Bitmessage is a peer-to-peer, decentralized, encrypted system for exchanging long-form messages. Popular Science and CNET have both described Bitmessage as a secure alternative to email. In contrast to traditional email, with Bitmessage sender information cannot be forged. Bitmessage also incorporates a proof-of-work system to deter spammers and other bulk message senders. In addition to...

Sending large files to colleagues and friends around the world can be cumbersome, so it's nice to learn about Hightail. Visitors who sign up to use the application can send up to 2GB, convert files to the pdf format, and also take advantage of password protection and certified delivery. This version is compatible with computers running Windows XP, Vista, or Mac OS X 10.4.11 or higher....

The InterPlanetary FileSystem (IPFS) provides a peer-to-peer content-addressable distributed filesystem that can store and share linked hypermedia. In other words, it's a decentralized alternative to the web. The web is currently decentralized in the sense that anyone can add their own server to it. However, the servers themselves are often single points of failure. When a server goes away, it is...