Countless new apps are launched everyday, so the mobile enthusiasts amongst you are bound to find those that are fun, useful or informative. However, some others have got me a little worried, particularly about the people who make them and most importantly the users who go on to pay actual money for them…
As a Tech Columnist here at Bitchbuzz, I’ve recently thrown myself head first into the world of mobile apps and I have to admit, as terribly geeky as it sounds, I love the little things. I’ve been researching, downloading, experimenting and even buying them… only in moderation or to review them for your benefit, of course.
But recently I’ve come across a few that have me a little worried. It’s not because they don’t work or have major flaws, but they just seem to be utterly pointless or designed to help us do things that we should really be able to do ourselves or shouldn’t be doing at all. Yes I know they’re not all meant to be taken seriously, they’re a little bit of fun, yadda yadda, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still be a little disturbed by the fact that they exist…
Bubble Wrap Apps
There are various apps that mimic the act of popping bubble wrap, including BubbleFREE and Bubble Popper for iPhone users and the BubbBuule Wrap Game for Android. Hmm. I do wonder how pressing fake bubble wrap constitutes a “game” but anyway…
I have that strange and unexplainable love of bubble wrap as much as the next person, but isn’t half the fun the weird squishy feeling the bubble wrap makes between your fingers?
The day I sit alone popping fake bubbles is the day I need to seriously reconsider some things.
Convershakn
Solely made for the iPhone at the moment, Convershakn helps you start conversations with people. If it was designed to help you talk to people at networking events, in an interview or at a party, I’d be more accepting of it. Hell, I’d probably even need it. But it’s not. It’s to help you talk to your family.
I get that there’s many an awkward family moment to be had, particularly if you find yourself trying to find common ground with an elderly relative you last met when you were five. However, is it ever going to be OK to cut the tension with an app? Maybe I’m being a bit too cynical about this one and if taken with a pinch of salt it could actually be fun. I’ll let you know after my next awkward family gathering.
GottaGo
Another app designed for awkward situations, GottaGo for the iPhone, allows you to press a button and then you’ll receive a fake call. The fake call can get you out of all kind of situations if you’re a character in a cheesy rom-com and this is how you live your life. Please don’t use this app. Just tell someone you don’t want to be around them anymore. Life is too short people.
Boob Apps
So, both Wobble and iJiggles Your Mom are two separate apps that do a similar thing. They let you take a photo and then wobble two bits of that photo around. Some of you may think that’s pretty harmless. But then when I tell you they’ve been banned from the app store for promoting adult content, you know exactly which two bits of the photo people were wobbling about. I use the word ‘people’ loosely. Why am I really not surprised?
Becca Caddy is a BitchBuzz Tech columnist and freelance writer for Reputation Online, New Media Age’s spin-off publication. You can follow her on Twitter @beccacaddy.
Images via Bubble Wrap Game, Convershakn , PC Mag and the Apple app store