First Tweet-Only Device Debuts

The concept is simple: a device dedicated solely to sending and receiving tweets. TwitterPeek—made by mobile email/text gadget maker Peek—launches today at a cost of $199 with free lifetime service or $99 with a monthly charge of $7.95. Neat, writes Don Reisinger on CNET, but this idea seems dangerously close to dead in the water.

“There are a slew of mobile apps that allow people to tweet while they're on the iPhone, some BlackBerry models, and Android-based devices,” Reisinger writes. And the price, though modest for most mobile gadgets, might turn people off. Ty McMahan agrees in the Wall Street Journal. “It’s a functional, dedicated device for the Twitter platform. However, it doesn’t necessarily offer a better experience than free Twitter clients available for smartphones.” But it does get Peek some hype from its association with Twitter. (More internet stories.)