Download the first Test Version of connect (free of charge).

If you prefer another video explanation, check out what Armin Assinger (former Austrian Alpine skier, winner of 4 World Cup races, and host of the Millionenshow and Domino Day) likes on our Virtual Reality Network:

Or walk free through your virtual home by dragging the mouse:

We are introducing you to a virtual home (in 2D, 3D, or VR), in which anything is possible: social networking, chat, video telephony, photography, listening to music, reading, surfing the web, furnishing your apartment, playing games, petting your virtual pet, or simply relaxing. Immerse yourself into the fascinating world of connect!

Describing an app that offers unlimited possibilities is not that easy. However, we want to provide you with a short summary of all the things you can look forward to in our innovative project. connect is a Digital Life Network that is free of charge, and can be experienced in 2D, 3D, or VR (with VR glasses). In this app — which is compatible with almost all devices — anything internet has to offer is possible. In your virtual loft, which can be accessed through your smartphone, your tablet, your Mac or PC, or your gaming console, you can stream music and videos, just to give one example. Further, you can answer messages, read newspapers, or play games.

Customizable

The entire app is customizable to the minutest detail, and therefore perfectly matches your personal taste.

Expandable

Customizability begins with the furniture and accessories that can be found in your loft, and continues to the choice of view from your window, or your own handwriting. You are an art-lover? Go ahead and decorate your loft with art from a diversity of artists, your own photography, or own art.

Multimedia

You prefer following the news in international media? Thanks to a worldwide media-cooperation, content of various big newspapers and magazines will be available to you free of charge, likewise films, radio programs, and web portals.

Games and Virtual Pets

You are looking for distraction from your school-, university-, and office-duties? Go and pet your virtual pet, or play some simple games.

Intuitive

Sounds complicated? Don’t worry — due to our easy operability, all our app functions can be found quickly and easily. This is a the result of our photo-realistic depiction of objects, into which we have put a lot of effort, know-how, and love. With all that, you can operate everything just like you would in real life.

Multi Messenger

In the organizer on your virtual desk, you can unite all your contacts from a wide range of online networks, and reach them via a virtual letter. This is true for the phonebook- and email-contacts, but also for friends from other social networks or messenger services. You can, therefore, from the beginning, reach more people from connect than from Facebook (because Facebook becomes integrated into connect), even though they might not be using connect yet.

Device Independence

Our goal is to give you as much freedom as possible. For this reason, you can access your virtual home from almost every device. Whether from your smartphone or tablet (currently only on Android), PC, Mac, Linux or VR-Headset (HTC Vive, or VR glasses for smartphones like Samsung Gear VR) — you decide how you want to use connect.

We estimate that by the end of 2017 we can support the use of most other mobile operating systems (iOS, Windows Phone), VR glasses (Oculus), gaming consoles (PlayStation and Xbox), Samsung TV, and long term a web-version which is directly available from the browser.

Data Security and Encryption

Another special feature of our Digital Life Network is that we — unlike our competitors — do not intend to collect our users’ data. Our number one aim is maximum data protection, and keeping the user’s personal privacy. Messages sent via connect are end-to-end encrypted; through our individually customizable user interface, each user only reveals as much as he or she wants.

As we are therefore unable to sell personal information (and do not want to, either) we started looking for alternative sources of income: We will finance our business through voluntary product placement, in-app-purchases, and virtual shopping. This way, our app can remain free of charge forever, and will operate without forced advertising, and guarantee maximum data protection at the same time.

Module System

connect is your own personal virtual world which, like a construction kit, can be expanded and adjusted. More and more of your everyday digital functions and content can be used simply and, if you choose, in virtual reality, in one single app with data security, encryption, and anonymity.

Interfaces for Users & Partners

Are you fed up with having to install a new app for each separate function? Or that your favorite software is not compatible with every hardware? Have you ever been annoyed that your different circles of friends are available on various different networks?

To get rid of these unnecessary irritants it is our goal, with combined strength, to build a network which unifies all the different digital contents and features, and where the utilization and operation is as easy as possible. For this purpose we have created a platform, where our partners — and you too! — can upload content. Our partners will be uploading, among other things, 3D models of new objects or furniture, media content such as newspapers, magazines, books, TV or radio programs, or link connect with existing messenger services. You can upload art work, photos as decoration, animated GIFs or videos, sounds, or 360° photos for an alternative view from the loft, and determine who has access to it.

We believe in the power of community. We have a vision of a data secure, anonymous network in which the users are the focal point, and which is still “sexy” enough to survive the competition from the major providers. We know we can’t manage this alone because of, among other reasons, the financial cost. Our project has already cost more than a million dollars. We don’t want to hand over a share of the company and become dependent on shareholders' decisions. Therefore, a crowdfunding campaign is a good solution for us.

For you, it is only a small sum of money (first pledge for 4 €), but when enough people are inspired by our project, we can, with this income, survive the overwhelming competition.

It is important to us that you will not only receive our gratitude for your donation, but will also be rewarded.

Connect 4 Game (6 € and Basic Set) - Amulet (Love Set Pro: 35 €)

Send one of 50 virtual roses via chat to a person you love. (12 €)

Depending on the height of your contribution, you will receive strictly limited app content such as a worldwide unique tiger-duckling with a one-of-a-kind feather pattern, the option to gold-plate everything in your room, or an exclusive watch.

Very generous donators will also receive a completely new, very exclusive home that should live up to their expectations: the Oval Office.

As these objects are only available through a Kickstarter investment, and only available in strictly limited numbers, they will definitely be very valuable in the future. All objects are transferable. You can swap with friends, give them away as presents, or sell them for real money.

High Rank for all Kickstarter Supporters

It is especially worthwhile to donate early because everyone who supports us on Kickstarter will receive — for a contribution of 4 Euro or more — a high “rank” (1 to 6299) which will be assigned in descending chronological order. The rank is your public ID, and also determines the order in which your profile is found in search queries. As a prestige object, it can be traded, gifted, or sold and — as soon as we have a hundred thousand users — will have a very high value simply through supply and demand. Users or companies who support connect now (or buy a high rank later from another user) will be listed at the top of all relevant search queries. Non-Kickstarter donators will receive a rank from 6300+.

Our Pledges Tiers

More reasons for you to place your trust in us are our planned enhancements and additions to connect. We have defined several stretch goals (coming soon),and will use the collected money to make our free of charge app even more attractive and diverse. We will also do surveys on our website in order to find out which enhancements are most important to you, and try to keep to these in our planning.

Additionally, we promise that some content, which should actually cost money, will remain free of charge for all connect users if we reach the necessary financing through your donations. This way, you give your donation not only to us, but indirectly also to all future connect users, and allow us to continue to develop connect with less financial and commercialization pressure.

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To download the app please press the following button on your Android smartphone or tablet, or search for "ecom.connect" in the Google Play Store:

After your donation we will send you a message via Kickstarter with your Kickstarter code. This can take some hours, because we have to do it personally and manually. In this mail you will find all important information you need and the first item codes too. If you have any questions, please contact us: support@4connect-e.com.

If you are not able to use Google Play Store (or you don't want to), you may download the Android version directly from our server, too:

Alternatively, you can type in the following URL in your internet browser of choice on your Android device and authorize the download:

https://4connect-e.com/android

If you need help with the installation, you will find a detailed guide on our website.

The idea for connect began mid-2014. The unrelenting developments of the previous years and the takeover of WhatsApp by Facebook implied to Michael M. Schoeggl, the founder of e.com, that messenger services and social networks were turning more and more into personal data collectors. A look back at history shows that this type of development is not entirely harmless — this transparency makes people easy to manipulate and vulnerable. This results in a dilemma for many: if you are not prepared to share your personal information you cannot use the largest messenger services or benefit from the advantages of social networks.

The solution to the problem was easy to find: a multi-messenger service linked to other social networks which allows the user to reach all their friends from the very beginning and which will be, with time, so successful that it will unite a wide band of users in an independent, encrypted messenger service — one word: „connect“.

Spurred on by the vision of a social network including a multi-messenger feature with data protection Michael M. Schoeggl founded the start up company ”e.com” in May 2015. With increasing numbers of new employees and outsourcing contractors it became possible to include more innovative ideas and special features, including the numerous ways to individualize and personalize the innovative, easy to operate new user interface — through the virtual reality representation.

It also includes a comprehensive platform for linking connect with external content from other media sources, business partners or even the users themselves.

Philosophy

We believe that social networks can work without selling personal data or pushy advertising. With connect, we will prove that we can respect our users’ privacy and will stay true to our philosophy with every single decision.

In our opinion, progress and traditional moral values are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to run a successful business which on the one hand has a modern corporate structure, but on the other hand takes social responsibility. For us, our users are our top priority — always and without exception. It is after all you, dear reader, who decides whether our vision of a data secure social network in virtual reality can succeed or not. For this reason we don’t just enjoy working together with our users and look forward to your feedback, but will also entrust you with as much decision making powers as possible so that you can utilize connect just as you personally need it. In other words: We are developing our app to be your ideal app too. We only have one corporate policy: the customer is our focus. And we mean that complete honestly.

Timeline

In the capitalist system, the customer gets to decide what survives and what doesn’t. To be exact, you, dear reader, decide. This is why we are asking you to support our vision of more privacy — especially in Virtual Reality — either with a donation, or by sharing our links (see below).

With your help you are supporting a provider that will fight for more customer orientation, honest data security, and the right to anonymity in the virtual world of the future. Thank you very much!