61–70 of 163 posts
Excellent talk. I can't wait for this phone (Librem 5) to be available. Only wish the specs were slightly better (higher screen rez for ex). But the privacy and security features more than make up for that.
I can't see it working unless they support WhatsApp and friends. No network effect means it will die. Unfortunately.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If I can install Signal or use bridges in the Matrix client, I don't see that being a problem.
There’s a WhatsApp bridge?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If the star in the bottom corner was a Star of David instead of a pentagram and you said the exact same thing what do you think the response should be?
The same thing? If you want mass appeal you must appeal to the masses. Using loaded symbology is a good way to torch your hard work.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can't see it working unless they support WhatsApp and friends. No network effect means it will die. Unfortunately.
To the average consumer it's slower, bigger and more expensive than the alternatives - I suspect that'd kill it even if it had WhatsApp. They seem very aware of both issues though. In the talk their CTO mentions that they see it being used alongside another device. She also mentions they are only making 10,000 units so mass adoption clearly isn't the target.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Parts of the memory interface have been mentioned previously: https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-solving-the-first-fsf-ryf-hurd... Similarly, they seem to have choosen the Wifi and Bluetooth chips as well because they have no downloadable firmware, and the isolation for the baseband probably ensures the same there: https://puri.sm/posts/librem5-2018-09-hardware-report/ If those would have meaningful updates is a good ques…
Okay, thank you. Is there any way to mitigate this if one wants to keep Wifi and Bluetooth? I guess if one really wanted to be pure then, they could just keep the second (of three, see below) hardware switches off, and even possibly de-solder a connection, to ensure they aren't accidently flipped on. Hardware Switches: - cameras and microphone - WiFi and Bluetooth - cellular baseband (When all three switches are off,…
Purism: Yes.
The pentagram at the bottom left of the video is an instant deal-breaker for millions of regular folks... being aware of social sensitivities is a big part of being successful for projects that aim for broad adoption.
Yeah, it's a little tone-deaf.
I understand it's meant to be tongue-in-cheek and all that. But if, for example, they used a swastika, even if they were using it in the context one of the dozens of cultures for whom it's a normal symbol, it would still be tone deaf.
A lot of people here are saying it's just a symbol, etc... But if it was a Christian cross, I bet a lot of HN readers would flinch with "I'm not supporting some fundy company!"
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Never bought a phone outside of a contract?
i suppose not, so how does it work?
For example, to set up my service in Australia, I bought a SIM card in a little packet at a corner store for A$40. The SIM card was from a specific wireless provider (Telstra, in this instance), but it was sitting side-by-side with SIM cards from other providers in the store. It came "pre-loaded" with 35GB of data to use on their network, plus unlimited SMS and voice calling, which was described on the packaging. When I put the SIM in the device I was prompted to go to a website to register my service, where I input a code from the SIM card packet to link the SIM itself. I was asked to provide my driver license number or passport number. I was then able to choose between three pre-selected phone numbers that were displayed on the screen. Click Finish, and my cellular service started working on my phone. Every month I have the option to renew my plan under the same terms, or choose a plan with different terms (more or less GB of data, for instance), or throw the SIM card away and switch to a different wireless provider.
so how do you get a phone number for this phone, do you just buy service / sim card from a regular carrier and then plop it in or what?
- the modem is for data and not for voice
- they use matrix for calls
(I may be out-of-date)
The pentagram at the bottom left of the video is an instant deal-breaker for millions of regular folks... being aware of social sensitivities is a big part of being successful for projects that aim for broad adoption.