WASHINGTON: Google and Twitter announced yesterday that they have reactivated a voice-tweet programme to allow Syrians affected by the shutdown of the Internet to get messages out. The service allows people with a telephone connection to compose and send a tweet by speaking on their phones.
Google and Twitter said they were reactivating the system which was used in 2011 when the Internet was shut down in Egypt by authorities for several days. Those able to dial out can leave messages on several phone numbers: +90 212 339 1447 or +30 21 1 198 2716 or +39 06 62207294 or +1 650 419 4196, “and the service will tweet the message,” Google’s David Torres said. “No Internet connection is required, and people can listen to the messages by dialing the same phone numbers or going to twitter.com/speak2tweet.” AFP
