The
activity around anonymous message apps like Secret and Whisper has
generated some controversy in recent months, but those apps might have
just been the start of something bigger. What if the power of such
anonymous message apps was harnessed through video?
That
appears to the be mission of a new app called Awkward, which allows you
to record blurred video of yourself confessing a deep, dark secret.
Created
by Germany-based Redcyan, the iOS app lets you record a 10-second video
confession and gives you the ability to adjust how much blur you want
applied to the video (including no blur at all, if you're that brave).
Once
your confession is uploaded, it can be viewed in a browser at a unique
URL and you can share that browser link via email, Facebook or Twitter.
Additionally, you can embed the Awkward confessions on any website,
increasing the shareability of a particularly juicy confession.
Another
social component of the app allows you to vote up any video you like
and flag any video you deem inappropriate. In this case, that last
feature is a good idea, because
many of the confessions currently populating the app seem to be focused on sex and bathroom disasters.
Along
with the video, the app includes a cheery jingle that you can listen to
(or turn off) while viewing the confessions of others. Thematically,
this was a great first choice, as it gives even the strangest
confessions an upbeat note, but in a future update it might be nice to
include other, more edgy music options.
One
bug we discovered during testing is that if you don't give the app
permission to use your microphone (i.e. only give the app permission to
record video), once your video is done recording it crashes the app and
your confession won't be saved. But since audio is a big part of
Awkward, this is probably an early bug that wont' affect most users.
Of
course, while the videos are sufficiently blurred to hide the identity
of the user, it's hard not to envision a scenario in which someone
(somehow) figures out how to unblur a person's face, or at least make it
more identifiable, making for a "truly" awkward scenario for the
uploader.
That
said, the app seems geared more toward fun rather than confessing
seriously heavy revelations. If you have a "really" big secret to get
off your chest, posting a blurred video with a crystal clear recording
of your voice might not be the best bet.
Nevertheless,
the app is kind of addictive, even if you just use it to watch the
confessions of others. So, as with all these new ephemeral/anonymous
apps, handle it with caution.
Posted by : Gizmeon
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