Technologies

Verum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers

Still using WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger? Think Telegram is completely reliable? Or maybe you still can’t give up trying to talk normally in Viber? Then we have a serious conversation with you.

The 21st century has given us access to communication, instant communication with each other, no matter where we are in the world. But at the same time, we all became vulnerable — personal information was in plain sight, it was easy for us, we were simply controlled. Conversations are no longer private. “You have to pay for everything. This is the price of an affordable connection”, someone might say. No, we disagree with this statement. Everyone has the right to the confidentiality and secrecy of their data. We present you the top 5 most secure messengers of the new generation.

Verum

https://apps.apple.com/app/verum-messenger-chat-calls/id1550499454

You don’t even need a SIM card to use Verum messenger. No phone tethering. The app has built-in VPN and end-to-end encryption. When you first get to know the application, you will create an individual key pair and you will have a unique identifier. And the Verum developers have solved our eternal problem — if someone takes a screenshot in the chat, you will immediately find out about it. Checkmate! No more leaked correspondence. You can add up to 10,000 people to a group chat, and the app is translated into 15 languages. No one, except the recipient, can view your correspondence, no matter what it contains — photo, video, audio. And even if you suddenly lose your phone, no one but you will be able to enter the application. To do this, you can set a password for the entrance or require it to be entered after a certain time. And so that you are completely calm about the confidentiality of communication, the Verum developers have provided the ability to automatically delete all correspondence after the time you set. The interface is minimalistic and stylish. Verum is currently only available for download on IOS. It can be purchased from the App Store for $12,99. Yes, it is paid, like some of the ones below, as these are the best messengers in terms of security. But, believe me, those «free» applications that are on your phone also have a price — you pay for them with your personal data.

Wickr

Time-tested anonymous messenger. Even if you have never come across it face to face, you are sure that you have heard this name for sure. As with Verum, you do not need to have a SIM card in order to attach the app. When registering, you create an ID and password. Transferring files to third parties is impossible, as well as a screenshot of the correspondence. If you decide to erase the entire communication history, there is no way to restore it. The developers have equipped the Wickr feature with a temporary image and text that will automatically disappear after the recipient has viewed them. It is very convenient that the messenger can be installed on a PC, as well as by the standard — available for IOS and Android. Wickr is available in a free version (Wickr me) and also in a paid version (Wickr pro / Wickr ent) for corporate communication. Due to this interface, the application is a little more complicated than that of other messengers.

Threema

Application servers are located in Switzerland, which in itself, you must agree, is already a guarantee of quality. Just like the previous applications — Verum and Wickr — Threema does not require you to bind to a phone number. And we like this trend, as it has long since lost its relevance. Something like a place of registration, isn’t it? Instead of a number, you will be given keys — private and public, according to the scheme you are already familiar with. It is also possible to password-protect individual chats. The information is not saved in the application, but on your phone. Messages are deleted immediately after you or your interlocutor read them. Everyone began to discuss Threema after the messenger refused to give out encryption keys to Roskomnadzor. After this incident, the number of users of the application increased significantly. Threema can be downloaded on IOS and Android for about 3$.

Confide

A very interesting, in our opinion, application for safe communication. The peculiarity of this messenger is that messages are displayed closed, in the form of rectangular shapes. In order to read the text, you will need to slide your finger over it. This feature protects you from annoying peeping at the phone screen. Until you make sure that no one is standing behind you, the message will be impossible to read. True, Confide requires binding to your mail. Here, too, it will not be possible to take a screenshot, since you simply cannot then open it or send it to someone. The app is free, but there are paid features.

Signal

To install this application, you will already need your phone number and contact list. Despite this breach of anonymity, the messenger is still pretty safe. Developers used open source encryption, making it available to their own research of various problems that may arise when working on different operating systems. Unlike WhatsApp, Signal will not collect data about your preferences, after which you are usually offered an advertisement for the product you just hinted at in a conversation. Before starting a conversation, you can double-check the security of your conversation thanks to the additional two-way session verification. The developers have also not forgotten about the function of disappearing messages. You can set a password to sign in to Signal, or you can use the face and fingerprint recognition system. The application is free and available for all operating systems.

Technologies

These Are the Chatbots We’re Using Most, and How We’re Using Them

A Menlo Ventures report finds 91% of AI users have a default artificial intelligence assistant they turn to for their AI tasks.

If you have a particular AI tool that you tend to try first when you have an artificial intelligence task on deck, you’re not alone. According to a new survey, 91% of people who use AI have a favorite tool they try first, whether it’s ChatGPT, Gemini, Alex or something else.

A Menlo Ventures survey of 5,000 adults found that this so-called «default tool dynamic» means that most people using AI have chosen a general AI tool they’ll try first for every job, even if it’s not necessarily the best tool for the job.

In the report, ChatGPT is the AI assistant that tops default tools, with 28% of respondents choosing it first. It’s followed by Google’s Gemini at 23%, Meta AI and Amazon’s Alexa, both at 18%, and Apple’s Siri at 16%. Other tools including Claude, Grok and Perplexity collectively make up another 33%.

Some of that, Menlo Ventures says, is «first-mover advantage,» with tools like ChatGPT having built up a following by being the first to offer some chatbot and image-generation features. But, the company warns, «that position is not guaranteed,» with challengers moving fast.

«The consumer market for [large language models] is still nascent and far from saturated,» the report says, «leaving ample room for product innovation to shift market share over time.»

Some of the most common ways people are using these AI tools include composing emails and other writing support, researching topics of interest and managing to-do lists, according to Menlo Ventures.

Overall, 61% of Americans have used AI in the last six months and nearly 1 in 5, 19%, rely on it daily, the report says.

Technologies

It’s Not Too Late to Claim a Part of Fortnite’s $245 Million Settlement. Learn How to File

The FTC has extended the deadline to file a claim for compensation from unintended in-game Fortnite purchases.

It’s been a good week for Fortnite gamers who felt cheated by accidental in-game purchases. The Federal Trade Commission announced it was distributing $126 million in compensation to 969,173 claimants this week, and it also extended the time to file a claim — the process had previously ended on Jan. 10, 2025.

Games who were charged by Fortnite for unwanted purchases between January 2017 and September 2022 who haven’t already filed now have until July 9, 2025, to participate in the settlement by filing a claim. The FTC says that since December, 629,344 payments went out to players who made those in-game purchases and who filed a valid claim by Oct. 8, 2024. The average payout was about $114 per customer and totaled $72 million.

In the settlement, the FTC concluded that Fortnite’s developer and publisher, Epic Games, used design tricks known as dark patterns to make in-game sales. «Fortnite’s counterintuitive, inconsistent, and confusing button configuration led players to incur unwanted charges based on the press of a single button,» the agency said in its March 2023 announcement.

The FTC has more money left, so it’s extending the claim deadline

The FTC apparently still has about $47 million left to distribute from the settlement. On June 25, the agency posted a notice alerting those who haven’t yet filed that they now have until July 9, to submit a claim at ftc.gov/fortnite.

The Fortnite settlement applies to anyone who was charged for in-game currency for items they did not want to purchase between January 2017 and September 2022; if a child made credit card charges without a parent’s knowledge between January 2017 and November 2018; or if an account was locked after a charge was disputed between January 2017 and September 2022.

Those filing must be 18 or older; minors can ask a parent or guardian to complete the form on their behalf.

One CNET staffer received his PayPal deposit (for $95.98) from a Fortnite claim in January, a pleasant surprise since he had forgotten about the settlement.

Epic’s Fortnite is wildly popular, especially with teens; in one game event last year, 44.7 million players participated on a single day. But the free-to-play game relies on players buying Battle Passes and other items with V-Bucks, the in-game currency.

Like other games-as-platforms that have a large audience of young people, such as Roblox, Fortnite has evolved on how to make its game secure for young people and to ensure that payments aren’t being generated without the player’s authorization.

How can I file a Fortnite claim?

When you visit the FTC’s Epic Games/Fortnite page to file a claim, you will be asked if you received a notification email from the FTC with a claim number. If you have a claim number, select Yes, click Next, then provide your claim number and solve a CAPTCHA test to submit your claim.

If you didn’t receive a notification or can no longer find your claim number, you can apply for a Fortnite claim using your Epic account ID. If you’re not sure of your Epic account ID, follow these steps from the Epic Games support page.

When and how will I receive my money from the FTC?

Eligible claims submitted by Oct. 8, 2024, and January have already started receiving payments. The FTC has not specified when money for new claims filed by July 9 will be distributed.

During the claims process on the FTC site, you will be able to specify whether you’d like to be paid with a check or via PayPal. Checks must be cashed within 90 days, and PayPal payments must be accepted within 30 days. For questions about your payment, you can call a claims support hotline at 1-800-915-0880 or email admin@fortniterefund.com.

Will filing a claim against Epic Games affect my Fortnite account?

According to the FTC, filing a claim will not affect the status of a player’s Fortnite account. For more information, see the FTC’s Fortnite refunds FAQ.