The company has cited privacy violations and an inconsistent experience as its main arguments.

“If there are too many ways to use Twitter that are inconsistent with one another, we risk diffusing the user
experience. In addition, a number of client applications have repeatedly violated Twitter’s Terms of Service, including our user privacy policy,” Ryan Sarver of Twitter’s Platform team announced on its developer discussion group.

“This demonstrates the risks associated with outsourcing the Twitter user experience to third parties. Twitter has to revoke literally hundreds of API tokens / apps a week as part of our trust and safety efforts, in order to protect the user experience on our platform.”

“Developers have told us that they’d like more guidance from us about the best opportunities to build on Twitter. More specifically, developers ask us if they should build client apps that mimic or reproduce the mainstream Twitter consumer client experience.  The answer is no.”

Both sides do make some good arguments. Twitter says that it brings some user consistency and makes sure all the features of the web are available as to what is on the site. However, developers are arguing that it not only closes off competition for Twitter and damage the profitability of several companies, such as UberMedia (who had two of its applications blocked).

As well, the clients add more functions to Twitter. Tweetdeck (who is in the process of being bought by UberMedia) now has its own service, deck.ly, that allows you to post more than 140 characters. Clients also allow a constant view of replies and tweets in one window rather than pages.

While not able to create clients, Twitter developers will still be able to produce Twitter-based applications, but limited to areas such as publisher tools, content verticals, real-time data signals, social CRM and content curation.

Twitter already has several official applications, many of which acquired. It bought Tweetie in order to have Twitter on the iPhone and Mac, and already has produced its own Android and BlackBerry app (the latter of which is usable but not the best). However, with the lack of an application for Windows and Linux users, many will resort to applications for a better experience.

The law firm PiperAlderman is leading the class action suit, and have launched a website trying to get complaining customers to get compensation for the problems.

“Customers who signed up with Vodafone over the last three years may be entitled to compensation if they were misled into signing contracts or if Vodafone did not live up to its end of the bargain,” it notes.

Vodafone has stated that the problems were software bugs, not their network, but was forced to admit some other issues when people complained about the network on Vodafail.com, among a variety of other forums. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has already begun an investigation into the matter.

Problems such as constant drop outs and reception issues, even as simple as sending out a text message, have plagued both consumers and businesses, and others report not able to call emergency services. That would be bad.

In an email, Nigel Dews, CEO of Vodafone Hutchinson Australia, said, “It’s obviously very disappointing to hear that a legal firm is using this to drum up business.” That is according to a leaked email to staff members from Vodafone, seen by Fairfax Media.

Vodafone, however, appears to simply pushing advertising instead of repairing its network, with millions going to being a primary sponsor for the cricket, including The Ashes. Maybe it’s about time to start repairing that network, or you’re not going to be a mobile carrier anymore,

It wouldn’t be a Holiday Gift Guide if we didn’t give out some things to our fellow readers.

Thanks to our friends over at Motorola, we can give out this brilliant MOTOROKR T505 Hands-Free Bluetooth Unit – perfect for hands-free calling while driving, especially when a majority of people go out on the road to go for a holiday.

For those who don’t know, the device will transmit your phone calls and music from your device to you car stereo, using an unused FM station. So essentially, just hook this up to your phone via Bluetooth and find an unused FM channel and you are done!

Don’t forget, it is free! All you have to do is simply add a comment to this post. You will, however, have to be a resident in Australia in order to eligible to enter this competition. You can read the full rules here.

You have until Monday 6 December to get your entries in.

EDIT: The Giveaway has now ended, and the winners will be announced sometime this week.

On Friday, April 10, Apple announced a 1 Billion App Countdown to promote it’s revolutionary App Store and the Apps available for download. Such an achievement is being rewarded with 4 Apple products – a $10 000 iTunes Gift Card (Yes, that’s $10 000), an iPod Touch, a Time Capsule and a MacBook Pro – going to a lucky winner that enters the competition by simply downloading an App from the App Store or entering via the online form. The total value is around the $13 000 mark and is going for nothing but a simple entry.

“As of today, nearly one billion apps have been downloaded around the globe. So we just want to say thanks — a billion. Download an app and you’ll automatically get the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro. Just go to the iTunes Store, browse the App Store, and download your best app yet.”

Entrants must be at least 13 years of age and be a legal resident of the countries listed on the Countdown Page.

So if you are feeling lucky, head right over and enter yourself into one of the most luring and money-saving competitions ever!

France Telecom has said that it intends to appeal the decision, and says that it places it in a different position to countries like Britain, Germany and Spain, where they have exclusive agreements with a carrier to distribute the iPhone.

“Orange notes that this decision places France in a radically different situation compared to countries such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. Orange also points out that the launch of the iPhone in France was largely based on an industrial partnership in which Orange has heavily invested. This partnership has enabled a large number of people in France to benefit from innovative services at an attractive price,” France Telecom said in a statement.

“This decision is a serious blow. It calls into question the economic structure of the market and in particular, the different partnerships made between mobile operators and handset manufacturers working in the best interests of consumers and promoting innovation. By limiting all exclusive agreements to three months, operators will no longer be able to justify certain investments such as those made by Orange to launch the iPhone. These technical and commercial investments enabled Orange to offer a cutting-edge handset, coupled with innovative mobile Internet applications, to the wider public.”

“This decision, which will have a major impact on the market, was taken without any in-depth examination of the situation during a debate on conservatory measures. Unfortunately, this decision may have serious consequences on manufacturers, as well as their subcontractors and software suppliers, sectors that are already facing economic difficulties.”

Apple and France Telecom originally had a five-year exclusive deal, which the council said that it was “clearly excessive” and would risked putting “serious and immediate damage to competition on the mobile market and to consumers”. France Telecom also notes that it had sold over 450,000 iPhone 3Gs in one year.

An SFR spokesperson said that they hope to get a contract soon to sell the iPhone in the next few hours. “We are going to contact Apple to set up a distribution contract,” the spokesperson told Reuters. Bouygues Telecom, the No. 3 mobile operator and the source of the complaint, is also hoping to start selling the iPhone too.