Dev

This week parts of the Session team focused on delivering new test builds to the power user group, the power user group is now testing push notifications and message request settings, this was essential to ensure push notifications are stable and new message request settings are working as expected. The rest of the Session team is split between a number of tasks, including the implementation of libSession for upgraded closed groups, merging disappearing messages into user config and our upgraded onboarding experience. The core team continues to make progress on EVM migration, releasing an important C++ library  which will handle communication between the Oxen workchain and the EVM chain, you can view the repository here https://github.com/oxen-io/ethyl. The Lokinet team continued work to integrate libQUIC into Lokinet with progress moving at a steady pace. 

Session

Session Android

• Use separate keys for Huawei shared preferences

• Appropriately sync blinded request preferences

• Ongoing implementation of updated groups

• Ongoing work to merge disappearing messages into new user config approach

Session Desktop

• Fix image scaling issue which could cause discolored image preview

• Add build additional requirements (Thanks to community contributor RubenGarcia)

• Ongoing implementation of updated groups

• Ongoing work to merge disappearing messages into new user config approach

• Fix display issues when users have excessively long display names

• Fix community issues with displaying admin privileges and trimming of public keys

• Update libsession wrappers

Session iOS 

• Ongoing implementation of updated groups 

• Add appropriate open source acknowledgements in iOS settings, remove errant setting 

• Ongoing work on onboarding redesign

LibSession

• Ongoing work to integrate updated groups into libsession

• CI fixes

Oxen Core  

• New C++ library to handle communications between Oxen workchain and EVM chain, the core team will be spending significant time contributing to this lib over the next few months

Lokinet

• Added documentation of onion request internal structure

• Lokinet-upon-quic ongoing work

• Libquic support for custom streams extensions

Marketing 

Hey folks, welcome back to the land of marketing. Last week the gang was spread out across a variety of projects and working on content that we can roll out over the upcoming weeks. 

First and foremost, Josh, supported by Alex and Cam reviewed a lot of the internal feedback that had been left regarding branding work the previous week. This feedback is being incorporated as the three of them continue to refine the strategy and positioning for Session Token. It’s important for us to make decisions alongside the community — so we want to do more consultation soon.

Additionally, the rebrand will naturally touch across all our brands, so last week Wes went through the OPTF website to identify what copy and content changes that need to be made.

Much of the content we worked on last week has been created to benefit both our existing Session users and those that we are hoping to attract following the token rebrand. Recently we’ve been working on mapping out a promotional campaign designed to kickoff when we roll out the Session Token content launch. 

Over on Session, to focus on better leveraging our email subscriber list (which currently sits at over 20K) we began to map out a new Session newsletter. Whilst still early days, the team began to work through content ideation and design iterations which will allow it both be as relevant as possible to the readership whilst standing out from other newsletters. 

Content wise, last week Wes worked though prepping for filming our next piece of video content, which is currently set to star our inhouse privacy expert Cam. As always Tim held the fort down on the Oxen side of our social comms. 

And finally Alex touched base with our ICD (Iran Cyber Dialogue) fellowship partner who is currently doing research on circumvention methods in Iran. 

That's all from us this week – thanks for tuning in!