Snapchat

            It seems everyone has an iPhone these days. In fact, recent studies show that Apple owns as much as 1/3 of the smartphone market.

            It's hard to attribute the iPhone's success to any one thing, but the iOS App Store has certainly played a huge role. The App Store allows developers to publish their apps for download, and users can pick from thousands of options, many of which are free.

            An app that has recently piqued my interest is a cute little gimmick called Snapchat. The premise is simple: you take a picture, add a caption, set the timer and send. The receiver then has the allotted amount of time (between 1-10 seconds) to view the message before it disappears forever. Conversation ensues, back and forth, with quick, funny snapshots that are gone as quickly as they come.

            One might ask, what's the point of such a silly app? After all, iMessage allows for easily integrated photos and text as well. But the beauty of Snapchat lies in the surprise inherent in each message. Users have just a few seconds to react before the Snapchat is gone. Sneaky users may try to take a screenshot so they can capture the image forever, but the sender will immediately be notified of this sinful activity.

            Anyway, there's not much more I can say to convince you to try Snapchat. My friends all thought it was dumb at first too. You've just got to trust me on this one. Download Snapchat, and hours of fun are on the way.