nostr:npub1ye5ptcxfyyxl5vjvdjar2ua3f0hynkjzpx552mu5snj3qmx5pzjscpknpr we've been testing a lot of different desktop nostr clients in the past two weeks and nostrudel is top of the crop - fully featured yet clean UX + very reliable. thanks!
Can't say we agree as sovereign, doxxed individuals working on a privacy focused VPN service for 5-15 years (varies by team member), prioritizing team visibility and transparency so you will know who you trust with your data.
Having said that, you can't verify our claims directly - there are ongoing projects to tackle that problem, but we are not there yet.
Do you really need a VPN?
Basics recap for consumer VPNs:
1. Not everyone needs a VPN. It depends on your threat model / jurisdiction you live in / expectations around privacy. You need to understand the extent of protection they provide to assess that.
2. Despite what most VPN providers will tell you in their marketing speak, using a VPN alone will be ineffective or useless for:
- Achieving anonymity or "perfect privacy"
- Preventing tech corporations from profiling you
- Protecting your passwords
- Hiding your mobile phone location
- Providing better security when working from home
3. Trustworthy VPNs can be effective at:
- Encrypting your data and DNS requests so your ISP or mobile network operator cannot monitor or log your online activity
- Masking your IP address from websites and servers you connect to
- Circumventing censorship or geo blocks
- Increasing your security on untrusted public networks by preventing MITM attacks (not common)
If you see claims from a VPN provider contrary to any of the points above, they are either lying to you or are incompetent. 95% of them won't pass this test.
Thanks. That's the next goal. Going through our BTCPay instance directly would be a straightforward (preferred) option but for now we'll compartmentalize from service payments. Will make it easier to account for incoming sats which we can then donate.
Working on a www redirect issue that prevents proper validation of NIP-05 and lnurlp information fetched from ivpn.net. Zaps are now accepted via Alby but we're aiming for ivpn@ivpn.net lightning address as a desired outcome.
We are evaluating running a Nostr relay on IVPN infra (compartmentalized).
It would make sense as relay preference appear to be a function of sufficient trust and privacy guarantees.
The risks are not clear yet, ie. how it would affect our company threat model and established/stess-tested legal guardrails.
Any suggestions for deep-dive documentation on running a relay?
New IVPN PoP locations added:
- Boston, US (us-ma1)
- Dublin, Ireland (ie1)
- Zagreb, Croatia (hr1)
These servers bring us to presence in 40 countries and 56 locations.
IVPN for iOS v2.12.4 featuring several improvements and fixes is now available through the App Store. For improved privacy in public settings, your account ID is now hidden by default in the app.
Changelog: https://github.com/ivpn/ios-app/blob/develop/CHANGELOG.md
IVPN is now on Nostr.
Following a conversation at Baltic Honeybadger with nostr:npub18ams6ewn5aj2n3wt2qawzglx9mr4nzksxhvrdc4gzrecw7n5tvjqctp424 regarding the pros and cons of 'company operated accounts on Nostr' + hearing talks on the future of free speech online, we are convinced that this is the right place (or rather, protocol) to be for us.
We've maintained a reserved, low-key presence on other social channels for many years. We as a team and as individuals prefer not to shout louder in a cacophony. While some companies thrive on oversharing for engagement and treating social communities as marketing funnels, such tactics don't align with our straightforward, no-bullshit approach.
For Nostr we are trying something different, without any compromise on these values. Expect more posts with direct opinions, in-depth analysis, privacy/VPN consultation and anything else that contributes to the community.
To anyone we've met at Bitcoin and other conferences over the years - hello! Nice to see you here. We are ready to continue the hundreds of conversations we had around trust, transparency, sovereignty, open-source ideals, LN merchant adoption, circular economy for Bitcoin and new radical ideas.
Reach out in public or private if you have any questions, ideas or suggestions. Let's do this!