Reviews of Apple iOS Applications
Periscope
Summary of Key Features and Overall Impression
Periscope is a video sharing application that allows users, called broadcasters, to broadcast live feeds for their viewers. Broadcasters may share live videos with audio, as well as their location if they choose. While broadcasters broadcast live videos, their followers may interact with them in real time using the messaging option in the application. Viewers may also show appreciation for broadcasters’ broadcasts through ‘Hearts’. Viewers may choose which broadcasters to follow. Periscope also gives viewers the option to receive notifications whenever broadcasters begin broadcasting live feeds. Since Periscope was created by Twitter Inc., users may easily share broadcasts on their Twitter accounts. Periscope primarily targets Twitter users by offering them an application linked to their Twitter accounts that would allow them to share broadcasts with followers. Hence, Periscope is capitalizing on Twitter’s existing subscribers to amass users.
Positive Characteristics
Considering the link between Twitter and Periscope, the ease of connectivity between the two platforms is an advantage for Twitter users. Furthermore, the application’s design and interface are flawless as it is easy to use and it has an attractive color palette. The map also allows users to easily navigate and select broadcasts in different countries and updates the number of broadcasts in real time.
Negative Characteristics
Despite the positive characteristics of the application, Periscope is quite challenging to use at times because the features or buttons are not labeled clearly. Users would have to use all buttons to know the function of each one, which is time-consuming. In addition, the map takes time to load and fully appear on the screen.
Application’s Impact on Society
Periscope brings people around the world together, so to speak because it allows users to watch live broadcasts of videos posted by broadcasters in different countries. For this reason, people may use it to learn more about culture and events in other countries. In the future, it may also be used to broadcast news happening in one’s country, particularly those that are of global concern such as war and conflict, as well as calamities. Periscope creates an opportunity for people to broadcast news and current events as they see it.
Reviews
Periscope only has 8 reviews, 4 of which are positive reviews. I agree that Periscope has potential as an application to change the way that users take videos and share their memories with people. The user that rated the application low made some suggestions on how to improve Periscope such as including the use of hashtags.
Meerkat
Summary of Key Features and Overall Impression
Meerkat is similar to Periscope because it allows users to broadcast live videos using the application. Similarly, the application allows users to share live feeds on their social media accounts including Twitter. Hence, Meerkat competes with Periscope in this respect. …
