Tigertext, a new application from the Apple stable, helps you clear all those surreptitious smses you sent, from the receiver's handset. FYI finds out if Delhi's ready for it

A tiger that helps you cheat, and is here to survive

Tigertext, a new application from the Apple stable, helps you clear all those surreptitious smses you sent, from the receiver's handset. FYI finds out if Delhi's ready for it

We've allu00a0 heard that famousu00a0 fableu00a0-- a mighty tiger left pugmarks all over the place and out came the greatest sporting scandal of the decade. If only those humiliating text messages swapped between Tiger Woods and his mistresses could have committed virtual hara-kiri. Thanks to TigerText, now they will.u00a0

Power on the prowl: TigerText gives an SMS sender the freedom to set its life span

TigerText, aptly named after its muse, (though its creators deny it) is an application which gives a text message sender the freedom to set its life span. Plainly speaking, once a time duration has been set, the message erases itself, leaving no trace of its existence.

Launched in America a fortnight ago and available only on iPhone and iPod Touch, to be followed by Blackberry, it's yet to make an appearance in Delhi. But that hasn't stopped Delhi's tech-savvy couples from getting all excited about it.

Already ringing alarm bells
"I already hate it," declares housewife Sweta Arya. "To put a check on him, I go through my husband's phone everyday while he is in the shower. But God forbid, if such a technology reaches his hands, I wont be able to spy on him. I will be reduced to a powerless housewife," she laments.

And Sweta's paranoia isn't without reason. In an online poll, out of 25 random, internet-savvy cellphone-using Delhi men (all above the age of 20), 15 answered in favour of TigerText, while an almost equal number of women from the city voted against it, and considered itu00a0a form of technology that would encourage infidelity. Clinical psychologist and relationship expert Dr Pallavi Barthakur Gilani, too, believes such technology does affect relationships in the long run.

"While it might be convenient for a cheater to keep his or her illicit relationship in wraps, every relationship requires some kind of transparency. The messages can be erased but not the guilt," she points out.u00a0

Teens all gung-ho
But carefree teenagers, devoid of the worry of long-term relationships, are already rejoicing.
"I would definitely subscribe to the technology if it comes to India. Then, I can leave my cellphone around without au00a0 care, not worrying that my mom'll be reading my boyfriend's mushy texts," says Sahila Kundra, a student of Delhi University. Tarun (name changed on request), a 14-year-old, has already visited a dealer in Ansal Plaza.

"Unfortunately, they told me it's not available in India yet. But I wouldn't mind investing my pocket money on such an application as long as it helps me protect my relationship with my girl from my parents," says Tarun. Another 16-year-old, Simi Khanna, has been checking TigerText's (www.tigertext.com) website constantly. "I think it's really cool because then my sister and I can sometimes borrow each other's phone without leaving any residue of our chats with our boyfriends," she reasons.u00a0u00a0u00a0

But it might not be an easy task for TigerText to set foot in India. "If we are talking about deleting messages even from a server, it might present security threats. Unless we study it properly, the security of the country cannot be compromised," says DK Agarwal, technology advisor at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.