App Review: Hugmail
Ever struggled to stay in touch with friends and family whilst away on your travels? Sure, Facebook, Twitter and email have made it a lot easier, but it's still a re-occurring theme with a huge number of us who travel abroad. Perhaps this could all change shortly with the release of a fantastic new app - Hugmail.
Hugmail is a new message service that turns digital photos stored on your mobile, computer or Facebook into real, printed postcards and sends them anywhere in the world, all for just £1.49. Shortly the days of tacky postcards with pictures of [insert beach name] and deliberately vague hand-written messages to keep the postman guessing may really be gone. Replacing them: your personal pictures and neatly typed musings.
The service is specifically designed to make it easier for the younger generation to stay in touch with older relatives and is packed with helpful features including the smart address book - allowing users to set contact reminders and save important dates such as birthdays for close friends and family.
EssentialTravel Rating: 9/10
How does it work?
Hugmail employs a simple three step process in the creation of their postcards:
- Choose your photo. This can be chosen from pictures you've taken personally, other pictures on your phone, or the really smart part - by using your pictures from Facebook.
- Add your message. Simply type the message you want to appear and it is printed to the back of the card.
- Send your postcard. It's as simple as it sounds, click send and it'll be on its way first class to your recipient.
Roger Responds
An interesting sideline to the launch of Hugmail is Roger Responds. Roger Responds is a mini series of interviews Hugmail have put together with their "most interesting Grandparent, giving advice and opinions on questions from the public." Claims such as "men aren't very good at romancing women" and "men like to be flattered" encapsulate the amusing nature of the mini series and all in all Roger Responds is a great effort and a hugely creative way to showcase some of Hugmail's personality.
The Verdict
Hugmail really is a unique and clever App. It enables you to send your own personalised postcard that will mean so much more than the standard everyday alternative. The mobile integration with Facebook and photo galleries is simple to use but facilitates everything you'd wish from it and the whole service is available for a very reasonable £1.49 - working out cheaper than most normal postcards and delivery costs.
Ultimately, the beauty of Hugmail is the simplicity of use and the fantastic results you receive at the end.
Hugmail is available on iPhones and any phone on Android 2.01 or over right now.