Periscope is quickly gaining ground in the world of cell phone applications.

The app allows Apple and Android users to live stream events straight from their phones. Users can view anything from their friends eating dinner to sporting events and political debates.

Periscope isn’t the first live streaming app, but it has certainly had the most success. The app’s success has been aided by Twitter, who acquired the rights to the company before the app was officially released. Kavyon Beykpour and Joe Bernstein, the creators of the app, wanted to get Periscope in as many hands as possible and believed that Twitter could help them accomplish this goal.

Users can follow other accounts, just like one would do on Twitter. One thing that differentiates Periscope from its main competitor Meerkat, is that videos are able to be viewed up to 24 hours after the live streaming has concluded. This allows users to view an event even if they were unable to see it live the first time an it also allows users to view the event multiple times.

The app allows the user to search by country or by the type of event that is being streamed. The main benefit of Periscope is that it allows users to get a first person view of events that they would otherwise be unable to attend. The stream is instantaneous, so there is no waiting for an upload and it gives the user the feeling that they are actually there since there is no editing done to the videos. Users are able to interact with the streamer as well as one another via comments enabling them to give opinions and explain what is happening at that current time.

The only drawbacks to Periscope are the copyright issues and sometimes grainy and unstable images. There have been instances of people live streaming copyrighted material and pay-per view events that have caused complaints about the companies policies.

The other problem is one that comes with the nature of the application. The app is purely for cell phones and tablets which means that the device is most likely being held in someones hand while streaming. This is positive in the sense that the person can move around, following the action and getting different angles, but it also causes the image to be unstable and jumpy. In current times these devices have excellent cameras, but they are still a far cry from professional cameras.

All in all, Periscope is an excellent app that has plenty of support from Twitter. It allows users to get a first person view of events happening all around the world. As long as you use it properly and can deal with cell phone quality video, I highly suggest downloading Periscope.

Periscope just started up last year and already has over 10 million accounts. The app is sure to grow and improve even more in the coming years, so make sure to check out the app and live stream to your hearts desire.