On Tuesday I got an odd message from my brother telling me to download some app. I, being the pessimist that I am, had to reply and ask if this was a serious text or some malware waiting to attack. For a refresher on malware, check out our guide to safe browsing. Well, turns out it was not a scam; it was in fact an invite to one of the best apps around. It's called "HeyTell" and it is immensely cool. If you've ever pined over those "Direct Connect" walkie talkie style cell phones, but wished you didn't have to let the world hear your messages, this app may be for you.
HeyTell is a voice instant messenger app. It allows you to send short voice messages to your friends like they were text messages. I know what you're thinking, why not call that person? Firstly, there is great convenience to be gained from this. If you have thirty minutes worth of things to say, you should probably go ahead and call them like normal. But perhaps you have to ask your spouse a quick question, or you need to ask your brother if you're still getting together for sushi tonight. That is where this baby shines. It allows me to shoot off a quick message and the recipient can reply at there leisure. It is really like all of the benefits of text messaging combined with the benefits of not having to type. This makes it ideal for use while driving or performing other tasks.
My wife loves to text me about 1,000 times a day. The volume of texts seems to pick up when I'm either in the car or cooking dinner for us. With HeyTell, I no longer have to split my attention between the task at hand and her messages. As long as you have the app open, the message will play as soon as it's been downloaded to the phone. Then with one button press I can respond and return to what I'm doing. That's it. If I'm out and about and someone wants to get together, I can actually show them my position on a map. Since I don't normally pay attention to a buildings address, this is quite nice for meeting people.
HeyTell is really a very cool idea for an app and it's executed quite nicely. I highly recommend checking it out. At the moment, HeyTell is only on iPhone and Android, so if you have a different platform and want a new app, maybe you should check out the related article at the bottom for Vlingo. Also,HeyTell requires a data connection to function. So if you're not around a WiFi connection or you don't have unlimited data, this app won't do much for you. But if you do happen to have Android or iPhone, and access to a data connection, I highly recommend checking it out; it's free, it really does make life easier and it's just plain fun to play with.
