4 ms·

Most people probably don't need free speech either, but we don't remove the possibility anyway. There are also plenty of examples of mobile devices being infec

Most people probably don't need free speech either, but we don't remove the possibility anyway. There are also plenty of examples of mobile devices being infected even though the user didn't have root access.

barnabee 11y ago
We don't remove the possibility of open hardware either, there are options for partially or completely open smartphones (as a quick web search will attest) but the most popular products sold by Samsung, Apple, et al. are not. Equally, as for free speech, there are options for completely uncensored speech (although fewer than you think, and even then if you say certain things you'd better hope they can't be traced back to you or have an escape plan) but the most popular ways of communicating (whether online or off) are also locked down to a significant extent. So it's not actually much different for speech vs. access to devices. Feel free to argue for anarchy if that's what you want, but let's not pretend that smartphones represent a special and particularly nefarious restriction of important freedoms.
- mikegioia 11y ago
  This is ridiculous. Name ONE option for a "completely open smartphone". I've spent the last 4 years in search of just ONE open phone and the closest we've come is the Neo900 (stalled, out of money) the Freerunner (production run of 100?), OsmocomBB running on an ancient candybar (illegal), and this hobby project [1] that is more toy than anything viable. The Nokia n900 was the last "openish" phone to come out and they stopped making those in 2011 when, guess what, they were bought by Microsoft. [1] http://www.seeed.cc/rephone/ http://www.seeed.cc/rephone/
  - nextos 11y ago
    Pyra might be the best chance to get a N900-like device. Not too alike though, as it's not really a smartphone. Sad times.
  - seba_dos1 11y ago
    You probably meant GTA04 phones instead of Openmoko Neo Freerunner - the latter was sold in more than 10 000 devices. Yes, not counting GTA04, N900 was pretty much the last phone out there that you could call "openish". However, I can tell that Neo900 is not quite done yet and even though with time passing by it obviously gets less exciting than when it was announced, I'm still looking forward to it.
    - mikegioia 11y ago
      I hope you're right Sebastian :( I've been following the progress, Joerg, you, and everyone else pretty religiously and there's nothing I'd love more than that phone! I miss the n900.

barnabee 11y ago

We don't remove the possibility of open hardware either, there are options for partially or completely open smartphones (as a quick web search will attest) but the most popular products sold by Samsung, Apple, et al. are not. Equally, as for free speech, there are options for completely uncensored speech (although fewer than you think, and even then if you say certain things you'd better hope they can't be traced back to you or have an escape plan) but the most popular ways of communicating (whether online or off) are also locked down to a significant extent. So it's not actually much different for speech vs. access to devices. Feel free to argue for anarchy if that's what you want, but let's not pretend that smartphones represent a special and particularly nefarious restriction of important freedoms.

mikegioia 11y ago
This is ridiculous. Name ONE option for a "completely open smartphone". I've spent the last 4 years in search of just ONE open phone and the closest we've come is the Neo900 (stalled, out of money) the Freerunner (production run of 100?), OsmocomBB running on an ancient candybar (illegal), and this hobby project [1] that is more toy than anything viable. The Nokia n900 was the last "openish" phone to come out and they stopped making those in 2011 when, guess what, they were bought by Microsoft. [1] http://www.seeed.cc/rephone/ http://www.seeed.cc/rephone/
- nextos 11y ago
  Pyra might be the best chance to get a N900-like device. Not too alike though, as it's not really a smartphone. Sad times.
- seba_dos1 11y ago
  You probably meant GTA04 phones instead of Openmoko Neo Freerunner - the latter was sold in more than 10 000 devices. Yes, not counting GTA04, N900 was pretty much the last phone out there that you could call "openish". However, I can tell that Neo900 is not quite done yet and even though with time passing by it obviously gets less exciting than when it was announced, I'm still looking forward to it.
  - mikegioia 11y ago
    I hope you're right Sebastian :( I've been following the progress, Joerg, you, and everyone else pretty religiously and there's nothing I'd love more than that phone! I miss the n900.