Facebook started as an online directory of Harvard College students in 2004. As popularity grew, the site expanded to other colleges and Ivy League schools across the US. On September 26, 2006, Facebook allowed anyone to join the social media network. The only requirements were to have a valid email address and be at least 13 years old. Some countries, however, do not allow access to the service. Since the access was open to everyone, Facebook has grown to have 1.86 billion active users each month. It is due to this that Facebook has grown to be the third most popular website in the world, behind YouTube and Google Search. Facebook allows users to post status messages, images, video and links to friends and groups. Each piece of content you publish can be shared with one or more people. You can control who sees your updates The News Feed feature is the main staple of Facebook. This allows you to view content highlights from friends, groups and pages you follow. Algorithms determine what content shows in the feed, much to the frustration of users. Facebook later provided options to allow you to fine tune your personalized feed, by notifying what you want to see more or less of. Another popular element to Facebook is the Like button. It was extended to include several other expressive notions to content. Such options besides Like includes, but is not limited to, Love, Sad, Wow, and Haha (funny). While rumors spread often, Facebook is a free to use service. The rumors were exacerbated further when chain letter posts were shared by thousands of users. The company provides advertising services to businesses to monetize the free service. Effective targeting methods to Facebook users that are interested in the content is one such method. Other services include sending gifts, buying virtual currency for games, or the marketplace.

Uber is a revolutionary ridesharing app that has transformed the public transportation landscape across the globe. The Uber app saves the riding public from all the hassle of waiting for a taxi or a bus by providing fast and reliable rides through the power of technology and their mobile phones. What started as a provider of black car services in 2009 has now become one of the largest transportation companies in the world. Uber offers numerous ride options to suit the your needs. Looking for a reliable taxi service that’s hassle-free and stress-free? Opt for uberX and have the safest and fastest trip you could ever dream of. Want to save more on your rides? Go with uberPOOL and share the expense of your ride with other people. You don’t just save cash; you could also meet new friends and enjoy the fun of having company while on the road. If it is a high-end and luxurious ride you want, then UberBLACK is the right option for you. And it does not just end there, whatever your need is, be it accessibility, traveling in a large group, or taking long rides, uber has tailored many options that you can choose from. Riding with uber is easy. You launch the app and set your destination. Uber then uses your location to invite its huge pool of drivers to pick you up. Once a driver has accepted your request, you’ll get to see the driver’s photo, details of the vehicle, and track its movement on the map. Out of cash? You don’t have to worry as uber accepts credit cards, Paypal, Android Pay, and many more payment options depending on your location. Aside from the peace of mind it provides, uber also lets you rate the driver and provide feedback after each ride. This helps the uber community identify reliable drivers and weed out the bad ones. The app is available for various platforms including Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile. At present, uber is one of the top rated apps in the maps and navigation category both in iTunes and in Google Play.

WhatsApp is a simple, free-to-use communications app to send messages to other WhatsApp users. You can send simple text messages, images, video, documents, and make calls. You can start conversations with one person, or create and join group conversations. WhatsApp can use your internet connection instead, helping you reduce your mobile bill. WhatsApp began in 2009 as an idea between Brian Acton and Jan Koum, former employees of Yahoo. Around the time the App Store became a feature on iPhones, Acton and Koum saw the potential apps could have. After buying an iPhone, the pair began working on WhatsApp - a portmanteau of sorts putting "what's up?" and "app" together in one word. WhatsApp shot to success and was bought by Facebook for about $19.3 billion US dollars in 2014. WhatsApp is popular among smartphone users, with over 1 billion people worldwide using the app. This makes WhatsApp the most popular messaging application app in the world. A former popular messaging app, MSN Messenger, only had around 330 million users. One of the main elements to the app that attracts users is the security. WhatsApp maintains a strong, end-to-end encryption of all messages and calls. This means that only the people you chat or speak with will see it. Such encryptions also means the team at WhatsApp can't access your information. To get started, users need to enter in their mobile phone number. This acts as your unique ID on the service. Friends and family that also use WhatsApp can be added to your contact list, if you allow WhatsApp to read your phone contacts. From there, choose the person you want to start a conversation with and start messaging! Whether it's texting a college friend to organize a study group, sending funny GIFs to your friends, or calling family, WhatsApp can do all that, and more.

The AliExpress app brings the joy of shopping to your mobile device. Known as the go-to place for all your shopping needs, AliExpress is one of today’s largest online retail platforms with thousands of small and medium businesses selling their products to millions of users worldwide. The AliExpress app is packed with features that make online shopping a pleasurable experience. AliExpress began in 2010 with the creation of AliExpress.com. The online shopping platform was the brainchild of Jack Ma, the man behind the Alibaba Group of Companies. Currently, AliExpress is the largest shopping platform in China, home to the biggest consumer market of today. It has also performed well in other countries including in Russia where it is the top shopping platform and in Brazil where it is one of the ten most visited sites. Here what you get when you download the app: Access to a massive collection of unique and high-quality products Free shipping for more than 75% of the products listed Big savings with coupons, exclusive discounts, flash and super deals Order tracking with automated notification of shipment status Secured Purchases with buyer protection Product recommendations, personal feeds, and personalized deals Another thing about the AliExpress app is that it has an extensive language and currency support. The app is available in 20 languages including English, Chinese, Spanish, French, and Russian. Currency support covers eight payment currencies (Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, US Dollar, Japanese Yen, Russian Ruble, British Sterling, Swedish Krona, and Euro. The app also offer an additional of six viewing currencies. You can download the AliExpress app from the Play Store for Android devices running on Android 4.0 or higher and on iTunes for Apple devices running on iOS 8.0 or later. The app currently enjoys a 4.5++ rating and has more than 4.5 million reviews.

Bitmoji is the ultimate app to create a digital version of you called an avatar. The app is a spinoff of the original Bitstrip web and mobile app which let the user make comic strips of themselves and their friends. After the immense popularity of Bitstrip in Facebook, the developer of the app decided to refocus the product to making personalized avatars and that’s how Bitmoji was born. The Bitmoji app has been embraced not only for entertainment purpose but also for academics and branding purposes. Users can use Bitmoji to share personalized emojis in their text communication adding a new layer to the effectiveness of the conversation. The app has received a critical response since it was launched and is currently used by millions of users worldwide. The popularity of the app made Snapchat decide to purchase it from its Toronto-based developer for $100 million in March 2016. Thereafter, the app has been integrated into the Snapchat platform. In recent years, the app has continuously evolved to give users the ability to make their avatars have more resemblance to their real looks. The application has already caught the attention of many world-renowned figures in various industries including John Mayer, Victoria Beckham, and Seth Rogen to name a few. Bitmoji also provides consistent updates to keep up with current events, seasons, and celebrations. The app has helped boost the popularity of Snapchat and is pointed out as one of the leading reasons why the photo-sharing platform continues to edge its competitors. Bitmojis popularity has driven the app to be featured in Forbes, LA Times, Business Insider, and many major media entities.