Conan Follows Random Woman on Twitter

Privacy gap closed, but not before some opportunistic hijinks

(NEWSER) - If your Twitter account lists no followers or follow-ees, thank the happy-go-lucky iPhone acquirers at Gizmodo , who tipped the tech world to a vulnerability this morning. It's no longer working, but the web interface allowed the attention-starved to type "accept" and the Twitter name of any account, thereby gaining a follower—and the attendant direct-messaging capability. "I have no idea how a hole this large could be left in a service as popular as Twitter, nor do I understand why it hasn't been shut yet," wrote John Herrman. More»

Fans can also read thoughts of squirrel, monkey, Sharpie, freckles

(NEWSER) - Conan O’Brien’s breakout Twitter success—442,296 followers and counting—may be overshadowing the exploits of a coterie of related microbloggers. Conan’s beard (144 followers) has something to say, as do the squirrel who lives in his backyard (1,191), his freckles (14), and his Sharpie marker (10), the Los Angeles Times reports. “I’m famous!” tweets the beard. More»

Sarah Killen is doing more than just cashing in on fame

(NEWSER) - When Conan O'Brien picked Sarah Killen at random to be the person he'd follow on Twitter, it wouldn't have been a huge surprise if she milked her fame and turned "into a real douche," writes Mary Elizabeth Williams. And while Killen has indeed become a bit of a media darling and even raked in a new iMac and other pieces of swag, she's also used her celebrity to raise money for breast cancer and help a charity that feeds children. More»

Fox deal may upstage Jay Leno's Tonight Show return

(NEWSER) - Jay Leno may have the Tonight Show but Conan O'Brien has captured the Twitter crown. O'Brien set up his now authenticated Twitter account yesterday and nabbed 200,000 followers within hours, dwarfing Leno's following of around 30,000, the Los Angeles Times reports. "Today I interviewed a squirrel in my backyard and then threw to a commercial," Conan wrote in his first tweet. "Somebody help me." More»

Celebs can net $10K just for one tweet endorsing a product

(NEWSER) - Twitter represents a new frontier for advertising, with companies like Ad.ly connecting advertisers to much-followed celebrities. The Daily Beast lists the most highly compensated tweeters:

1. Kim Kardashian : 2,795,369 followers, $10,000 (at least) per tweet.
2. Soulja Boy : 2,002,848 followers, $10,000 (at least) per tweet.
3. Dr. Drew Pinsky : 1,832,536 followers, $10,000 (at least) per tweet.
4. Samantha Ronson : 1,485,813 followers, $7,000-$10,000 per tweet.