AppDate: Mxit back, with video

In the latest AppDate, SEAN BACHER focuses on the new Mxit Version 7.0, MailTrack for Gmail, PhotoFunia, and Wild about Kruger.

Mxit Version 7.0

The latest Mxit version introduces numerous new features that enable users to communicate with friends and family. The new Chat Cards option lets them share videos, photos and music on customisable electronic cards. Users can also post news clips and view their friend’s clips with the Newsfeed option. The Apple iOS version has been revamped with a simpler user interface and includes Backdrop that allows photos to be added to the background of a chat window. The Doodlechat feature lets users draw on photos or directly onto the chat window and then share them. Also included in this update is the ability to record and send voice messages.

Platform: BlackBerry OS 10 and above, Android, Windows Phone 8 and above and iOS.

Expect to pay: Free to download.

Stockists: Visit www.mxit.co.za from your smartphone.

MailTrack

A handy feature of BBM and WhatsApp is the ability to see if a message has been delivered and if it has been read. MailTrack offers the same functionality, but is designed for e-mail sent from Gmail accounts. MailTrack is installed as an extension for Gmail and displays two check marks in a user’s inbox – one showing if an e-mail has been successfully sent and the second displaying the e-mail’s read status.

Platform: Gmail users on PC or Mac desktops.

Expect to pay: Free to download.

Stockists: www.mailtrack.io

PhotoFunia

PhotoFunia lets users add special effects and frames to their photos before sharing them. Users can choose from a variety of pre-installed frames, filters and faces, and then add them to their images. The Lab feature lets users add custom objects like names and places and it also allows for quick photo edits, like sharpening an image or removing red-eye.

Platform: BlackBerry OS 10 and above.

Expect to pay: Free to download.

Stockists: Visit the BlackBerry Appworld.

Wild about Kruger

The Wild about Kruger app gives users most of the information needed in order to plan an event-filled trip to the Kruger National Park. The app includes information on camps, exit gates and the time they close, picnic sites, services and facilities available in the park. The app also offers users a range of off-line maps for easy navigation. In the Wildlife section, users will find photographs and calls of the various mammals, birds and reptiles found in the park. The app will also help visitors identify trees and flowers, and the Historical section gives some information on many of the historical sites in the park. Use in conjunction with the Latest Kruger Sightings app (https://itunes.apple.com/za/app/latest-kruger-sightings/id504154045?mt=8) for the most rounded experience of the Park

Platform: iOS with an Android version being released later this year.

Expect to pay: R55

Stockists: Visit www.wildabout.info for downloading details.

* Sean Bacher is editor of Gadget.co.za. Follow him on Twitter on @SeanBacher