Heml.is (Swedish word for “secret”) is an elegant messaging app for iOS and Android that uses end-to-end encryption to make sure no third party — governments and ISPs included — can intercept the users’ communication.
Peter Sunde, co-founder of BitTorrent search engine The Pirate Bay, needs your help to create a private messaging app.
New mobile messaging app that will have superior encryption to prevent pretty much any outside party from listening in on your conversation, he said.
Plenty of people are working on making supersecure communication services, but few have the kind of bragging rights that Sunde and Olsson do. Sunde previously attempted to create an ultrasecure cloud storage service, Bay Files, and both he and Olsson also cofounded the ambitious crowdfunded social platform Flattr.
The app is crowdfunded with a goal of $100,000, with the donation counter currently standing at $27,000. Users who donate $5 or more get unlock codes for the app and other perks, depending on the size of the donation.
Hemlis will initially be available on iOS and Android The app won’t necessarily be open source because that doesn’t guarantee privacy, but the founders do intend to stay as open as possible with Hemlis’s code. It also said it won’t collect data, sell advertising, or accept funding from investment firms or angel investors. “To guarantee the safety of our users, we can not accept any money ‘with string attached,’” the team wrote in a blog post that was posted recently.
Why is Heml.is different from WhatsApp, MessageMe, iMessage etc?
“Our focus is your privacy so we are building everything from software to company structure to protect that. The others are focused on maximising profit.”
Update (on helm.is blog):
This may be the most common complaint among Android users, less than half of whom have made it as far as Ice Cream Sandwich. Between the Google, the carriers, and the hardware manufacturers, there are a whole lot of shenanigans behind closed doors that determines when (or if) your phone gets an upgrade. Who has the patience? 
Android enthusiasts rightly hate the software skins that hardware manufacturers use to brand their devices. They’re often bulky, ugly, unwieldy, or just downright not as clean and functional as stock Android. They’re also a big reason those OS updates take so long. You’re almost always better off without. So root! Once you do, you can download and install any number of custom-built ROMs (different versions of the Android firmware). Some of them are highly customized and tweaked to add features, and others are basically just stock Android. Cleaning off an ugly skin can be like a breath of fresh air. 
Networking apps are good to have for connecting with friends while on the go. They are not only easy to use and convenient but also add in an element of fun. While there is no dearth of social applications that allow you to connect with friends, one that has been garnering a lot of attention is WeChat. We decided to find out how good the application was and if it was worth downloading? 
WeChat’s interface is something that will take getting used to. On the homescreen you will find all your contacts who use the application. You can start a conversation with them by simply tapping on their name. You can convert the conversation into group chat by clicking on the face icon on the right hand corner at the top of the screen. Clicking on the keyboard icon will allow you to type a message. This keyboard icon also alternates as the speaker icon to send voice chat when the keyboard is in use. To send a voice message press on the ‘Hold to Talk’ button, you will have to keep it pressed till you are done with the message, simply release to send. Currently you can send messages up to one minute long. You can cancel the recording by an up swipe movement. 
