Like most people on Twitter, I lead a life so interesting that I tell strangers about it a couple times a day.  Whether I’m washing my car, at the library, or eating a sandwich, there’s always something amazing going on in my life that I want other people to know about.  Unsurprisingly, celebrities and companies also lead interesting lives, so they use Twitter to let me know what’s up.

I spend a few hours each day catching up with my pals Kanye and Rainn, and I’m always looking for new friends to follow.  This is where Tweetbeat comes in.  When I’m not reading Twitter, I’m reading the news- and Tweetbeat Firsthand brings both of my favorite pastimes together with style.  Whenever I’m reading a new article, Tweetbeat Firsthand shows me if anyone mentioned has a Twitter account, and I can just read their tweets without leaving the page.

Simply browse the web and TweetBeat will pop up a little Twitter icon next to names and organizations it recognizes as having official accounts.  You can either ignore the stars or click them, and a little inline box will open with the most recent tweets from that person.  It’s great because it only speaks to you when it has something to say- and it isn’t so in your face that you can’t just move along if you’re not in a Twittery mood.

Give Tweetbeat a shot if you’d like to see what people are saying about themselves without having to commit to following them full-time.

Post from Nick Nguyen, who secretly reads Us Weekly from cover to cover. See all posts by Nick Nguyen.