Israeli start-up Glide makes a splash at CES 2015

Like the Canadian International Auto Show, which rolls into Toronto next week from Feb. 13 to 22 and whose attendance rises each year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month drew more than 100,000 people.

Those who flock to the show are treated to amazing technological concepts by companies seeking distribution and additional funding sources to bring their innovations to market.

Israeli start-up and app-maker Glide believes it is at the forefront of replacing texting as the most popular form of instant messaging. While Samsung and Apple vie for dominance and wide adoption of their wearable technology, Glide founder and CTO Jonathan Caras' prototype Shenzen smart watch is showing off what could be the next big thing.

The application, available on Apple's IOS and Google's Android operating systems, differs from current industry leaders WhatsApp and iMessage by streaming videos to the intended recipients the moment recording begins. Video messages sent using iMessage and WhatsApp require uploads to a server and downloads that take much longer to process. Even Skype and FaceTime are burdensome in Caras' mind in terms of time commitment.



With Glide, all video is stored in the cloud, which means your device's memory is left uncluttered and the recordings are easily shareable en masse.

The company, founded three years ago, reports having more than 10 million U.S. users who have sent more than 500 million videos. While much of the technology world is scrutinizing the need for increased privacy measures and usage guidelines for photo, video and social applications, there are presently no restrictions on Glide. Anything can be transmitted via the app, something the company will likely have to refine before it can truly go mainstream.