N-gage with the world

There are so many messaging apps these days that one is hard pressed juggling their icons on the smart phone screen. Developed in India for a UK based company, n-gage will seem like the answer to one’s own wishlist for a be-all, end-all chat-plus-messaging tool, which works even without a smart phone — on a PC or laptop, say.

With n-gage downloaded on your device, you can invite friends on WhatsApp, Facebook, Hike, Viber etc to join in 1-to-1 or 1-to-many even if they are not n-gage users. An instant translate feature works with 45 languages. A clever peer-to-peer connection ensures you are free of outside servers and you can password-protect the message if you choose. Regret what you sent? Fear not! You can take it back. People peering over your shoulder? You can blur the message on your screen.

Perhaps the most radical feature is the video calling tool. A simple password and invitation lets you video-chat with up to 10 friends or colleagues anywhere, without their needing to install any special software.

In India this week, founder Ajit Patel says n-gage will soon offer a file transfer utility and video editing features.

The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.