Since Snapchat turned out to be a success story, several companies have been attempting to mimic it, and even to acquire it. Microsoft is the latest tech company aiming to mimic Snapchat's success with a new app called WindUp.
WindUp is very similar to Snapchat in the way it handles user content. It allows users to share photos, audio, videos, and text temporarily with friends. Users have the ability to set a time limit on how long a message will last.
For those wondering what's the deal with a name like WindUp, well, the developers claim that it comes from the notion of "winding up" close friends as they move fast to see what the user has posted.
"Create and share fun, temporary messages and media with friends using WindUp. Decide how long a message will last - set it to expire after a time or view limit of your choice," according to the apps description. "Set a low limit to "windup" your friends as they race to see what you've posted, or set the limit high to make your message last longer. WindUp lets you share pictures, videos and audio snippets, as well as text."
The free app made its debut in the Windows Phone store back on August 5, 2014. Already, WindUp has a 4 out 5 star rating from 17 reviews, so it goes to show that a small number of people are actually enjoying what the app has to offer.
In addition, those who are willing to give WindUp a spin, should bear in mind that it requires quite a few permissions from the user. Unlike the crazy requirements from the Facebook Messenger standalone app, we can understand why WindUp needs user permission to access certain things.
Here are some of the things WindUp requires to work:
- contacts
- phone identity
- video and still capture
- music library
- media playback
- microphone
- data services
- push notification service
- movement and directional sensor
- web browser component
We won't lie, WindUp appears to be a decent app, but unless Microsoft releases it on Android and iOS, it will likely not survive by the end of the year. Furthermore, we can't help but realize how terrible the user interface is in its current form. We know that Microsoft wants to blend it in with the Windows theme, but come on, this is too ugly for comfort.
