Eventbrite
Free
If an event isn't being organized on Facebook, it's probably being done through Eventbrite. This service makes it easy to manage invites, RSVPs, and even ticket purchasing. Attendees get handy reminders about the events they planned to attend, organizers can see guest lists. We particularly like that Eventbrite can generate QR codes, making event check-in a breeze.
Facebook Messenger
Free
The problem with most mobile messengers is convincing your friends to sign up. But the odds are that most people you know are already on Facebook. This is handy, because the Facebook Messenger app is fantastic. It's simple, clean, and easily handles voice and video calling. But for me, the best part will always be the gorgeous stickers.
Free
The problem with most mobile messengers is convincing your friends to sign up. But the odds are that most people you know are already on Facebook. This is handy, because the Facebook Messenger app is fantastic. It's simple, clean, and easily handles voice and video calling. But for me, the best part will always be the gorgeous stickers.
Google Hangouts
Free
Like Facebook Messenger, nearly everyone you know is probably already using Google Hangouts whether they realize it or not. All you need is a Google Account to send instant messages, images, and even participate in video conference calls with up to 12 other participants. Very few other services come anywhere close, and none offer it for free. Tight integration with Google Voice means that you can also use this app to send and receive voice calls and text messages. For some, it's the only communication app they need.
Free
Like Facebook Messenger, nearly everyone you know is probably already using Google Hangouts whether they realize it or not. All you need is a Google Account to send instant messages, images, and even participate in video conference calls with up to 12 other participants. Very few other services come anywhere close, and none offer it for free. Tight integration with Google Voice means that you can also use this app to send and receive voice calls and text messages. For some, it's the only communication app they need.
LinkedIn
Free
Most people are probably familiar with LinkedIn as a service only visited in times of desperation; after being laid off or after a day in the office so bad that you're just not going to take it anymore. While that might still be true, the LinkedIn app aims to be a companion to LinkedIn web service that you check every day. Sure there's the all-important profile pages showing off your work experience, and the handy tools for networking, but the service now includes visitor metrics and a newsfeed for a decidedly more social feel. It's also sometimes the only way to chat with a businessperson you're looking to connect with. It's like Facebook for grown-ups.
Free
Most people are probably familiar with LinkedIn as a service only visited in times of desperation; after being laid off or after a day in the office so bad that you're just not going to take it anymore. While that might still be true, the LinkedIn app aims to be a companion to LinkedIn web service that you check every day. Sure there's the all-important profile pages showing off your work experience, and the handy tools for networking, but the service now includes visitor metrics and a newsfeed for a decidedly more social feel. It's also sometimes the only way to chat with a businessperson you're looking to connect with. It's like Facebook for grown-ups.
Nintendo Miitomo
Free
When Nintendo released Miitomo, we were confused, enthralled, and then obsessed in rapid succession. In this app, you create a cute avatar of yourself (or, as it is heavily implied by the game, another you that is simultaneously you and not you) called a Mii. You answer questions in the game, like "what's your favorite food?" and then watch as your friends' Miis spout answers back at you. But the most fun is dressing up your Miis and posing them for bizarre photos. PCMag has a full review of Miitomo on the iPhone.
Free
When Nintendo released Miitomo, we were confused, enthralled, and then obsessed in rapid succession. In this app, you create a cute avatar of yourself (or, as it is heavily implied by the game, another you that is simultaneously you and not you) called a Mii. You answer questions in the game, like "what's your favorite food?" and then watch as your friends' Miis spout answers back at you. But the most fun is dressing up your Miis and posing them for bizarre photos. PCMag has a full review of Miitomo on the iPhone.
Snapchat
Free
At first, Snapchat was a little dangerous, popular with the hip and the young, and utterly baffling to everyone else. With Snapchat, you quickly snap and exchange photos with one or several friends. The app also supports video snaps, as well as voice and video calling. The catch is that whatever you send will vanish after a few seconds. Though it's popularly associated with sexting, it's also just a fun and ephemeral way to share the world around you. New updates make the service much easier to use, let you save old snaps, and build ongoing public stories. The more things change, the more they just turn into Facebook.
Free
At first, Snapchat was a little dangerous, popular with the hip and the young, and utterly baffling to everyone else. With Snapchat, you quickly snap and exchange photos with one or several friends. The app also supports video snaps, as well as voice and video calling. The catch is that whatever you send will vanish after a few seconds. Though it's popularly associated with sexting, it's also just a fun and ephemeral way to share the world around you. New updates make the service much easier to use, let you save old snaps, and build ongoing public stories. The more things change, the more they just turn into Facebook.
Signal Private Messenger
Free
There are a lot of apps out there that pay lip service to security and privacy, but Signal was built from the ground up with the goal of letting people easily communicate without having to worry about being overheard. The Signal app is a complete phone and SMS client replacement (though it works just fine as a standalone app, too) for sending and receiving encrypted calls and messages. A recent update has greatly improved the app's look and feel, proving that security and usability don't have to be at odds.
Free
There are a lot of apps out there that pay lip service to security and privacy, but Signal was built from the ground up with the goal of letting people easily communicate without having to worry about being overheard. The Signal app is a complete phone and SMS client replacement (though it works just fine as a standalone app, too) for sending and receiving encrypted calls and messages. A recent update has greatly improved the app's look and feel, proving that security and usability don't have to be at odds.
Twitter Periscope
Free
Streaming live video used to be a real pain, even on a desktop computer. But apps like Meerkat and Periscope changed all that. Periscope has Twitter's blessing, and it lets you share video and chat with other users with ease. Best of all, it saves your Periscopes for later viewing. Periscope is a lot of fun, but it's faces stiff competition from the Facebook app's live video streaming.
Free
Streaming live video used to be a real pain, even on a desktop computer. But apps like Meerkat and Periscope changed all that. Periscope has Twitter's blessing, and it lets you share video and chat with other users with ease. Best of all, it saves your Periscopes for later viewing. Periscope is a lot of fun, but it's faces stiff competition from the Facebook app's live video streaming.
WhatsApp Messenger
Free
In a world rife with messenger apps, WhatsApp is among the most successful, boasting an enormous and dedicated user base. Add to that an integrated web version that lets users take their chats to the desktop. Recently, this app was bolstered by encrypted messaging provided by the minds behind Signal. It might just be the largest secure messaging service out there.
Free
In a world rife with messenger apps, WhatsApp is among the most successful, boasting an enormous and dedicated user base. Add to that an integrated web version that lets users take their chats to the desktop. Recently, this app was bolstered by encrypted messaging provided by the minds behind Signal. It might just be the largest secure messaging service out there.
Wickr Me
Free
Sometimes the most secure message is one that simply doesn't exist. That's the thinking behind Wickr, a fully encrypted secure messaging service that even handles media messages. The twist is that you set a lifespan for each message, ensuring that your private messages stay private, the way Snapchat message do. And, if you doubt their security chops, here's what the company's founder told the FBI when they asked for a backdoor.
Free
Sometimes the most secure message is one that simply doesn't exist. That's the thinking behind Wickr, a fully encrypted secure messaging service that even handles media messages. The twist is that you set a lifespan for each message, ensuring that your private messages stay private, the way Snapchat message do. And, if you doubt their security chops, here's what the company's founder told the FBI when they asked for a backdoor.
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