Bebo launched Blab to help people communicate
You’re already familiar with tin cans attached by string, walkie talkies, Snapchat, Twitter, Skype, and other forms of communication, but have you heard about Bebo’s Blab app for iOS?
As explained in the explanatory image above, you simply hold down a button, record, and release, instantly sending your quick video to the recipient(s). They’re likening it to a walkie-talkie, but is this a useful tool, or just fun?
Tech writer, Ingrid Lunden offers the full story behind the rise and fall and possible rise of Bebo, with Blab being the first of three apps the post-bankruptcy company plans to roll out in the coming year.
For a company that has weathered the storm, getting a quarter of a million people to sign up for the beta version of Blab is a major win and likely to motivate the company to forge ahead.
But is it even useful?
But the question remains – is Blab a silly entertaining tool, or can it actually be useful?
Some argue that this feature is already available in Snapchat, but the disintegration of messages on Snapchat creates a different function than the core of Blab, which is to be a quick communications tool, not a secretive messaging system.
Blab looks fun, but it does have some business implications, especially given that the recipient doesn’t have to have Blab in order to receive the message (great for Android users left out of the loop). Teams can easily use Blab in an environment that requires visualization but is at a fast pace – think fashion, designers, general contractors, all of whom need instant input from clients or team members, and will benefit from the rapid nature of a video walkie-talkie system.
Further, sales teams in the field can check in or compete with each other through the app, bringing a serious yet playful note to a stressful job. The medical field is more serious, and internally, teams can share findings with each other quickly, and perhaps get one step closer to putting the nail in pagers’ coffins.
The app can be useful in a team environment, or when immediate client input is needed. It stands to supplement texting, especially for drivers, and in general looks like a toy (their marketing above doesn’t help), but could actually be useful in a professional environment.
