Android-based smartphone will allow secure calls, text and exchange of data from any country on the planet, its makers claim and the upcoming launch of Blackphone has ignited worldwide debate.
Silent Circle will launch the device at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this Spring, in collaboration with Spanish smartphone company Geeksphone, according to Business Insider.
The venture is Switzerland-based, with Geeksphone having previously manufactured Android handsets, and currently working on hardware for Mozilla’s open HTML 5-based Firefox OS before teaming up with encryption experts Silent Circle.
Silent Circle’s Toby Weir-Jones said, “It’s obvious there is tremendous interest in the goals we’ve set for Blackphone, even though we have released so little concrete detail so far. Our focus is on the visible layers of the phone the applications, the user interface of the operating system and giving our customers the control necessary to exercise their right to privacy.”
Actually encrypted phones are already on sale, such as Germany’s GSMK Cryptophone, which offers 256-bit AES and Twofish symmetric encryption. But such phones do not offer the versatility of a modern smartphone OS, according to Blackphone’s makers.
The phone designed with security, encryption and identity protection in mind is the Quasar IV, which is using a hybrid Android/Linux and Quatrix mobile OS called QuaOS as the foundation for secure telephony.
There is no doubt that 2013 revelations about security agencies consumer electronics and services powered data-harvesting habits revealed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have accelerated interest in security and privacy.
Blackphone’s website is also light on deep-dive security terminology which could alienate an average phone buyer. Instead there’s a slick marketing video and explainer text that takes a broad-brushstrokes approach to fleshing out the device.
Blackphone is unlocked and works with any GSM carrier. Performance benchmarks put it among the top performers from any manufacturer.
It has the features necessary to do all the things you need, as well as all the things you want, while maintaining your privacy and security and giving you the freedom to choose your carrier, your apps, and your location.
The tools installed on Blackphone give you everything you need to take ownership of your mobile presence and digital footprints, and ensure nobody else can watch you without your knowledge.
You can make and receive secure phone calls; exchange secure texts; exchange and store secure files; have secure video chat; browse privately; and anonymize your activity through a VPN.
Blackphone is due to be previewed at the Mobile World Congress tradeshow in Barcelona next month where the JV will also be taking pre-orders. There’s no word on exactly when the phone will ship to buyers, as yet.
Standard Android devices do have cryptographic protection built in, as do modern PCs, although this is focused on protecting files rather than cloaking communications
Silent Circle will launch the device at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this Spring, in collaboration with Spanish smartphone company Geeksphone, according to Business Insider.
The venture is Switzerland-based, with Geeksphone having previously manufactured Android handsets, and currently working on hardware for Mozilla’s open HTML 5-based Firefox OS before teaming up with encryption experts Silent Circle.
Silent Circle’s Toby Weir-Jones said, “It’s obvious there is tremendous interest in the goals we’ve set for Blackphone, even though we have released so little concrete detail so far. Our focus is on the visible layers of the phone the applications, the user interface of the operating system and giving our customers the control necessary to exercise their right to privacy.”
Actually encrypted phones are already on sale, such as Germany’s GSMK Cryptophone, which offers 256-bit AES and Twofish symmetric encryption. But such phones do not offer the versatility of a modern smartphone OS, according to Blackphone’s makers.
The phone designed with security, encryption and identity protection in mind is the Quasar IV, which is using a hybrid Android/Linux and Quatrix mobile OS called QuaOS as the foundation for secure telephony.
There is no doubt that 2013 revelations about security agencies consumer electronics and services powered data-harvesting habits revealed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden have accelerated interest in security and privacy.
Blackphone’s website is also light on deep-dive security terminology which could alienate an average phone buyer. Instead there’s a slick marketing video and explainer text that takes a broad-brushstrokes approach to fleshing out the device.
Blackphone is unlocked and works with any GSM carrier. Performance benchmarks put it among the top performers from any manufacturer.
It has the features necessary to do all the things you need, as well as all the things you want, while maintaining your privacy and security and giving you the freedom to choose your carrier, your apps, and your location.
The tools installed on Blackphone give you everything you need to take ownership of your mobile presence and digital footprints, and ensure nobody else can watch you without your knowledge.
You can make and receive secure phone calls; exchange secure texts; exchange and store secure files; have secure video chat; browse privately; and anonymize your activity through a VPN.
Blackphone is due to be previewed at the Mobile World Congress tradeshow in Barcelona next month where the JV will also be taking pre-orders. There’s no word on exactly when the phone will ship to buyers, as yet.
Standard Android devices do have cryptographic protection built in, as do modern PCs, although this is focused on protecting files rather than cloaking communications
No comments:
Post a Comment