The GIF that keeps on giving: Messenger app lets people communicate using only popular and trending animations

Home »The GIF that keeps on giving: Messenger app lets people communicate using only popular and trending animations

The GIF that keeps on giving: Messenger app lets people communicate using only popular and trending animations

Posted by sciencetech-blog on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 Label:

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There was a time when a picture was worth a thousand words.

With emails and texts littered with emojis, anyone could convey what they were feeling without ever having to type a single word.

But now a new form of self-expression is sweeping social media – and it's all thanks to the ever-expressive animated GIF.

A GIF- short for graphical interchange format - is a bitmap image format that supports short animations.

One of the front runners of the GIF trend is the Relay messaging app, which allows anyone to search a library for GIFs that reflect their state of mind.

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The GIFs are placed into categories such as 'bored', 'hungover', 'grumpy', 'happy' and 'excited' and users can send their chosen mini-movie to other Relay users.

For instance, if a user wants to show their excitement, GIFs such as a dancing Kermit the frog appear in the search results.

One of the front runners of the GIF trend is the Relay messaging app (pictured) which allows anyone to search a library for GIFs that reflect their state of mind

HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE GIFS?

Once just a part of the jargon of hardcore computer enthusiasts, how to properly say GIF has been debated since it was invented in 1987.

Most people pronounce GIF with a hard G. But Steve Wilhite, the inventor of the widely used web illustration, last year declared it should be pronounced 'JIF,'

A Tumblr dedicated to the question exists, although it comes to no solid conclusion. There's also a Youtube video on the subject.

Even the U.S. president has taken a stand. When the White House debuted its own Tumblr page in April, it posted a graph of what to expect on its new microblog. Among the offerings was 'Animated GIFs (Hard "G")'.

As well as pre-created GIFs, anyone can search through YouTube videos and other web content to find exactly the correct animation that reflects their feelings.

Users can even create their own GIFs by tapping the '+' button while in a chat room, and then pressing the camera icon.

Whether it be a winking Benedict or a frowning baby, the GIFs can be placed in a 'favourites' file so they can be used at the touch of a button.

Web pages are shown with a preview image and headline to reveal what the image or GIF about so that users don't have to see URLs.

If users happen to be on the app at the same time, they can see if a contact is looking at a GIF and talk about what's being viewed.

The free app, created by Toronto-based Relay, is available on both iOS and Android devices.

As well as pre-created GIFs (left), anyone can search through their own YouTube videos and other web content to find exactly the content that reflects their feelings. Users can even create their own GIFs by tapping the '+' button while in a chat, and then pressing the camera icon (right)