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

Nintendo Switch 2: Everything We Know About the Console, New Games, Release Date

The $450 console will get Mario Kart World at launch, 4K gaming when docked, Switch 2 Edition game enhancements and new mouse controls.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday morning as part of the company’s Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs, and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026.

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities.

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition titles and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them.

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series.

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80.

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode.

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera.

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

Borderlands 4
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Deltarune
Donkey Kong Bananza
Drag x Drive
EA Sports FC
EA Sports Madden NFL
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Enter the Gungeon 2
Fast Fusion
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Fortnite
Hades 2
Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
Hogwarts Legacy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
NBA 2K
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Project 007
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Split Fiction
Star Wars Outlaws
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
Survival Kids
The Duskbloods
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
WWE 2K
Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.

Technologies

Which Nintendo Switch Accessories Will Work With the Nintendo Switch 2?

The next-gen Switch console has many physical changes, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to get rid of all your gear for the original Switch.

Nintendo detailed the highly anticipated Switch 2 on Wednesday. We still have to wait a few more months before we can actually get our hands on it — June 5, to be precise — but that gives us plenty of time to make sure we have all the extra accessories we’ll need. On the upside, many of the accessories for the original Nintendo Switch will work with the Switch 2, but some important ones won’t.

Controllers

Joy-Con

The Switch 2 will come with its own set of updated Joy-Cons, but you can still use the original ones. They won’t attach physically to the Switch 2, as the new Joy-Cons are larger and attach magnetically, but you can pair the original Joy-Cons wirelessly. That way, you can still play with your family and friends without buying extras.

Pro Controller

Nintendo’s excellent Pro Controller also got an upgrade for the Switch 2, but as with the Joy-Cons, the original Pro Controller will work fine with the Switch 2. It will pair wirelessly with the console and can be charged via a USB cable from the Switch 2 dock. The new Pro will have some decent upgrades, like enlarged buttons and triggers, GameCube-esque ergonomics, and programmable back paddles, but it will also cost $80, so if you don’t feel you need to upgrade, you won’t have to.

Other Nintendo controllers

Nintendo also clarified that all the wireless versions of the NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis controllers will work wirelessly with the Switch 2. However, it also said that not every game would be compatible, but we don’t know yet which games those would be. It’s probably safe to assume all games supporting those controllers (also compatible with the Switch 2) would work, but we’ll update this once we know more.

Third-party controllers

This is the big question mark at the moment. We have not been able to confirm anything from either Nintendo or other controller manufacturers if third-party controllers will work with the Switch 2. I assume that since the original Pro Controller will work with the Switch 2, at the very least, officially licensed third-party controllers will work, but as of publish time, we have not had any confirmation about support for third-party controllers on the Switch 2. One vendor I spoke with confirmed it is currently in talks with Nintendo about compatibility but couldn’t share any details.

MicroSD cards

One of the biggest (and most welcome) upgrades to the Switch 2 is an 8x increase in internal storage from 32GB to 256GB. That means a microSD is no longer an immediate must-have accessory. That’s also good because not every microSD card that worked with the original Switch will work with the Switch 2.

Nintendo specified that only microSD Express cards will work with Switch 2. You can still view screenshots and videos from your non-Express microSD cards, but you won’t be able to save or load games or save data to them. You can tell if your microSD card is Express because it will have a little EX printed on it.

Bluetooth headphones

The original Nintendo Switch infamously did not have Bluetooth capabilities, so you had to plug in headphones or buy an adapter. Nintendo remedied this with updated Switch versions and kept that functionality for the Switch 2. That means all your favorite Bluetooth headphones should work just fine with your new Switch 2.

Docks

The Switch 2 dock is also getting a big upgrade. It’s larger with rounded corners and now supports 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, a welcome upgrade for a modern game console. That being said, for households with multiple Switch consoles and TVs, you may not want to buy extra Switch 2 docks to use around your home.

However, Nintendo confirmed that the original Switch Dock is incompatible with the Switch 2, which also means it’s likely the original Switch will not work in the Switch 2 Dock.

Third-party docks

Several docks not made by Nintendo work just fine with the first-generation Switch, so there’s no reason to expect they would not be compatible with the Switch 2 as long as they provide adequate power. However, once again, we’ve not had any confirmation, so we can’t say for sure.

Chargers, cables and adapters

Chargers

The first-generation Switch was notoriously fickle with non-Nintendo chargers, particularly when docked, and the Switch 2 looks likely to continue that trend. The Switch 2 has a different power input from the original Switch so that the original Switch charger won’t work for TV mode with the Switch 2. You can still charge the Switch 2 with it by plugging it in directly, but that’s it.

We also don’t know anything about third-party chargers for the Switch 2 yet. There were several that worked perfectly fine with the original Switch, but we don’t yet know the power draw of the Switch 2, so we can’t say for sure which chargers will work. Hopefully, we’ll find out more closer to launch, but for right now, the only charger that we know will work for TV mode with the Switch 2 is the charger that comes with it.

Cables

The Switch 2 most likely supports HDMI 2.1, which means the HDMI cable that came with the original Switch won’t work. Nintendo has confirmed as much, though, as with most other accessories, it hasn’t given specifics as to whether third-party HDMI cables will work or not. We’ll have to wait to find out. The Switch 2 will have an HDMI cable, so at least there’s that.

Adapters

Nintendo has confirmed that the only adapter that works with the Switch 2 is the GameCube Controller adapter. This lets you connect a wired GameCube controller to the Switch Dock, and Nintendo says it can be used in TV mode while connected to a Switch 2 Dock. We don’t know anything else about any other adapters at this time.

Nintendo did give us quite a lot of information about the Switch 2 today, including the price, most of the key upgrades, and the launch date, but as you can see, there’s still a lot we don’t know. We’ll continue to update this list and our other coverage of the Nintendo Switch 2 as we learn more.

Technologies

Save Up to 20% on Your Phone Plan Thanks to Ultra Mobile’s Spring Sale

Need to lower your monthly phone bill? Switching to Ultra Mobile could be a wise decision. We’ll explain why.

If you’re looking for more ways to decrease your spending, switching to a cheaper phone plan could be just the ticket. Many cellphone providers lavish perks on new clients, so making the switch could be a smart financial decision. For those looking for a new cellphone plan, we’re glad to announce that Ultra Mobile is offering up to 20% off on select phone plans until May 18.

Ultra Mobile is also offering 10% off its three- and six-month contracts as a part of this deal. These discounts are available for deals providing 5GB, 10GB or 15GB of data per month. The carrier also has two Unlimited Plans you can choose from to nab this discount. Note: Ultra Mobile has a Talk & Text plan and a 3GB plan, but they aren’t currently eligible for any discounts.

The biggest savings right now are for 12-month plans. You can save 20% on Ultra Mobile 5GB, 10GB, 15GB, Ultra Unlimited and Unlimited Plus Plans. The Ultra Unlimited plan includes unlimited 5G, 4G and LTE data, international calls to more than 90 countries, unlimited national and global texts and a $5 credit for international calls and roaming per month. You’ll also get 10GB of hotspot data per month.

The Unlimited Plus Plan includes 20GB of hotspot data, as well as all the aforementioned features. You’ll also get a $10 credit for international calls and a $10 credit for roaming per month. Keep in mind that your device and SIM must be compatible with Ultra Mobile, so make sure to confirm that before making the switch. Finally, these are prepaid plans, which means up-front payment is required.

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Why this deal matters

Your phone bill can strain your monthly budget, but prepaid plans like these are a great way to save. Ultra Mobile’s plans are already relatively inexpensive, but these deals can shave 10% to 20% off per month. Though three- and six-month plans are available, its biggest savings are on 12-month plans.