GoKawiilis the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget.
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Aether OS puts a full-fledged desktop in your browser that ties directly into the AT Protocol. That means it connects to your Bluesky account and other public records. It offers a pretty full suite of apps, 42 in total, covering text editing, task management, and social media. There’s even a rudimentary tracker for making chiptunes, a DAW, and a video editor.
Of course, part of the appeal is also the cyberpunk good looks that draw obvious inspiration from The Matrix.
Right now, the project is in alpha, and there are a lot of rough edges. Documentation is also basically non-existent. So, if you get stuck trying to use an app, you’re kind of SOL. Oh, and nothing is encrypted or permissioned, so be careful what you store — it’s all publicly visible.