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2.5. Commonly Known Android Communication Applications
tributed collaboration networks; between a group of experts centres and between
an expert centre and a process plant. The software was used for a year, and in
that time 220 messages was sent. The usage was not obligatory, and about 30%
of the workers had used it at some point. There was not noticeable reluctance
of using the software, event though it was unknown. It seamed as everybody
was rather comfortable asking questions as well.
2.5
Commonly Known Android Communication
Applications
In this section there will be presented several commonly known chat applications
available for an Android unit. The applications is selected from Google Stores
most downloaded applications.
Many of the applications have obtainable applications for other units, and there
is also some communication applications that is only available for iOS-users.
Neither of these options will be considered in this report.
2.5.1
Facebook
Facebook is an online social networking site, which as of March 2013 had 1.15
billion active users [35]. This site requires that the users register before using
the site, and with that opening a profile. From this profile one can add other
users as friends. It is then possible to communicate with these friends in the
chat that is included into the website.
The Facebook application for Android was launched in 2009, and received generally bad critics. However the application is, as of 17th of November 2013, the
second most downloaded application in Google Store. The application consist of
several parts, such as a newsfeed with updates of so-called statuses from friends,
as well as a chat-application as shown in figure 2.8. This chat-part consist of
one view with a display of the chat itselves as seen in 2.8a. A list of currently
available users is accessible when dragging a finger from the right side of the
screen towards the left side, seen in figure 2.8b. An overview of conversations
one has taken part in is also available, seen in 2.8c.
A close-up of the chat it self is shown in figure 2.9. The layout of the chat
consists of speech bubbles, where the messages are displayed. The users are
separated by gravity of the speech bubble, as the ones sent from ones own unit
are placed to the right, and received messages is placed to the left. In addition
to the gravity the colour is set to different colour if one is sending or receiving
the message. To see who the message is from it is added user pictures in front
of the message. In this application they have added the possibility of adding so
called stickers. These stickers are pictures meant to display a feeling.
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