Story

Story

Threat Level – very low

Recently, Disney released a new free app called Story for Apple iOS devices. The Disney Story app is optimized for iPhone 5. It loaded fine though on my iPhone 4S, I had no evident issues although the app was not designed for my particular model of phone.

The idea behind the app is that the pictures and videos you take tell the stories of your life. You are able to view shared stories on a unique website that is created for each Disney Story created in the app. If you choose to share just keep in mind that those who can see your Facebook or are invited to the email will be able to see the story, so please don’t publish private information like addresses or phone numbers.

The information provided by Disney from the App Store indicates that the unique Disney Story websites will not be able to be searched for or found without the unique web address. Any pictures or videos uploaded, but not shared are deleted from the app’s server after seven days.

I found the app to be very user friendly on my Apple devices, and kind of fun seeing the timeline of photos. The Disney Story app accesses your camera roll to organize pictures and videos by date and location. This makes it very easy to see stories of your life appear before you to share with others.

You can share this via their website, Facebook or email. I gave this a very low threat level due to the those ways being the only way to share.

Tango

Tango

Threat Level – High

Tango is a social texting, social media and photo sharing app that has been around for almost 3 years. Tango has recently in early 2013 quarter shown a peak in popularity for downloads, and is in the top 10 Social Media apps downloads And close to 2k reviews averaging 4.5 stars shows it is a popular app.

So what is Tango? Imagine every messaging service available in apps, roll them all together and you get Tango.

Tango lets you send receive voice calls, text calls and as of last month, grouping features for texting to groups of people. Tango took every idea of texting apps and voice over I P apps and tried to make it better, in one complete app.

Tango works across multi platform devices from tablets to IOS to Androids. Tango prides itself on being a seamless, smooth texting app. It uses username and login and as with other texting apps, it uses data from the Internet to send and receive phone calls and texts. Pull the wifi or Internet and Tango is dead in the water !

A few in app features sets Tango above some of the other messaging apps. It allows users to play in app games back and forth, send animations and sending of digital Animations from inside the app. Tango also has some small text editing options from inside the app to lighten, crop and other small editing.

orange app, big t, letter t, white t

Bang with Friends (BWF)

Bang With Friends (BWF)

Threat Level – Very High

Bang With Friends for Android and BWF for iPhone is an app that helps Facebook members discreetly facilitate hook-ups from their smartphones. Yes I said hook ups! Absolutely ridiculous that an app such as this would be allowed. I have sent my concerned email to apple affairs for removal due to pornographic innuendos of the app.

The Facebook-connected application first arrived on the Web in January and has around 1 million one-night-stand seekers. And though its founders remain anonymous (wonder why?) Bang With Friends is reportedly close to securing $1 million in funding.

The new mobile apps work like the Web service and allow people to sign in with Facebook to pick a friend for a meeting for intercourse. Selections remain anonymous until two people pick each other. At that point, the frisky parties receive e-mail notifications of their mutual desire.

On mobile, however, Bang With Friends users can select a new “Up for Hang” option to indicate that they might be open to a fully clothed gathering. This is where they tried to steer the dating side of the app in attempt to fight off the people accusing it of a solicitation app.

I say ban it! And if you see your child with this on their device, take everything away from them! Dangerous in so many ways!

BWF, orange, b, w, f, bang

Blink

Blink

Threat Level – Very High

Blink is an app created by Meh Labs that allows self destructing photos and text messages.

You knew it was coming, and recently released by Meh Labs, is the app Blink. With the popularity of photo sharing apps that delete pictures after you send them like snapchat, I-delete and Facebook Poke, comes the next line of self destructing apps

Blink is a social texting and social photo sharing app that connects you with others with a username and not a phone number. All accounts use data to send text messaging, so as usual with this style of text messaging remember it will not show up as a normal text under messaging.

Another feature of Blink is it will notify you if a screen shot is made of a photo you send that is taken before it deletes itself. Blink also allows for group messaging like some other popular messaging apps (Kik)

If you read the description it says app should be for 12 plus, then gives you the disclaimer that it could possibly contain mild tobacco, alcohol, and drug use references along with mature, sexual content and profanity or crude humor. Doesn’t sound appropriate for a 12 year old to me. This disclaimer is in my opinion, due to the use of these kind of apps popular for sexting.

I don’t know of a reason to delete photos and messaging that would have a legit purpose for your child. I want to know what my children are talking or texting about with others. Be sure to monitor this closely and ask why they feel the need to have a texting app that deletes its messaging.

Welcome to the world of kik + Snapchat!