#appsessed

[madmounview]

Appsessed: Samba

We love Youtube reaction vids as much as the next person. But have you ever wished you could watch your friends' reactions in real time? 

Meet Samba -- an awesome video messaging app that automatically records your friends' reactions to your videos. Just download the (free!) app, record a video in it, and send it to anyone on your contact list. As they view your message, their reaction will be recorded and automatically sent back to you.

Recipients, fear not -- reactions can be deleted at any time. But hey, sharing a videos of yourself snorting while laughing is the definition of friendship, areweright?

We think that this kind of app would fit perfectly with Sour Patch Kids' love of prank-ery, sentimental brands like Tiffany's, and "priceless" brands like Mastercard. So brands, give 'em a shout -- and everyone else, give 'em a download (on iTunes or Google Play)! 

[madmounview]

Appsessed: Musx

Ever wonder if there's a way to share the music you love -- without having to send links every time? Move over, Youtube, here comes Musx! 

Referred to as the Instagram for music, Musx makes tedious copy-and-paste music sharing obsolete -- allowing users to seamlessly share songs with their friends, explore what's popular, discover new tracks, and listen to music nonstop with the "up next" feature. Get song recommendations straight from your friends, like and comment on what they've posted, and add them to your own favorites. You can even build playlists with the people you follow, or create your own -- publicly or privately (take that, Hypem!)

The Musx app just went through a pretty fabulous facelift -- showing off a hot new design, iPhone 6 optimization,  streamlined navigation, support for public playlists.

So download Musx 2.0 on iTunes here, and dance your way into the new year!

[madmounview]

Appsessed: TabbedOut

After a fun evening with friends, the last thing we want to do is wait around for the check. Thankfully, there's TabbedOut!

TabbedOut, used by popular watering holes nationwide, makes your night hassle-free by allowing you to close your tab automatically.

The app conveniently displays nearby TabbedOut locations using your mobile phone’s GPS (or you can search for specific places from within the app). Once you've picked a place, select a payment method within the app (can be credit or debit), and let your waiter know you'll be using TabbedOut. Order normally, and watch your items appear on your virtual tab in real time. When you're done, walk out -- your payment will be processed automatically, and is 100% secure. 

The app can be downloaded from either the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store (depending on your device), and is free. So give it a download, and bar-hop to your heart's content!

Follow them: @tabbedout

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[madmounview]

Appsessed: Jifiti

Stop us if this doesn't sound familiar. The holidays are fast approaching, gifting season is upon you, and the hours to find perfect presents are running out. But with every store you visit, you feel more out of your element. Your guesses at what your loved ones want are vague, at best -- and for some reason, you just don't believe the sales lady when she tells you that this perfume would be perfect for your dad.

Never fear -- Jifiti is here. Jifiti is a handy gifting app that takes the guessing out of giving, right down to size, color & style. Essentially, shoppers can select gifts in-store, online, or thumbing through the app -- and 'teleport' these products to their friends instantly as digitally transmitted gift cards. If the gift is a hit, friends may use the digital card to redeem the item in-store and select the appropriate size, color and style. But if it's a miss, they can use the gift card to purchase something else, hassle free. 

As the holidays approach, we'd rather be spending time with family than pounding the retail pavement. So thank you, Jifiti, for letting us sit back, relax, and enjoy another eggnog.

Follow them: @jifitigifts

[madmounview]

Appsessed: Frankly

Guilt-free, self-destructing messaging is a competitive market in the app world these days — and a brand new platform we’ve got our eye on is Frankly. A next-generation messaging app that (over Wifi) offers free communication worldwide, Frankly lets you be the “unedited version of you” — allowing you not only to send messages that disappear after being read, but also to organize anonymous group chats with friends, un-send regrettable unread messages, and snap “rapid fire” Insta Photos while simultaneously chatting with friends. Controversy involving private messages being saved on app servers has arisen for older apps like SnapChat — but Frankly assures downloaders that its servers do not save any messages, ensuring privacy and permanent deletion of content as promised.

We're not arguing that this idea hasn't been done before. But as we've said, anonymous messaging is a hot commodity — so as Frankly picks up speed, we'll be watching!

Follow them on Twitter at @ChatFrankly and show them some download love here. 

[madmounview]

Appsessed: Ansa

Let’s be honest: we’ve all sent messages we wish we could make disappear. Trends in the app world have shown it, demonstrating a clear consumer demand for confidential, “off the record” forms of messaging. While ensuring total privacy in mobile communication is difficult, we’ve seen several apps rise to the challenge. But we think Ansa is the one to watch – as it offers unique, sophisticated features that show a lot of promise in keeping what’s personal, personal.

Ansa, which started in February and went live as of this month, allows users to press an “off-the-record” button while messaging. After that point, all exchanged texts are automatically deleted from the sender and recipient’s phones after 60 seconds. Though this feature may seem to be creeping up on Snapchat’s territory (especially because Ansa offers a very reminiscent picture/video self-destruction option), this app’s capabilities are far more varied. For example, Ansa has an on-the-record option that allows users to keep their conversation history if desired – but it also has a “sync deletion” feature that allows users to delete those messages from both devices any time after sending them. Also, while Snapchat generally targets a younger group, Ansa has appeal for users of all ages – as its functions can extend beyond the fun, casual communication Snapchat is designed for. It also has major potential for advertisers as well as users, offering potential brands a chance to circulate time-sensitive deals to attract fast-acting Ansa users. Though Ansa most directly competes with Snapchat, we can easily see Ansa giving any messaging app a run for its money. Skype, Facebook, pay attention — this off-the-record function is one hot commodity that’s only going to get hotter.

Ansa’s team made quite a splash at Disrupt SF this year as a finalist in the Startup Battlefield, and we’ve already shown it some download love. But in case you need more incentive before you head to the App Store, here’s a clincher: Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader are already avid users.