Apps Anyone?

With the fast-paced technology, getting in touch with our loved ones has become a lot easier.| Photo courtesy of Google Images

By Louise Maureen Simeon

Name it and you can have it!

With the technology reaching its peak, increased popularity of smartphones and the diverse interest of the people come the emergence of various applications. Whether you're curious about tomorrow's weather, interested in national issues, love editing photos or just bored and want some perking up, there is an app suited for you.

And with more and more people wanting to get connected with their family, friends and loved ones almost every minute, apps such as Line, WeChat, KakaoTalk and Viber have been very famous and useful. Here are some information about the well-known apps worldwide.

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Famous for its sticker shop, Line already has 200 million users worldwide.| Photo courtesy of Google Images

• Line

Famous for its Sticker Shop, Line is an application for instant messaging for both smartphones and personal computers launched in Japan in 2011. Reaching more than 200 million users worldwide, Line allows the exchange of text messages, graphics, audio and video media and conferences. Originally created for iOS and Android, Line has already extended its services to BlackBerry, Nokia Asha and Windows Phone. Microsoft Windows and Mac iOS platforms also cater the app for laptops and desktop computers. Line users get to send virtual stickers which appear as larger versions of emojis during chat sessions. Aside from the original characters they feature, characters from Disney, anime and games are also enjoyed by the users.

• Viber
  

Initially launched for iPhones in 2010 to compete with Skype, Viber is an instant messaging voice-over-Internet-Protocol application for smartphones developed by Viber Media. Similar to what Line, WeChat and KakaoTalk offer, this app also allow users to exchange images, video and audio messages. As of May 2013, it already has 200 million users from different countries.

• WeChat
  

Released in January 2011, WeChat is a mobile voice and text messaging communication service available in various languages such as English, Chinese, Italian, Hindi and Malay among others. It provides text, hold-to-talk and broadcast messaging and photo, video and location sharing. WeChat users can also connect and chat with other users internationally through location-based plug-ins. As of January 2013, it has 300 million users all over the world and continuously increasing. Based on the latest study done by GlobalWebIndex, a market research firm, WeChat landed on the fifth place in the most used smartphone apps globally. 

• KakaoTalk
  

This app provides free call and text messaging aside from its feature that includes sharing photos, videos and voice messages. One-on-one and group chats are also available wherein the latter has no limit as to the number of friends who can join a conversation. Released in 2010 and is based in Seoul, South Korea, KakaoTalk has an average of 24 million users daily and more than 3 billion messages are sent everyday. Cnet, an American technology website, chose KakaoTalk as the No.1 free SMS app. Alongside the aforementioned features, the app also allows conference calls, conversations with celebrities and users' own KakaoTalk theme for iOS and Android smartphones.

Various apps have undeniably changed the way people communicate with one another. Sending letters, calling through telephones and even the then famous Yahoo! Messenger and Skype are already miles afar from the apps today.

The fast-paced technology has helped millions of people stay connected and with the potential that different apps are showing and the unique features they are offering, there’s no doubt that more apps are set to emerge and people are most likely to accept and support the gush of numerous applications.

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