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| The main screen for the "Bajan Lingo" Android OS app |
Apps are the in thing when it comes to smart phones and tablets. Apple has its App Store, Blackberry has its Blackberry App world and Android has Google Play (formally the Android Market). Unfortunately application development has not been looked at a lot in Barbados. The Nation Publishing Company Ltd does have an application for the Blackberry platform available for download but this is one of the few locally developed apps.
The
majority of smart phone users in Barbados are utilising the
Blackberry platform and in terms of application development, apps developed for
Blackberry are far fewer than those for market leading Apple OS and second
place Android OS. Of course now that Research in Motion (now formally known as
Blackberry) is placing a lot of hope on its latest OS, Blackberry 10. Time will
tell if they are able to make any significant dent into the app market. While
application development in Barbados is still in the infancy
stage there have been Barbados related apps that have
been developed in other countries.
We are
going to take a look at a couple of them. The first is an app entitled “Bajan
Lingo” which is developed by GCT Labs. This app is your portable source for
Bajan sayings and phrases. Popular phrases such as “plaster for every sore (an
excuse for every situation)” and “wha gine on? (a greeting saying how are you
doing?)” are included in this app.
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| The app gives you access to Bajan words and phrases on the go |
The app
provides a Bajan word or phrase for the day feature and also allows users the
option to look for words and phrases alphabetically by letter. It is a great
little app to have on your phone and with it you can ensure you always have a
piece of Barbadiana with you, even if you are “ova an’ away (overseas)”. Best
of all, the app is free to download from Google Play.
A downside
to this app is that unlike some translation apps, there is no audio option.
Such a feature would allow you to hear the words or phrases being pronounced.
That would have been a great addition and hopefully a feature that would be
added in any update that may be done.
Streekes on Tech gives the “Bajan Lingo” Google
Play app a 4 out of 5 'Green Coconut' rating
