John McAfee and his new company, Future Tense Private Systems (FTC), have released an encrypted messaging app for mobile users. The app is named 'Chadder' and it is now available on Android and Windows Phone 8.1, with an iOS version due in the coming weeks. The app is meant to address the growing concerns of mobile users who worry about government eavesdropping, especially after the Edward Snowden leaks in the news.
Chadder is a simple app, currently described as 'early beta'. That means users shouldn't expect a robust or feature complete experience, but at least the core of the service is supposedly up and running. The app encrypts messages with only odd characters coming through if someone were to intercept the communications.
When launching the app, users can either sign in or sign up. The process is simple, with only a user name, name and password required. More detailed information can optionally be added via the Settings so that other users can find you to add to their buddy list. You can see more about the service in their demo video, which explains the service. So far though, we have been unsuccessful in finding friends and using Chadder to test for this article.
It's not too clear yet just how secure Chadder is when compared to other services, though we suppose some white papers on the subject will be coming forward in the weeks ahead. The other question is just how many updates will it take before Chadder is on a level playing ground when compared to more robust services like Viber, WhatsApp and Line.
Users on Windows Phone can find the app here in their Store. No word on an ETA for the iPhone version, though Apple fans should expect it "in the coming weeks". More can be learned about the service by heading to the official Chadder site. The app is for Windows Phone 8.1 ONLY
Update: Version 1.1.0.2 just went live, updated from 1.1.0.0 from a few days ago. New changes include implemented icons, implemented "block user" and fixed minor issues.
Source: TNW; Thanks, Dries De S., for the tip
