Ars: Startup Helm is taking on Gmail

[Dan Goodin]

Enlarge (credit: Helm)

Dan Goodin over on ArsTechnica reports that a Seattle-based startup called Helm is launching a service designed to make it easy for people to securely take control of their email and other personal data. The company provides a small custom-built server that connects to a user's home or small-office network and sends, receives, and manages email, contacts, and calendars. Helm plans to offer photo storage and other services later.

Continue reading on Ars...

 

[Threska49]

And of course other forums are poking holes in the whole "well-meaning" idea.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Looks like they're using a Marvell Armada 7040 SoC.
My issue is that they want $499 for the device itself, then $99 a year after the first year. That's a bit steep from an unproven solution from an unproven company.
They also seem to have forgotten to let people know about what kind of internet connection is required for this to work well. If everything is going over an encrypted VPN, you're going to need a decent speed connection for it to work well.
On top of that, many ISP's doesn't allow for self hosted servers on their residential services, which might be an issue.

 

[RMerlin]

Somehow, this reminds me of Antsle:

https://antsle.com/

 

[Travler]

Since my NAS does all this (and more) already, seems like their hoping their mobile app is awesome, and people are willing to pay for ease of use and style. Apple-esque approach. It might work, but does seem steep.