Commodore made a social media-banishing flip phone, WhatsApp is testing read-once disappearing messages, and The White House app will reportedly be auto-installed on Homeland Security staff’s device

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Commodore made a social media banishing flip phone.
WhatsApp is testing read once disappearing messages.
And the White House app will be auto-installed on Homeland Security staff's devices. It's Wednesday, June 17th, and here's a quick look at some of the news happening in and around tech this morning from Engadget.
The recently resurrected Commodore is getting back into phones, but rather than taking on the likes of Apple and Samsung at their own game, the Commodore Callback 8020 is a proudly non-conformant flip phone that would not have looked out of place in the 90s. Billed by its maker as a retreat from black mirror technology, the Callback 8020, the first phone to carry the Commodore name since 2015's pet, uses patent-pending tech to enforce a system-level block on social media apps, web browsers, and email clients. What you are allowed to have is the Linux-based Sailfish OS operating system, which Commodore says offers a completely de-Googled experience compatible with over 99% of Android apps thanks to the runtime compatibility layer. These include WhatsApp, Maps, and Spotify. Sailfish OS was developed by Hula, a Finnish company founded by a team of Nokia veterans. In a statement, Commodore said it supports side-loading of nearly anything that is not available on its Comma Store, apart from the doom-scrolling apps around which it has drawn a firm line in the sand. It's so committed to its anti-social media policy that it's even blocked unwanted software at the DNS level, so even if you do find a workaround for getting certain apps on the phone, you still will not be able to access their servers. Commodore also promises not to collect your data without consent, and says it will not monetize any data you do hand over, track cookies or monitor the way you use the phone. Despite banning browsers, it does maintain an internet connection, so you can use it for things like scanning QR codes and navigation when you're out and about. The Commodore Callback 8020 will be available to buy later this year for $500. Pre-orders open soon with Commodore targeting Q4 for shipping.
WhatsApp is finally offering what most of its contemporaries already have, disappearing View Once Texts. The company is busy testing that feature in its latest iOS beta, and a recent pre-release Android version as well. You'll be able to select a new Send as View Once option after composing a message. After that, the text recipient will only be able to open the message and read it once before it vanishes into the ether. They will not be able to copy, forward, or share the message either, and WhatsApp will block screenshots and screen recordings to ensure it stays eyes only. Other messaging apps like Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, and Telegram already let you send View Once messages. WhatsApp users needed to settle for a workaround, namely screenshotting a text and sending it using the disappearing image option. There's no word yet on when the new feature will roll out widely, but it could be soon given that it's in Apple's test flight phase.
The White House app is reportedly coming to all devices managed by the Department of Homeland Security, whether the user wants to download it or not. According to Politico, an email went out to all Homeland Security personnel on June 16th, telling them the app will be automatically installed on all government devices. Now, it's not clear whether that means it will eventually be loaded onto all federal agencies' phones in the future, with Homeland Security being one of the first, but the email reportedly described the app as a convenient way to access official White House communications, including announcements, executive actions, speeches, live streams, videos, and other updates. The government officially launched the White House app back in March, promising live streams of presidential addresses, press briefings, latest events, and articles that praise the Trump administration. It also gives users access to consolidated feeds from the government's official social media accounts, and apparently a list of the current cost of common grocery items. While the administration has yet to confirm this, government executive reported in May that it was planning to automatically install the White House app on government employees' work phones. The rollout will span all government-furnished mobile phones in the executive branch. At the time, the app was already slated for installation on all Federal Aviation Administration devices. As Gizmodo noted, a former government IT executive told GovExec that it was a cause for alarm, as any app installed on government-issued devices can potentially create backdoor access to government networks behind the firewall.