It’s a tough time to be a bank, but even more so when a major social network launches business pages that it seems anyone can create. more ›

Mass Relevance has partnered with the indomitable internet force(light or dark?) that is Twitter. The Austin-based company has been working with Twitter for months now, but Monday marks a huge step forward in terms of the scope of their business, as their partnership will allow them to offer their services with the official stamp of approval. more ›

While accepting an award from the Right Online conference over the weekend, our governor -- and buzzed-about possible (or possibly not) GOP Presidential candidate -- Rick Perry encouraged the folks to "follow me on Tweeter" (2:35 on the video). While far from an "Adios, mofo" moment, this is notable as the award Perry was receiving was for his use of new media. [Talking Points Memo] more ›

• Der Spiegel: Whistleblowers suffer more under Obama
• Japan finds radiation traces in harpooned whales, says still safe to eat
• Illegal immigration reentry cases surge

We're not sure exactly what is going on, but Texas Monthly is teasing a 1pm announcement regarding their BBQ App and Festival on Twitter. The message? "Free @franklinBBQ? Today! #tmbbqhunt". We'd suggest heading to the iTunes App Store to download the app, as any chance for free Franklin BBQ around lunchtime sounds like a ticket to eternal bragging rights. Good luck! Texas Monthly's 2nd Annual BBQ Fest will be held on 10/30 at The Long Center, and VIP tickets are on sale now - regular tickets will be available 8/10. more ›

Some of you tune in to KUT 90.5 every morning at 9 a.m. to listen to John Aielli's longterm musical confessional known as Eklektikos, and some of you send him hate mail. Our city seems to choose certain things to be divided on, and Aielli is certainly one of them. Wherever you land in the ongoing battle between stream of consciousness radio and more traditional on-air behavior, you're bound to get a kick out of the Twitter account one savvy Austinite created to track some of Aielli's most epic moments. ShitJohnAielliSays is definitely worth following, noting awesome comments like, "Lots of people in their band, lots of different sounds. I like them, and I think you should too. That's why I played them for you." and "I don't know how women deal with purses, putting them down everywhere. I can't imagine having your money floating around in a little thing." more ›

• Freedom on the march in the Middle East?
• Obama calls on Mideast leaders to get with the Freedom groove
• US State Department to begin Tweeting in Farsi

• State of the Union reax roundup
• Fact checking the SOTU address
• What were those lapel ribbons about, anyway?

• President Obama signs Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal
• Stay classy, Senator Coburn: Republican senator blocking 9/11 First Responders Bill refuses to talk to 9/11 First Responders
• Senate poised to pass nuclear treaty, giving Obama a major victory

Tonight, two downtown Austin spots will help to get you ready for the forthcoming season of holiday parties, cooking, and wine buying.

For a free, drop-in experience, head to Whole Foods Market at 6pm for a complimentary sample of six different wines from the Whole Foods 2010 Top 10 Holiday Wines list. more ›

It seems like every year there are handful of bands which bypass all the bothersome ramping up to notoriety, achieving that special, nearly indefinable "It Factor" of hipness just by being themselves. This year, one of those bands (and perhaps most notable among them) is Best Coast, and the pinnacle of coolness behind that band is Bethany Cosantino, a noted cat lover and world-class twitter aficionado who sings archetypal girl-loves-boys songs to stunning, 60s-inflected, pop effect. Her debut album, Crazy for You, constructed with bandmate Bobb Bruno (and being toured with former Vivian Girl Ali Koehler on drums), was a sensation before it even came out, so, in preparation for their performance at Fun Fun Fun Fest, we decided to give Bethany a ring to talk it out. more ›

If you're simultaneously a homebody and a music lover, you might be getting more out of ACL Fest on the web than in the field. If that's the case, we've got you covered. @Austinistmusic is the Twitter account you need to add for the weekend: we'll be posting news items, last minute aftershow ticket giveaways, photos, and reports from Zilker all weekend. Already on the grounds? Follow us anyway for the latest on stage dives, free stuff, short lines for food in cones and much more. more ›

• Hermine has left a trail of epic dampness thru Austin.
• You might not be swimming in Barton Springs Pool for a bit.
• Dang…is this joint in Blessing, Texas now gonna sell out of food quicker than tiny Snow’s BBQ (in Lexington) does?

We receive so many reports of restaurant openings, happy hours, new food trailers, and pairing dinners that it's tough to pare them down to a few items per week for your consumption. In order to better serve our audience, we've launched a section-specific Twitter at @austinistfood to send you updates on interesting items that are time-sensitive or that just don't make it to the site! Follow us and join in the discussion - and thanks! Recent topics include Sunday breakfast for early risers, the end of the donut burger at The Gibson, and this weekend's re-opening of the Travis County Farmer's Market. more ›

Well, we finally got our act together. At last, you can follow Austinist Music at Twitter. You'll get all the good bits that don't make it on the site: mp3s, videos, tour news, etc. Don't fret, it's not just an RSS feed. It's a real live person (your music editor, Paige Maguire) curating just the stuff we think you'd like to read. Twitter.com/AustinistMusic. more ›

• President Obama wants you to know your oyster po’boy (and other Gulf seafood) is safe to eat!
• There were 40,000 bikers here in the ATX for the ROT bike rally this weekend. “I’m the eye candy,” said one of the people interviewed for this story!
• Longhorn report: Television --and TV money-- may save the Big 12!

• The New York Times reports on a lawyer who has 20 former clients on death row in Texas.
• Dude pretended to sell hot tubs, but spent instead spent the dough on strip clubs and expensive cigars.
• Some people near Fair Park are very angry at the Dallas Independent School District. The school district wants to use eminent domain to secure property currently being used for homes and businesses.

• Incumbents out, upstarts in as primary elections deliver jolt
• Bangkok burns after Thai protest leaders surrender
• Taliban attack American military base outside Kabul

• Oklahoma City Bombing remembered
• 15 years after OKC Bombing, anti-government sentiment on rise
• OKC bombing victims' children building new lives

• Risk of nuclear attack has gone up since the Cold War, Obama tells summit.
• Fox turns traitor to the Tea Party?
• Bodies of all of the WV coalmine explosion victims have been recovered from the mine.

Williams and interviewer Umair Haque casually covered such topics as the importance of openness, how Twitter acts as a force for democracy, and the principles under which Twitter runs its business. more ›

We're running a little Twitter contest from now until 1 p.m.: Tweet us (@austinist) your best beautiful, idiotic, or otherwise nonsensical haiku for a chance to win a pair of weekend passes to Fun Fest plus a pair of spots on our VIP guestlist for Friday's Local Music is Sexy party at the Mohawk and Club Deville. Rules: include "#funfest" so we can find your haiku, and at least one of these phrases: "beer", "mechanical bull", or "Rick Perry". The responses thus far have been stunning. more ›

Twitter just launched a new feature called 'Lists', which allow you to create smaller subsets of those you're following. We're embracing this nifty new idea and creating a bunch of Austin-specific lists, both to help us navigate all of our online friends and to help you guys better sort out what's happening locally. more ›

• This may explain why the Fail Whale keeps appearing this week.
• Al Franken schools Right-Wing Health Care Analyst.
• About time: Treasury to order bailed-out banks to cut executive pay in half.

Texas Tech coach (and head pirate) Mike Leach has told social networking sites Twitter and Facebook to walk the plank after some recent online postings by his players. more ›

Like every other newspaper trying to stay solvent in the face of declining advertising sales, the Austin American-Statesman is actively thinking outside the proverbial box, today quietly unveiling its latest revenue stream: Twitter ads. more ›

Sugar Land-based TechRadium has sued Twitter in federal court, claiming that the popular messaging service infringes on its patents for a "mass notification" concept. more ›

Iranian post-election violence, crackdown EU leading international pushback Obama’s diplomatic dilemma in Iran Technology: “Tianamen + Twitter = Tehran” Analysis: Ahmadinejad to emerge with even stronger hand Power of women in Iran’s election Comic relief: Facebook introduces vanity URLs, Heywood Jablome first in line more ›

Austin fashion designer Dawn Simorangkir, who operates the Boudoir Queen label, filed a lawsuit against Courtney Love last week, alleging the singer spread "vile and vicious lies" about her in a series of online postings. more ›

The old saying, "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog" may need to be updated to "On Twitter, everybody knows you're not a cop." more ›