After you make sure that you can afford your mobile texting plan, you can easily use SMS to update Twitter on the go.One caveat: The maximum length for a standard text message is 160 characters, but Twitter’s maximum is 140 characters. You have to manually verify that you aren’t going over the Twitter limit because otherwise, Twitter cuts off your SMS tweet at 140 characters.

In addition to sending tweets as SMS messages from your phone, you can receive your contacts’ tweets on your phone via SMS. Setting this up takes a little more work. First, think long and hard about how noisy you want your phone to be each day. Most Twitter users find that they can handle between 10 and 20 peoples’ tweets being sent to their phone before the constant incoming text stream becomes overwhelming. Luckily, even power users like iJustine (@iJustine) have discovered that they can take advantage of SMS tweets to their phone by being really selective about whose actual tweets they get via SMS. It’s not all-or-nothing.

To receive tweets from your contacts on your cellphone:

1. Open your own Home screen and, under Device Updates on the right sidebar, click phone to activate your phone notifications. Now you can subscribe to receive SMS tweets from any or all of the people that you already follow on Twitter. Don’t confuse notifications with following, though. Following means you follow their updates generally via Twitter. Notifications are a more intimate connection where you get their every tweet as an SMS text on your phone. With notifications ON, you also get all your DMs via SMS.

2. Make a list of people whose tweets you really want to receive directly as SMS messages on your phone. These people can be anyone — friends, family, influencers, clients whatever works for you.

3. Go to each of those Twitter users’ profiles and select (toggle) the updates on or updates off radio buttons to turn their notifications on or off.