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Daily iPhone App: Avocado aims to connect couples on the go

In any marriage or romantic partnership, there are moments of agreement, negotiation, compromise and conflict -- but, above all, there has to be communication, digital or otherwise.

The team behind the couple-centric new app and web service Avocado, which includes three couples, aims to facilitate that communication with easy one-to-one tools for messaging, photo sharing and collaborative task lists.

The "less is more" ethos pervades the $1.99 Avocado app, so named because the avocado tree bears fruit in pairs. You simply sign up with two email addresses and a single password, and within minutes you can begin exchanging brief messages, photos, emoticons -- but only with that singular someone that the app repeatedly, annoyingly refers to as "your boo."

The app comes in both iOS and Android versions, supporting notification alerts to make sure that you don't miss a moment; the web version provides a helpful archive. In some relationships, the shared (low-fi) checklist tool might be a lifesaver, although there are other options out there with more flexibility.

When I suggested to my wife that we field-test Avocado, her response was "Really?... Do I need 'a fun new way to stay connected with the most important person in [my] life'? And is this fun new way kind of mushy and more about texture than taste, though it's really good mixed with lime juice and salt?"

Yes, I allowed, we already have a full folio of digital points of contact, ranging from the simple SMS to the Twitter DM to the Facebook message -- even a phone call, if you're into that kind of thing. Sending an iMessage pings multiple devices and the Mac; you can build a private sharing spot with Glassboard if you want to. But there is one area where Avocado sells itself as a superior solution.

Ever sent a text message to your significant other, then realized you accidentally sent it to your boss instead - or to your mom? Had a direct message that somehow lost its leading D and went live to the Internet instead of to your sweetheart? Yeah, we know. So there's something to be said for an app that makes the entire addressing process moot. By design, Avocado is point to point and person to person -- if you're in the right app, you're reaching your one and only. (Or, if we must, "your boo.")

The core functions of Avocado may be pretty basic now, but the company has plans to add more features based on user feedback. If you haven't found that perfect way to connect digitally with that perfect person, maybe the Avocado app is for you.

[hat tip Techcrunch]