You love the HTC One. And everyone loves free stuff. So which Gizmodo reader came away as the winner in the final round?
Underneath the HTC One’s bright, 4.7-inch, 1080×1920 (469ppi) Super IPS display hides a monstrous 1.7Ghz quad-core Snapdragon 600 chip, 2GB RAM, a 4MP camera with Ultrapixel technology and up to 32GB storage juiced by a 2300mAh lithium-polymer battery. Learn more…
#HTCOne Comment Comp
This was another fun 24-hour quick fire competition. You used Gizmodo’s special #HTCOne signature box to make helpful and genuinely insightful comments — as always, we had heaps. Look out for another one of these comps in the comings weeks. We won’t give you any notice, though. You’ll just have to stay tuned to Giz. After over 500 comments/entries, the winner this time around was:
@irisx!
There are other alternative secure messaging apps that may not look as good as this one, but do function pretty much the same.
1. Redact Secure Messenger (for both iOS and Android) – $6
Basically, using peer-to-peer, it encrypts messages sent and doesn’t pass through a central server, meaning information sent/received can’t be hacked or stolen. Also, the app doesn’t store the messages sent itself, usernames or contact info, so its extra secure and private. Messages can also be deleted from the receiver’s handset as well as the sender’s, even after being sent, and there is no way to avoid or refuse it. Messages deleted cannot be recovered and are deleted forever. For an extra layer of security, you can use a cipher to further encrypt your messages. This is most probably a unhackable, uncrackable and totally secure messaging app.
2. Gryphn (Android) – FREE
An app similar to Redact in functions, but also offers some other extra features. The app allows users to send and receive secure text and picture messages as well as setting self-destruct timers that will delete the communication from the recipient’s phone (kind of similar to Snapchat, but much more secure). Also unique is the ‘on/off’ switch, which basically allows you to choose whether you want to encrypt your message or not. Messages on your device are encrypted as well, and you also have the choice or enabling or disabling forwarding/saving functions by the recipient. A downside to the app is that both parties need Gryphn installed to access the encrypted messaging. However, this should not discourage you from using it, as it is still a great app.
3. TextSecure (Android) – FREE
Another similar messaging app that is open-source. It’s dead-simple to set up, and has a plethora of settings allowing the user to control everything from automatic deletion of texts to the color and pattern of the LED. However, there are some quirks to the app: if you’ve recently entered your passphrase to the app, and another TextSecure users messages you, the message will appear in the notification center in plain text. While this does make using TextSecure much easier, it does mean that your messages are completely visible on your screen, potentially without warning. This is why it’s important to a time limit for how long the app can keep your passphrase cached (which can be done in the settings). A solid messaging app that, with development from the open-source community, will only get better and more secure.
Whilst I’m sure there are many other possible alternatives on the App Store and Google Play, these are the ones that stood out to me. As the users, it is up to you to decide, but it may be worth the investment to secure the content on your phones, despite the many free options available on both platforms.
I want the #HTCOne for its: Design