Skype was once the king of online messaging, before losing popularity to a host of newer competitors that offered better security, including WhatsApp, iMessage, Signal, and Telegram. What’s more, those services generally offer a far superior experience, including an ad-free one.

It appears Microsoft is at least addressing that last issue, according to a post on its community forums.

We’re excited to announce that Skype is now ad-free! Our latest update removes all ads from Skype channels and the entire Skype platform, ensuring a smoother, decluttered and more enjoyable user experience.

• Ad-Free Channels: Enjoy uninterrupted browsing and communication in all your favorite Skype channels.
• Seamless Conversations: Focus on your chats without any ad distractions, making your Skype experience cleaner and more user-friendly.
• User-Centric Design: We’ve prioritized your feedback to create a more streamlined and pleasant environment across all platforms.

Thank you for your continued support as we strive to make Skype the best communication tool for everyone. Enjoy an ad-free experience and keep the conversations flowing!

In addition to getting rid of ads, Microsoft has improved the interface, streamlined access to the AI image creator, optimized menu items, improved navigation, and made sign-ins easier with OneAuth integration.

Sonos rolled out a major new version of its app, but the it was a definite step back from the previous version. In fact, users complained of poor performance, bugs, and missing features they relied on. In the wake of the rollout, Spence is apologizing and promising the company will fix the issues.

We know that too many of you have experienced significant problems with our new app which rolled out on May 7, and I want to begin by personally apologizing for disappointing you. There isn’t an employee at Sonos who isn’t pained by having let you down, and I assure you that fixing the app for all of our customers and partners has been and continues to be our number one priority.

We developed the new app to create a better experience, with the ability to drive more innovation in the future, and with the knowledge that it would get better over time. However, since launch we have found a number of issues. Fixing these issues has delayed our prior plan to quickly incorporate missing features and functionality.

Spence goes on to say that the company has released new updates roughly every two weeks, each one brining “significant and meaningful improvements.”

Spence outlines the company’s roadmap for continued improvements to the new app:

July and August:

• Improving the stability when adding new products
• Implementing Music Library configuration, browse, search, and play

August and September:

• Improving Volume responsiveness
• User interface improvements based on customer feedback
• Improving overall system stability and error handling

September:

• Improving Alarm consistency and reliability

September and October:

• Restoring edit mode for Playlists and the Queue
• Improving functionality in settings

Hopefully the company is able to deliver on Spence’s promise and restore the functionality and experience users are accustomed to.

WhatsApp is the world’s most popular cross-platform messaging service, but its popularity has lagged in the US thanks largely to the popularity of Apple’s iPhone and iMessage service. The service is making headway, however, with WhatsApp reporting 100 million US users.

The company made the announcement in a blog post:

It’s been a long time since we’ve written about the momentum of WhatsApp and today we have some exciting news to share. As of this month, WhatsApp now has 100 million users in the United States.

The blog goes on to make the point that WhatsApp is “the solution” to the cross-platform messaging issues that currently plague the US market:

This milestone has been a long time coming and it proves that WhatsApp is the solution to the cross platform divide in America. No matter if you have an iPhone or Android, people want private and secure messaging that works well for everyone and that’s what we do best.

WhatsApp is referring to the blue vs green bubble debate, where texting between iPhone and Android devices is a subpar experience at best. Efforts have been made to address the issue, with Apple finally adopting RCS—the feature-rich successor to SMS—to improve cross-platform texting. Still other solutions, such as Sunbird Messaging, are trying to address the issue by bringing a form of iMessage directly to Android.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is trying to position itself as a viable option that already exists, has widespread global adoption, and has a longstanding track record of reliability.

WhatsApp is adding a Favorites feature, giving users the ability to set contacts as Favorites. Once set, Favorites will appear as a filter option at the top of the chat and call screen, as the company highlights in a blog post.

Whether it’s your family group chat or your best friend, your ‘favorites’ will be the same across your chats and calls, so you can speed dial them from your calls tab too.

To add to your ‘favorites’:

• From your chats screen, select the ‘favorites’ filter, and select your contacts or groups there.
• From the calls tab, tap ‘Add favorite’ and select your contacts or groups.
• Or, simply manage your ‘favorites’ in your settings by going to Settings > Favorites > Add to Favorites, and you can reorder them at any time.

WhatsApp says the feature started rolling out Tuesday and will be available to all users within the coming weeks.

Thunderbird is the popular open-source email client and PIM suite backed by Mozilla. The new version includes a number of improvements that improve stability, performance, and the overall user experience, some of which is due to the inclusion of more Rust code:

We’ve devoted significant development time integrating Rust — a modern programming language originally created by Mozilla Research — into Thunderbird. Even though this is a seemingly invisible change, it is a major leap forward because it enhances our code quality and performance. This overhaul will allow us to share features between the desktop and future mobile versions of Thunderbird, and speed up our development process. It’s a win for our developers and a win for you.

Cards View also received some notable improvements:

The Cards View, which debuted in 115 Supernova, has been tuned and refined for an even better experience. The new layout is more attractive and makes it easier to scan your email threads and glean information at a glance. Plus, the height of email cards adjusts automatically based on your settings, ensuring everything looks just right.

The Folder Pane received a number of improvements, “including faster rendering and searching of unified folders, better recall of message thread states, and multi-folder selection.”

The new version includes improved theme compatibility, which Thunderbird’s Jason Evangelho says will especially benefit Ubuntu and Linux Mint users, making the application seamlessly blend with their desktop environment.

There are a number of other improvements, including account color customization, streamlined menu navigation, native Windows notifications, and improved context menu. Features that didn’t quite make it into this version, but are progressing nicely, include built-in Microsoft Exchange support, as well as support for Mozilla Sync. Both of these features should show up in a Nebula point release (128.x).

The Rise of No-Code Development

No-code development has emerged as a significant trend over the past decade, offering a way for individuals without programming skills to create software applications. Using visual interfaces and drag-and-drop tools, no-code platforms allow users to design and deploy software without writing a single line of code. The low-code and no-code development market is projected to reach $36.4 billion by 2027, underscoring its growing importance in the tech industry.

“No-code platforms empower non-technical users to bring their ideas to life flexibly, meaning you can fail and fix quickly,” Gillespie explains. The key benefits of no-code development include cost efficiency, as it eliminates the need for expensive traditional developers, and speed, allowing products to reach the market significantly faster. “You’ll be able to get your product to market quickly since no-code, on average, typically needs traditional development time by 70 to 90%,” she adds.

Gillespie highlights popular no-code platforms such as Bubble.io, Adalo, Webflow, and Glide, which can be used to create various applications, from internal business tools to mobile apps and e-commerce websites. “This has really changed the game in the tech world because gone are the days where you need a technical founder or co-founder for a successful tech startup,” she says.

Real-World Success Stories

The appeal of no-code is evident in success stories like that of Jason Schotksy, co-founder of TicketRev. Schotksy, who lacks technical skills, raised $1.1 million in pre-seed funding by developing his startup on Bubble. “We stayed as lean as possible to see if what we were even doing worked and provided value to people,” Schotksy shares, emphasizing the efficiency and speed advantages of no-code development for startups.

Hiring a no-code agency can provide a cost-effective alternative even for those who find the learning curve of no-code platforms steep. These agencies specialize in no-code development, offering their expertise to build robust applications without the hefty price tag associated with traditional development. “Even if you don’t want to go through the learning curve of building the software yourself on a no-code platform, you can still reap the benefits by hiring a no-code agency,” Gillespie notes.

Potential Pitfalls of No-Code

However, Gillespie warns that no-code development is not without its drawbacks. One significant issue is vendor lock-in, which can occur when users depend on a specific no-code platform. Unlike traditional development, where code can be migrated across different frameworks, switching no-code platforms often requires starting from scratch. “You are locked into whatever the given platform has,” Gillespie explains. “And while I will say that no-code platform offerings have come quite a long way, you might just come across that one thing that isn’t convenient or easy to build or even possible to build on the no-code platform that you have currently selected.”

Another potential pitfall is scalability. Businesses must carefully evaluate whether a no-code platform can handle the expected load and provide real-time data updates. “Are you planning for this software to be used by millions of users? Will they be accessing it at the same time? Will they need their data to be updated in real-time?” Gillespie asks. She points out that platforms like Adalo have limitations on data storage, app actions, and integrations, which could become problematic for large-scale applications.

Additionally, no-code platforms can sometimes complicate simple tasks. “Sometimes accomplishing something incredibly simple in traditional development takes a large amount of complexity or effort in a no-code platform,” Gillespie notes. This can result in confusing and hard-to-maintain software, particularly when dealing with complex logic or large-scale applications. For instance, when using Glide, most logic is contained in the database itself in computed columns, which can complicate tasks like creating a graph or an if-else statement.

A Balanced Perspective

Despite these challenges, Gillespie maintains that no-code platforms offer substantial benefits, particularly for rapid prototyping and market validation. “No-code offers speed, cost efficiency, and flexibility, which can be vital for businesses looking to quickly validate their ideas and launch minimal viable products,” she says. This approach allows companies to gather user feedback and iterate quickly, adapting to market demands and optimizing operations effectively.

By 2025, it is estimated that 70% of new business applications will utilize low-code and no-code technologies. This trend highlights the growing acceptance and utility of these platforms, even as developers must remain aware of their limitations.

“No-code is not a trap. It’s just important that you do your research on what your software will need prior to committing to a certain no-code platform,” Gillespie advises. Understanding your software’s specific needs and your chosen platform’s capabilities is crucial to avoiding common pitfalls. Just as with traditional development, different no-code platforms come with their own sets of pros and cons, necessitating a thorough evaluation before commitment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, no-code development is not inherently a trap, but it requires careful consideration and research. “Understanding the specific needs of your software and the capabilities of your chosen platform is crucial to avoiding common pitfalls,” Gillespie emphasizes. With the right approach, no-code development can be a powerful tool for innovation and efficiency, transforming how software is created and deployed in today’s fast-paced tech landscape.

As Gillespie succinctly puts it, “No-code development, like most things, has its pros and cons. It can be a great option for many different use cases, but there are also certain instances where it may not be the best option.” Her balanced perspective offers valuable insights for anyone considering no-code development, highlighting its transformative potential and the importance of thorough research and understanding.

By effectively leveraging no-code platforms, companies can rapidly prototype, gather user feedback, and iterate, enabling them to adapt swiftly to market demands and optimize their operations. This approach allows businesses to focus resources on refining and scaling successful products, ensuring they can meet evolving customer needs and stay competitive in dynamic industries.

According to WABetaInfo, some beta tests already have access to the new features, giving them the ability to transcribe messages in various languages, including English, Spanish, Hindi, Portuguese (Brazil), and Russian.

Best of all, WhatsApp has deployed the feature in a way that helps preserve privacy, according to the outlet:

In fact, these voice transcripts are generated on-device, so nobody else can hear your voice notes or read the transcripts. Those users can now choose to download one from the available language data packages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, and Hindi, with the potential for more languages to be supported in the future. Since WhatsApp offers data packages for these 5 languages, it suggests that this feature may currently be available only to a limited number of users in some countries where the respective languages are widely spoken or supported.

As the outlet points out, the feature should be a boon for users who prefer to quickly skim through or read a message rather than listen to it in its entirety:

This feature also offers convenience to users who receive lengthy voice notes, as it allows them to quickly read the transcriptions instead of having to listen to the entire audio message, enabling them to understand the content more efficiently. It is worth noting that transcriptions provide a quick reference even through searching the voice note later, enabling users to find and review the content of voice notes without having to replay the audio.

Some users may be able to access the new feature by installing the beta version via the Play Store. Otherwise, the feature should be rolling out to users in the coming weeks.

In 2023, there were around 257 billion mobile app downloads recorded globally. Using a smartphone also often means downloading and using apps.

Many mobile apps perform their best when they have access to precise and reliable location and travel information. In these instances, distance matrix APIs come into play. Here’s a look at how they work in app development.

Understanding Distance Matrix API

A distance matrix API refers to a tool that calculates travel times and distances between a given set of origin and destination points. 

It is designed to provide a matrix of distances and travel times between multiple origins and destinations. It also considers various settings and modes of transport, offering flexibility and accurate estimates.

Aside from providing estimates, a distance matrix API also calculates the shortest or most efficient route between given origins and destinations. It can be beneficial for optimizing routes for delivery and logistics purposes.

Importance of Distance Matrix APIs in Modern App Development

Distance Matrix APIs have become a crucial component in modern app development. They are instrumental in mobility-based businesses and mobile apps like ride-hailing, logistics, and delivery.

This API calculates travel times and distances between multiple origin and destination points, helping with route planning and overall operational efficiency.

Enhancing user experience

One of the primary benefits of distance matrix APIs is their ability to enhance the user experience. These APIs help users plan their journeys more effectively by providing accurate travel time estimates.

The information provided by a distance matrix API reduces uncertainty and improves predictability. As a result, people can better manage their time and make informed decisions.

For example, a distance matrix API in ride-hailing apps helps assign the nearest driver to each customer, reducing wait times and improving efficiency. Consequently, customers get a better experience, as they can expect timely and reliable services.

Improving operational efficiency

Aside from enhancing user experiences, distance matrix APIs also improve operational efficiency. 

As it optimizes routes and reduces travel times, the API helps businesses streamline their operations using mobile apps. These improvements can lead to resource savings and improved productivity.

Let’s look at its usage in logistics and fleet management. Distance matrix APIs can help manage and optimize routes for massive fleets of vehicles. This optimization reduces travel times and improves efficiency, allowing companies to deliver goods and services more quickly and cost-effectively.

Applications in Various Industries

Distance matrix APIs have become a crucial component in various industries, as they help with efficient route optimization and improved operational efficiency. Here are some critical applications of distance matrix APIs across different sectors and industries:

Ride-hailing

Distance matrix APIs help optimize routes and reduce wait times in ride-hailing apps. 

These APIs calculate the shortest distance between multiple origins and destination points and help assign each customer the nearest driver. By ensuring efficient and timely services, the customer gets a positive experience.

Distance matrix APIs help drivers select the best trip routes, saving precious time and fuel resources.

E-commerce

Distance matrix APIs also significantly benefit e-commerce retailers and applications. They help find the best delivery routes for online orders.

Distance matrix APIs calculate the most efficient route between multiple delivery points. With this information, they can help reduce delivery times and costs. It also helps e-commerce platforms calculate shipping costs depending on the origins and destinations.

As a result, e-commerce businesses can provide faster and more reliable delivery services, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

On-demand delivery

On-demand delivery services, such as meal and grocery delivery, rely heavily on distance matrix APIs. 

The API ensures that orders are delivered quickly and efficiently by finding the best delivery routes. Reduced travel times and costs help on-demand delivery apps and services provide faster and more reliable services.

Trucking and logistics

Distance matrix APIs help optimize routes for trucking fleets in the trucking and logistics industry.

These APIs calculate the most efficient route between multiple delivery points, helping reduce travel times and costs. They also help drivers maximize their available energy and take adequate rest stops to avoid exhaustion and stay on time.

Trucking and logistics companies can improve operational efficiency and reduce fuel consumption with distance matrix APIs.

Choosing a Distance Matrix API for Your Mobile App

Selecting the proper distance matrix API is crucial when building a mobile app with location-based services. Looking through your options, you can find several providers offering APIs you can use in app development. 

However, not every distance matrix API is made equal. Here are some vital factors to consider when selecting an API that suits your needs and requirements.

Adsquire CEO Anthony Higman posted about the new ads on X after experiencing them firsthand.

If Google does move forward with this format, it could be the biggest gift the company could ever give to Apple Maps. While Apple Maps was nowhere near as accurate as Google Maps in its early days, Apple has consistently improved its mapping software to the point where there is little difference between the two now.

Given Apple’s consistent focus on privacy and giving users more control over where and how they see ads, users may flock to Apple Maps if Google rolls out this new style of popup ads to its user base.

Affinity emerged as a solid competitor to Adobe on the Mac and iPad, with the company’s products winning awards and the hearts of its users. Canva worked out a deal to acquire Affinity in an effort to better compete with Adobe, combining Canva’s online design platform with Affinity’s on-device tools.

The companies appear to be moving full speed ahead post-acquisition, with Affinity announcing its most ambitious onboarding attempt yet.

Get a six-month free trial of our award-winning photo editing, page layout, graphic design and illustration software – even if you’ve tried it before!

We know it’s daunting to switch your creative software, so we want to give you plenty of time to test out Affinity before you commit. And for those of you who may have tried it before but didn’t buy for whatever reason, we’ve reset all trials so you can give it another go for a longer period of time.

No obligation to buy, no payment details required to sign up.

The trial includes Affinity Designer 2, Affinity Photo 2, and Affinity Publisher 2. The company emphasizes the unique abilities its suite of tools brings to users.

Used by millions of designers, artists, editors, illustrators, photographers and other creatives around the world, the Affinity suite includes three products: Affinity Designer, Photo and Publisher. Photo editing software Affinity Photo has everything you need to edit and retouch images or produce multi-layered compositions. Graphic design software Affinity Designer gives you the tools to create stunning illustrations, high-quality concept art, unique branding and so much more. And page layout powerhouse Affinity Publisher makes it easy to combine your images, graphics and text to produce spectacular layouts for any projects.

Affinity Publisher also features something truly unique. With the world-first StudioLink technology, users who own Designer and/or Photo can access the advanced toolsets of those apps without ever leaving Publisher. No need for tedious import and exporting—you can edit images and designs right in your layout. It’s the most fluid workflow ever conceived in a creative suite.

The deal is a great way for users to try out Affinity’s products and can be accessed here.

Among the many web browsers on the market, the majority of them fall into three well-defined camps: they use rendering engines based on or related to Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari. In some cases, various browsers go far beyond that, relying heavily on open source code from existing browsers and making only minor modifications.

Ladybird breaks from that trend by starting from the ground up and not using any code from existing web browsers. At the same time, the browser is based on web standards. Ladybird started out as part of the SerenityOS project, a UNIX-like operating system. Ladybird was split off from that project so its creators could focus on the browser.

The focus of the Ladybird project is to build a new browser engine from the ground up. We don’t use code from Blink, WebKit, Gecko, or any other browser engine.

For historical reasons, the browser uses various libraries from the SerenityOS project, which has a strong culture of writing everything from scratch. Now that Ladybird has forked from SerenityOS, it is no longer bound by this culture, and we will be making use of 3rd party libraries for common functionality (e.g image/audio/video formats, encryption, graphics, etc.)

We are already using some of the same 3rd party libraries that other browsers use, but we will never adopt another browser engine instead of building our own.

The creators say Ladybird is an important project since it represents freedom from the advertising models that dominate the existing web browser market, as GitHub founder and Ladybird co-founder Chris Wanstrath points out:

Today, every major browser engine is open source, which is wonderful, but there’s still one issue: they’re all funded by Google’s advertising empire. Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, and Opera all use Google’s Chromium. Apple receives billions to make Google the default search engine in Safari, and Firefox has a similar deal where they receive hundreds of millions each year.

The web is too essential to have one primary source of funding, and too important to have that source of funding be advertising.

That’s why I believe that Ladybird, a new browser written completely from scratch, and the Ladybird Browser Initiative, a nonprofit funded exclusively by donations whose sole purpose is the development of the Ladybird browser, can make a difference.

The world needs a browser that puts people first, contributes to open standards using a brand new engine, and is free from advertising’s influence.

Wanstrath says his family has pledged $1 million to help support Ladybird development. The developers are targeting an Alpha release in Summer 2026 for Linux and macOS, with more platforms to follow.

According to TechCrunch, Spotify recently began testing emergency alerts in Sweden, despite there being no legal requirement to incorporate them. The company told the outlet that it was exploring the feasibility of including them at some point in the future.

While it may seem like an odd thing for Spotify to be interested in, it makes sense when considering how much time people spend listening to their Spotify account. As TechCrunch points out, incorporating the feature could also be a way for the company to distinguish its app as an essential one. In addition, if the app can be relied on for emergency alerts, it could result in more users leaving notifications for the app enabled, which could also be used for marketing.

Ultimately, there’s no guarantee Spotify will move forward, a point it emphasized in a statement to the outlet.

“At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience,” they company said. “Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience while most serve only as an important learning.”

Google Keep is the company’s popular note-taking service, giving users the ability to save notes, images, lists, videos, and more. The company had previously enabled support for multiple instances on large screen Android devices, but has now expanded that to include multiple accounts.

Last year, we introduced multi-instance support for Google Keep on large screen Android devices. To take this a step further, we’re now allowing multiple accounts to be used at the same time on the same device in Keep. Having two windows open side-by-side enables better insight into your notes and gives you more ways to work with, display, and organize your content across multiple accounts. | Rolling out now to Rapid Release domains and Scheduled Release domains. | Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual Subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts.

The company also announced a couple of improvements to Gemini, one of which gives users the ability to ask for access via their Workspace account.

We’re introducing a simple way for Workspace end users to request a Gemini license from their admins on the Gemini for Google Workspace homepage. To send this request, Workspace end users simply select ‘Get Started’ from the Gemini for Google Workspace marketing page, then click on ‘Ask my admin’ and complete the request form. Super admins will receive this request by email, and from there they can choose to purchase a Gemini license in the Admin console.

Google says admins can disable these requests.

Gemini for Workspace also received some improvements to its usage reports.

Beginning today, we’re introducing additional updates for these reports:

• Usage reports are now available for Gemini Education and Gemini Education Premium customers.
• Admins can filter usage reports by OU and Groups.

The updates, especially the multi-account access in Keep, are a nice improvement that should help improve users’ workflows.

Python is one of the most popular languages for data processing and analytics, thanks to its ease of use, versatility, and powerful features. Microsoft is now giving users the ability to leverage that power with a Public Preview of Python in Excel, according to a company blog post:

Now you can do advanced data analysis in the familiar Excel environment by accessing Python directly from the Excel ribbon. No set up or installation is required. Using Excel’s built-in connectors and Power Query, you can easily bring external data into Python in Excel workflows.

We’re partnering with Anaconda, a leading enterprise grade Python repository used by tens of millions of data practitioners worldwide. Python in Excel leverages Anaconda Distribution for Python running in Azure, which includes the most popular Python libraries such as pandas for data manipulation, statsmodels for advanced statistical modeling, and Matplotlib and seaborn for data visualization.

The feature is already gaining fans among customers.

“The ability to run Python in Excel simplifies McKinney’s reporting workflows. We used to manipulate data structures, filter, and aggregate data in a Jupyter Notebook, and build visuals in Excel,” said Greg Barnes, McKinney Executive Director of Data and Analytics.  “Now we can manage the entire workflow in Excel. This is going to make Excel that much more powerful and make Python more accessible across the organization. Python support is the most exciting update for Excel in my career!”

According to TechCrunch, Durov made the revelation in an interview with Tucker Carlson. As the outlet noted, Durov was bragging about his company being “super efficient,” but experts didn’t agree with his assessment.

Between being based in Dubai, and only have 30 engineers in a field that is a ripe target for bad actors, experts say Durov’s revelation is a major concern.

“Without end-to-end encryption, huge numbers of vulnerable targets, and servers located in the UAE? Seems like that would be a security nightmare,” Matthew Green, a cryptography expert at Johns Hopkins University, told TechCrunch.

Unlike Signal and WhatsApp, Telegram does not use end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default, requiring users to manually opt-in.

“What makes Telegram different (and much worse!) is that Telegram is not just a messaging app, it is also a social media platform. As a social media platform, it is sitting on an enormous amount of user data. Indeed, it is sitting on the contents of all communications that are not one-on-one messages that have been specifically [end-to-end] encrypted,” Eva Galperin, cybersecurity director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told TechCrunch. “‘Thirty engineers’ means that there is no one to fight legal requests, there is no infrastructure for dealing with abuse and content moderation issues.”

“And I would even argue that the quality of those 30 engineers isn’t that great,” Galperin added. “Also, if I was a threat actor, I would definitely consider this to be encouraging news. Every attacker loves a profoundly understaffed and overworked opponent.”

Telegram has had questions raised about its security for years, with critics slamming its lack of default E2EE. What’s more, the arrest of Russian protesters relying on Telegram has cast doubt on whether the app’s encryption algorithms are truly secure.

Given the app’s history, it’s easy to understand why experts are so concerned about its mere 30 engineers.

Flathub is the main repository for Flatpak apps, the popular, containerized apps that work across virtually all Linux distros. According to the Flathub Statistics page, there have been roughly 2,006,950,000 downloads, as of the time of writing.

The data shows that, while the single month download peak belongs to March 2023, the overall trend has been one of strong upward growth since early 2021. The most popular category of apps is Utilities, followed by Games.

Flatpak has been called ‘the future of Linux app distribution,’ and the platform certainly has the downloads to support the claim.

Multi was created with the prospect of making desktop computers and collaboration truly multiplayer. The company’s software enables simultaneous screensharing, shared control, keyboard-first control, and much more. The software is used by such names as Mozilla, Automattic, VMware, Plaid, and others.

The company announced in a blog post that it is joining Meta, viewing the acquisition as the next step in its vision for modern computing.

What if desktop computers were inherently multiplayer? What if the operating system placed people on equal footing to apps? Those were the questions we explored in building Multi, and before that, Remotion.

Recently, we’ve been increasingly asking ourselves how we should work with computers. Not on or using computers, but truly with computers. With AI. We believe it’s one of the most important product questions of our time.

And so, we’re beyond excited to share that Multi is joining OpenAI!

The announcement includes bad news for existing customers, with Multi sunsetting next month.

Unfortunately, this means we’re sunsetting Multi. We’ve closed new team signups, and currently active teams will be able to use the app until July 24, 2024, after which we’ll delete all user data. If you need help or more time finding a replacement, email alexander@multi.app. We’re happy to suggest alternatives depending on what exactly you loved about Multi, and we can also grant extensions on a case by case basis.

There is no word from OpenAI or Meta on exactly how the latter’s products will be used by the AI firm, nor was the cost of the deal disclosed.

Sunbird had a disastrous debut in late 2023 when Nothing partnered with the app to provide messaging to its new Nothing 2 phone. Almost immediately, keen-eyed users and security experts noticed major issues with Sunbird’s security…or lack thereof. In fact, the security issues were so bad that Nothing dropped the app and Sunbird paused its beta to completely revamp its service and infrastructure.

On the heels of that revamp, Sunbird is once again launching a beta of its app and expanding access to the individuals who joined the waitlist. Sunbird emphasizes that its approach is different than other apps—such as the ill-fated Beeper—by serving as a bridge between the Apple and Google messaging ecosystem.

Sunbird’s approach to bridging the messaging gap between Android and Apple users is rooted in security and innovation. Unlike third-party attempts that involved unauthorized access to iMessage, Sunbird’s platform provides a secure bridge for communication within Apple’s ecosystem. Since the app’s initial public announcement in November 2022, Sunbird received extensive media coverage and tens of thousands of users have communicated through iMessage via Sunbird. This media coverage and usage did not lead to third-party interference, and the company remains confident about its method of securely connecting Android and iPhone users.

What About Security?

One of the biggest concerns many users will have is whether the company has addressed the security issues that plagued its initial launch. In a blog post, the company does an in-depth postmortem and describes the issues that were discovered:

• The use of the unencrypted HTTP protocol for an API call.
• The storing of messages in an unencrypted state in a Firebase real-time store.
• The possible accessibility of over 600,000 files, some of which were vCards, within the Firebase static file host.
• The logging of messages by the front-end into a Sentry log.

The company says it made major changes following the revelations.

The discovery of vulnerabilities within the Sunbird apps was a stark reminder of our responsibilities toward user privacy and security. Following the identification of these issues and the consequent suspension of the Sunbird system, we were presented with a choice. We could have opted for a quick fix to patch these vulnerabilities, potentially allowing us to reinstate the Sunbird app on the app store within a few short weeks. However, we recognized that such an approach would not align with our core values or our unwavering commitment to the privacy and security of our users.

We decided to take the opportunity to thoroughly reevaluate both our technical implementations and our organizational processes from the foundation up. This decision was driven by our belief in the paramount importance of trust and safety in our platform. It reflects our dedication to not just resolving the immediate issues at hand but also to ensuring that we uphold the highest standards of security and privacy for our community in the long term.

Sunbird outlines both technical changes and organizational changes to ensure it provides the level of security its customers expect. On a technical note, the company says:

• Unencrypted messages are never stored anywhere on disk or in a database. When messages are decrypted to be passed to the iMessage and RCS/Google Messages network, they exist in that state only within memory for a limited period of time. In the front-end app, messages are only stored in an encrypted state within the in-app database.
• Static files transmitted through the service are stored in secure cloud storage buckets that are encrypted in transit and at rest. They are protected through permissioned URLs that prevent unauthorized access and are completely expunged from the Sunbird systems no later than 48 hours after sending or receiving them.
• All communication from the Sunbird app to the Sunbird API is protected at the transport layer, either through HTTPS or the MQTTS protocol.
• The MQTTS broker is secured via strict access control lists to ensure that users are only able to access broker topics specifically assigned to them and no others.
• Further, the contents of the message payload itself is encrypted at the application layer using AES encryption with an encryption key controlled completely by the client and only held in memory on the Sunbird side. Messages flow through the Sunbird system in an encrypted state and are only decrypted (in memory) at the moment of transfer of messages to the native messaging platform.

On an organization level, Sunbird brought Bobby Gill of BlueLabel onboard to oversee development. Gill brings more than 20 years of hands-on development of secure enterprise and mobile software.

Even more importantly, the company has tapped “independent security consultancy, CIPHER, to perform a rigorous security analysis penetration test of the Sunbird app and backend.”

The outcome of the penetration testing was affirming; they reported no critical vulnerabilities within the Sunbird app or its backend API. In addition, they specifically attempted to recreate the architecturally present vulnerabilities previously identified in November 2023 and were unable to do so on the AV2 platform.

Is Sunbird Still Needed In View of Apple’s RCS Plans

Apple surprised the industry when it announced it would finally support RCS for iOS > Android texting, replacing the archaic SMS as a fallback option. RCS is slated to debut in iOS 18, and will bring a host of improvements, including file sharing, read receipts, group admin, and more.

Despite the good news, there is no reason to believe that RCS will be the magic bullet that solves the green vs blue bubble debate. RCS has its own problems, including an over-reliance on Google. What’s more, custom Android ROMs—such as GrapheneOS and CalyxOS—cannot use RCS. In addition, there is no reason to believe that Apple will implement RCS with same feature parity as iMessage—the company’s own solution will always provide a superior experience.

In that context, bringing iMessage to Android still stands to provide a better experience than RCS on iOS.

Should You Use Sunbird?

The million dollar question is: Should you use Sunbird? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to that question.

On the one hand, Sunbird has implemented significant changes to its platform in an effort to fully address the issues it experienced in its first preview launch. The company has also made organizational changes, not the least of which is leveraging independent testing to ensure its platform is safe.

On the other hand, the critical part of Sunbird’s description of how its service works pertains to when the message is moving from one ecosystem to the other:

Unencrypted messages are never stored anywhere on disk or in a database. When messages are decrypted to be passed to the iMessage and RCS/Google Messages network, they exist in that state only within memory for a limited period of time. In the front-end app, messages are only stored in an encrypted state within the in-app database.

As this describes, messages are briefly decrypted as they cross over, before being re-encrypted and sent on their way.

To be fair, it’s likely that Apple’s implementation of RCS won’t support end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for some time. While Google’s implementation of RCS does support E2EE, Apple obviously doesn’t want to be beholden to its main rival and rely on it for encryption. As a result, Apple has said it plans to work with the GSMA to add E2EE to the main RCS standard, but that will not be completed by the time iOS 18 is released.

As a result, Apple’s implementation of RCS on iOS will offer no better security than Sunbird’s implementation of iMessage on Android.

When deciding whether to give Sunbird a try, the dilemma boils down to one simple question: Do you trust Sunbird? If so, then give the app a try.

Despite its popularity as a messaging platform—being the de facto standard in much of the world—WhatsApp aggressively compressed images and videos for much of its life. In fact, the app only gained the ability to send HD images last year.

According to Android Police’s Artem Russakovskii, WhatsApp is finally giving users the ability to send high-quality media by default, rather than having to select the option each time.

The news comes at a time when Apple is finally adding support for RCS, the successor to SMS, which will finally allow iPhone and Android users to text each other high-quality media. WhatsApp making the option available as a default is a smart move.

Readdle makes PDF Expert, Spark, Scanner Pro, and other popular apps. Calendars 5 has been its calendar app for more than 10 years, but the company has recently been transitioning to its freemium Calendars app. The company announced the news in a blog post:

We understand that having multiple app versions can be confusing, and we aim to make things simple and seamless for you. Our decision to sunset Calendars 5 is driven by a desire to streamline and simplify your experience.

For over ten years, Calendars 5 has stood as a testament to Readdle’s innovation. Since its launch, it has offered features that stand out in the crowded space of productivity apps, such as intuitive natural language input and a straightforward interface. Thanks to its attention to detail, Calendars 5 was recognized by The Verge for delivering a reliable and impressive user experience. More than just helping you keep track of your schedule, Calendars 5 aims to support your broader goals and aspirations.

Though we’re moving on from Calendars 5, we encourage you to look at the journey it’s been on. They’ve contributed to our understanding of what makes an effective time management tool.

The company emphasizes the benefits Calendars offers, thanks to the lessons learned from Calendars 5:

As we bid farewell to Calendars 5, we are excited about the future of Calendars. This isn’t just about ending one app to focus on another. “It’s an opportunity to take the lessons learned and the feedback gathered over the years to heart, using them to shape a future where Calendars is more than just an app,” says Dmytro Protserov, VP of Consumer Apps.

We envision Calendars as a supportive companion that understands the unique challenges and aspirations of our users. In the coming months, you can expect to see significant enhancements across different platforms.

We’re excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and are deeply committed to supporting our users through this transition and beyond. “We’re not just focused on incorporating advanced AI technologies; our goal is to enhance the user experience while keeping the essence of what makes our product uniquely human. We envision our app not merely as a tool but as a supportive companion that truly understands and addresses the fundamental aspects of time management for our users,” emphasizes Protserov.

Readdle has consistently made some of the best apps for Apple devices for years. The streamlined focus on Calendars will likely help spur further innovation its users will benefit from.