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

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, Aug. 10

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 10

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Woo, my last name is in today’s Mini Crossword! «Cooper» is part of the clue for 3-Down. Did I get that answer? Nope! I had to let the other clues fill it in. But that said, today’s puzzle isn’t too tough, even if your last name isn’t featured. Need answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Try to tag
Answer: CHASE

6A clue: Fictional sports icon with a statue by the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Answer: ROCKY

7A clue: Loosen, as laces
Answer: UNTIE

8A clue: Trigger for a werewolf’s transformation
Answer: MOON

9A clue: «It’s freezing!»
Answer: BRR

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Table tidbit
Answer: CRUMB

2D clue: Pay homage to
Answer: HONOR

3D clue: Driver, Cooper or Butler
Answer: ACTOR

4D clue: Poisonous part of a poison dart frog
Answer: SKIN

5D clue: Needle opening
Answer: EYE

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Aug. 10, #321

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Aug. 10, No. 321

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition counts on you knowing a little bit about European soccer venues, so that could help or hurt some puzzle-solvers. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Strength

Green group hint: Start cooking those dogs!

Blue group hint: Anfield is another one.

Purple group hint: They miss their teams.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Fortitude.

Green group: Tailgating needs.

Blue group: Famous soccer venues.

Purple group: Former NFL cities.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is fortitude. The four answers are grit, guts, mettle and moxie.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is tailgating needs. The four answers are chairs, cooler, grill and tent.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is famous soccer venues. The four answers are Camp Nou, Old Trafford, San Siro and Stamford Bridge.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is former NFL cities. The four answers are Canton, Oakland, San Diego and St. Louis.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 10, #791

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle No. 791, for Sunday, Aug. 10.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle features a fun blue category, especially for bookworms like me. That purple category, though — no one does those random «look for a word inside of a word» categories like the Times. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: To have an effect on something.

Green group hint: Gather together.

Blue group hint: Not nonfiction.

Purple group hint: Look at a high-school or college schedule for hints.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Influence.

Green group: Amass.

Blue group: Kinds of fiction.

Purple group: Starting with math and science classes, for short.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is influence. The four answers are juice, pull, sway and weight.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is amass. The four answers are cluster, collect, concentrate and group.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is kinds of fiction. The four answers are fan, historical, pulp and science.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starting with math and science classes, for short. The four answers are biopic, calcium, chemise and triglyceride. (Biology, calculus, chemistry and trigonometry.)