Looking For a WhatsApp Alternative? Check Out These 5 Interesting Alternatives

WhatsApp has been under fire since it was purchased by Facebook. Want to change? Check out the following 5 alternatives for WhatsApp alternatives.

Telegram Messenger (free)

This Russian app is very similar to WhatsApp in appearance and use. According to the company, it is the most downloaded app in 11 countries.

Telegram focuses on privacy and has developed its own security protocol. Telegram offers a reward of 200,000 USD for anyone able to breach its system. Telegram is free of charge. It’s funded by Pavel Durov, who made his fortune with the sale of Vkontakte, the Russian Facebook.

Advantages: Messages can be erased automatically after a few minutes (similar to SnapChat). In contrast to WhatsApp, there is also a desktop version.

Disadvantages: Telegram was plagued with problems due to the many new users. Many messages were received after hours, even after one day.

Threema (one-time payment of Euro 1.79)

This Swiss app ranks number one among the paid apps. Users can send each other text messages, images and videos. It is available for iOS and Android. There are currently over 400,000 users worldwide.

The name Threema stands for End-to-End Encrypted Messaging Application. It means that Threema uses an encryption method that allows users to automatically encrypt their own messages. Even Threema itself cannot access the messages, not even when ordered to do so by the government.

Advantages: Messages not delivered to users are kept for up to 7 days on Threema’s servers. WhatsApp keeps them for 30 days. All Threema’s servers are located in Switzerland. The company therefore has to comply with the strict Swiss privacy and data protection laws. Servers are out of reach for agencies such as the NSA.

Disadvantages: Sending messages is slower than via Telegram Messenger, and similar to WhatsApp. Most users (80%) are located in the DACH countries.

Line (free)

This Japanese app is very popular in Asia with 360 million users worldwide. Line does not sell itself as a privacy-app, but promises never to sell personal information. Line also states that it sporadically collects demographic data. Line is free of charge. The company generates income from the sales of stickers and games.

Advantages: Line can also be used for high-quality phone calls. Contacts can be added based on their telephone numbers or usernames. Users can talk with strangers without having to share their telephone number. Users can also subscribe to messages of celebrities. Line has an extensive collection of images that users can send. There is also a desktop version of Line.

Disadvantages: Most users are located in Asia.

Hemlis (basic will be free)

This message app is developed by Peter Sunde, one of the founders of the download site The Pirate Bay. The app is free, but there there will be a charge for extras. Hemlis (which is Swedish for secret) keeps all sent messages on its own server until received by the recipient. The company refuses to say which encryption method it uses.

Advantages: The app is free of charge. Hemlis is crowdfunded. According to Hemlis, its privacy is better than that of WhatsApp. Hemlis does not allow advertising.

Disadvantages: It is not clear when the app will be launched. The company did not say how messages will be encrypted. As it looks now, sending text messages will be free and sending images will be charged.

Silent Circle (starting at 10 USD per month)

This US app is “spy free”. It’s the brainchild of Navy SEALs and Silicon Valley cryptography experts. Silent Circle charges 10 USD a month for the apps that encrypt the communication. Users are currently mainly in the US. The company is currently entering the European market. Communication is directly encrypted on the sender’s phone, and is decrypted on the recipient's phone. Between the two phones, the signal is gibberish - even for the provider. After communication is received, encryption is removed and cannot be recovered.

Advantages: Excellent security. The service was originally developed for diplomats, business executives, journalists, and army personnel working in countries with disreputable governments.

Disadvantages: Expensive.

Iran’s Virtual Reality – Politicians Are Active on Twitter and Facebook!

“Hello world, we are tweeting without restrictions from Iran”

With this enticing tweet, Dutch journalist Thomas Erdbrink announced from the capital of Iran that Iranians would be able to post on Twitter and Facebook.

However, a day later the digital freedom seemed to be the result of a “technical malfunctioning”.

Social media is a delicate topic for Iranian authorities. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani proclaimed during his election that he wanted to open up internet access. Rouhani himself has an active Twitter account (@HassanRouhani). He tweets in English and Farsi.

The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Javad Zarif is also on Twitter (@JZarif) and is also active on Facebook.

These two politicians follow in the footsteps of many diplomats and politicians around the globe who have been using social media to explain their views or promote their agenda.

Sometimes politicians even slug it out in cyberspace. The Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt @CarlBildt and the Egyptian Ambassador in Sweden disputed how many demonstrators were killed by Egyptian forces, with the Swede tweeting: “@Osama_Elmagdoub So they all shoot themselves? Try another one”.

No matter what, the recent tweets of Rouhani and Zarif are groundbreaking. Even Ayatollah Khamenei (@Khamenei_ir) wants to communicate with the outside world via social media.

Zarif even used twitter on September 5 to wish Jews a Happy New Year @JZarif “Happy Rosh Rashanah” – quite ironic since the previous Iranian President denied the Holocaust. Rouhani claims that “We never denied it. The man who was perceived to be denying is now gone. Happy new year.” Quod erat demonstrandum (QED).

It would be great if the tweets would indicate a new era of freedom. I would love Iran to confront @BarackObama in cyberspace. Who knows – social media couls even contribute to peace!

It’s hard to prevent people to go online and connect with whoever they want across the globe. Even with restrictions, there are ways to circumvent censorship, so just go with the flow! I’m sure the NSA agrees with me…

(Image courtesy of: © kebox - Fotolia.com)

Can RSA and EMC Repair Their Brand Damage Courtesy Of The NSA Scandal?

Reuters broke the story that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had inked a confidential contract with RSA, a subsidiary of EMC.

According to Reuters: “Documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden show that the NSA created and promulgated a flawed formula for generating random numbers to create a ‘back door’ in encryption products. RSA received $10 million in a deal that set the NSA formula as the preferred, or default, method for number generation.”

Not a bad deal for RSA, since the company’s total revenue for the previous year was less than $30 million. Needless to say, RSA went into damage control mode by vehemently denying that it ever was in cahoots with the NSA.

RSA did admit that it had worked with the NSA, both as a vendor and an active member of the security community. The EMC-subsidiary emphasized that as a trusted member of the security community, it wants to strengthen, not weaken, encryption.

RSA stated: “This algorithm is only one of multiple choices available within BSafe toolkits. Users have always been free to choose whichever toolkit best suits their needs".

RSA continued using the algorithm as an option within BSafe toolkits as it gained acceptance as a NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) standard and because of its value in FIPS compliance. When concern surfaced around the algorithm in 2007, RSA continued to rely upon NIST as the arbiter of that discussion.

The EMC-subsidiary concluded by stating that RSA, as a security company, never divulges details of customer engagements, but “we also categorically state that we have never entered into any contract or engaged in any project with the intention of weakening RSA’s products, or introducing potential ‘backdoors’ into our products for anyone’s use.”

The fallout of the RSA scandal might be too much for RSA (and EMC). Both companies are at risk to remain tainted by the revelations of Reuters. What RSA and EMC need now is some excellent PR to repair their brand damage – the sooner the better!

Google’s Clever Ploy – The Mystery of the Two Barges

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) is one of the largest data users in the world. It created a viral storm when news broke that the search giant was rumored to build a floating data center on a barge in the San Francisco Bay. A similar structure was recently constructed on a barge in Portland barge. Both barges are registered to the By And Large LCC shell company.

It was pointed out that the structures would be consistent with Google’s patent for building offshore data centers. That patent was filed in 2008 and granted in 2009. It describes a data center on a ship that is perpetually powered by ocean currents and uses sea water to cool the servers.

Locating its servers on barges would have several benefits:

• Since regulating temperature is one of the major costs in maintaining a data center, using the ocean would enable significant cost savings
• Using the ocean current for power would reduce electricity use 
• Overall data storage costs would be lower
• Once the barges are in international waters, they are out of US jurisdiction and cannot be touched by the NSA
• It make Google look cool, which is good for branding

But not everybody believed that the San Francisco Bay structure is a data center, but rather a secret marketing barge to promote Google Glass. According to this theory, Google stopped building since it doesn't have the necessary permits to park the barge at San Francisco’s Fort Mason.

The Mountain View-based conglomerate finally broke its silence. It announced that the barge is a technology exhibition space. During the next two years, Google will move the barge between several piers in the San Francisco Bay area and other West coast locations. The floating structures are constructed from stacked shipping containers that provide 13,276 square foot of studio space. The structure will also feature a rooftop deck and catwalks, with technology demonstrations on the second and third floors. The opening hours will be from 10am to 10pm.