Do We Need Just Another Chat App? No, We Need MessageMe

Michael Selvidge — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:12:52 +0000

Yes, I am going to tell you about another messaging app that you need to download, and you are going to roll your eyes–why are you even reading on?

The fact is that MessageMe, yes, another chat app–is my favorite app of 2013 by a huge margin.

The world of third party messaging apps is a crowded, fragmented one, so why do we need yet another? Let’s just pack up and go home. WhatsApp, Kik and Line do the job just fine. Well, with that attitude, we’d still be waiting for our Friendster profiles to load. We always need more players who do it better than the competition. That’s how technology evolves.

I have been beta testing MessageMe for a few months now, and have seen its progress–and even back in August 2012 when I first began to test an early version, this app instantly earned a spot on my home screen.

MessageMe is great not because of the multimedia features (which are on par with competitors), but because of the elegance in which they are presented and in the user experience they create. Sending drawings, YouTube videos, Google Images, iTunes songs or locations, can be done straight from within the app. Respond to your friend’s doodle by embellishing it with your own. Drop into any conversation a perfectly referenced clip from Caddyshack, or reply to a lame message with your favorite Cool Story Bro meme from Google Images. Get the right group chat going, and you might literally be ROFLing. Both Mashable and TechCrunch had great explanations of what makes MessageMe so special earlier this week.

Now, I’m not promising that if you download this app your life will be instantly changed. The problem with all messaging apps, is that they rely on a critical mass to be worthwhile–they are not single-player. I had the benefit of having a lot of friends in on the beta, and since MessageMe is currently in the #1 spot on the App Store’s New and Noteworthy section, I suspect that they will not suffer from a lack of users for too long. But until your friends are on it and you can chat with them, I doubt that you’ll have an “A-ha” moment with MessageMe.

But give it a shot and invite some friends–now available on Android and iOS. Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10 users… let’s be real, do I even need to finish typing this sentence? You know what I’m about to tell you… sorry.

As a matter of disclosure, I started to chat with one of the founders of MessageMe, Arjun Sethi during the beta period. Him and I became friendly on MessageMe and have kept in touch.

Review–Moshi Concerti iPad Case (2, 3rd Gen)

Michael Selvidge — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:00:59 +0000

I have been trying out the Moshi Concerti as my full time case for my iPad (3rd Generation) for over a month now. I have tested the case for so long partially because I wanted to do a substantive review, but mostly because I am lazy and have trouble making time to blog.

As anyone who reads my near quarterly posts for MIR knows, I am a Speck fanboy. However, I’m not so much of a fanboy that I can’t admit I am pretty impressed with the Moshi Concerti.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Concerti is the arrangement of the iPad when it’s in the case. It is is tethered (via a rubber sleeve) to the right side of the iPad, not the left like you might assume. So when you prop up the iPad, you have to turn it upside down (so the “top” or front of the cover is face down) and then tilt the iPad to (an impressive number of) different angles. The reason for this unusual layout is actually not an oversight. It is because by tethering the rubber sleeve around the right side of the iPad, the Concerti allows access to the rear camera on the left side. So there is no ugly hole on the back of this case, the absence of which is especially nice since it would be for a camera that you rarely (if ever) use.

There is also an elastic strap that you can use to either lock it while shut (a la Moleskine), or to secure it in its widest angle of being propped up. The natural friction of the rubber does a good job of providing enough grip to support the rest of the propping angles.

The Moshi Concerti is 55 bucks (US) directly on their website or on Amazon (Prime eligible!), which at first blush seems a little steep, but it makes sense after seeing it in person, given the quality of the materials and the build. The outside is a synthetic textured sheen (but not a shiny shell), the inside of which is a really nice synthetic suede. The iPad fits snugly inside the aforementioned form-fitting rubber sleeve. The sleeve fits my 3rd Gen iPad perfectly, but not sure how it would be on an iPad 2 (although Moshi says it is supported).

The Concerti adds considerable thickness to your iPad’s profile, but not an unreasonable amount of weight–but I suppose this is partially the point of having a case. The thickness give you the confidence to toss your iPad on the couch or bed and not worry about doing any damage. You’d never purposely do so of course, but even if it drops from a reasonable height your iPad should be okay.

In summary, should you get it? Well, that’s up to you read below for my Pro/Cons. Money/affordability is subjective, but I do feel if you have $55 worth of disposable income, you won’t feel fleeced after spending that on the Moshi Concerti.

Pro:

Really nice materials, good tactile feel
Configurable to many different viewing angles
Attractive, with no camera hole in back
Offers good protection

Con:

Suede/rubber on the inside attracts dog/cat/human hairs like a freaking magnet
Unusual arrangement takes a little getting used to
Adds considerable thickness to your iPad’s profile
Volume/rotation buttons inaccessible when iPad is propped up

Mobile Industry Review » Product Review

Do We Need Just Another Chat App? No, We Need MessageMe

Review–Moshi Concerti iPad Case (2, 3rd Gen)