FreeStep, the free & encrypted chat platform, has just been pushed to v2.0.0. After a slew of issue submissions and user questions to my personal email (XP), I’ve built in a big chunk of updates in my last hour of procrastination before I drown in finals:

• If your username is mentioned, you can hear an audio alert, and the message is highlighted in red
• Audio alert options are more robust
• Custom Title and Byline options allow you to hide components and brand the app as you see fit
• http(s), ftp, and magnet link texts are all converted to hyperlinks

If you’re looking for encrypted, open source, and transparent collaborative chat, checkout the lightweight FreeStep!