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$200 PinePhone Linux smartphone comes with physical kill switch

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Re: $200 PinePhone Linux smartphone comes with physical kill switch

#3

Post by dylz »

ggm wrote: post #2

Steve Bellovin asked a good question in twitter: is it a real kill switch which breaks a line or is it a DIP switch which sets a flag the kernel is meant to honour?

On mobile currently, but http://files.pine64.org/doc/PinePhone/PinePhone%20v1.2a%20Re... exists if someone wants to take a look.

Re: $200 PinePhone Linux smartphone comes with physical kill switch

#4

Post by swiley »

dylz wrote: post #3
ggm wrote: post #2

Steve Bellovin asked a good question in twitter: is it a real kill switch which breaks a line or is it a DIP switch which sets a flag the kernel is meant to honour?

On mobile currently, but http://files.pine64.org/doc/PinePhone/PinePhone%20v1.2a%20Re... exists if someone wants to take a look.

I skimmed over it: for WiFi there’s a switch on the chip enable pin. The modem looks like there’s a switch controlling the power supply.

Re: $200 PinePhone Linux smartphone comes with physical kill switch

#5

Post by ngcc_hk »

It is NOT a kill switch. Kill mean never come back again. Not like that kind. Sometimes you need it in Hong Kong to as all phones are hacked (except Pixel strangely). Hence, you have to kill your phone not to expose (just friends to be harassed by useless popo). But you need real kill switch.

Re: $200 PinePhone Linux smartphone comes with physical kill switch

#6

Post by cheaprentalyeti »

ngcc_hk wrote: post #5

It is NOT a kill switch. Kill mean never come back again. Not like that kind. Sometimes you need it in Hong Kong to as all phones are hacked (except Pixel strangely). Hence, you have to kill your phone not to expose (just friends to be harassed by useless popo). But you need real kill switch.

I'd like to know more about "all phones are hacked" in Hong Kong. I believe you, I just want to read about the details because I've been thinking about this lately.

(For instance: this includes Apple phones, or you would have mentioned them, the way you did Pixel, right?)

Re: $200 PinePhone Linux smartphone comes with physical kill switch

#7

Post by Dahoon »

ngcc_hk wrote: post #5

It is NOT a kill switch. Kill mean never come back again. Not like that kind. Sometimes you need it in Hong Kong to as all phones are hacked (except Pixel strangely). Hence, you have to kill your phone not to expose (just friends to be harassed by useless popo). But you need real kill switch.

Stop the FUD. Facts or please go away. This isn't Reddit.

Re: $200 PinePhone Linux smartphone comes with physical kill switch

#8

Post by ezoe »

ngcc_hk wrote: post #5

It is NOT a kill switch. Kill mean never come back again. Not like that kind. Sometimes you need it in Hong Kong to as all phones are hacked (except Pixel strangely). Hence, you have to kill your phone not to expose (just friends to be harassed by useless popo). But you need real kill switch.

What you need is a sledgehammer.

Re: $200 PinePhone Linux smartphone comes with physical kill switch

#9

Post by squarefoot »

Assuming all the switches actually turn off the chips (CE lines?), it means the drivers have to be written in order to be able to find that a chip was enabled or disabled out of their control, and not bomb because of that. Would this mean that all device drivers for these hardware subsystems are FOSS?

If that's the case so we have a real hardware kill switch, then ladies and gentlemen the above image is the best possible ad for the PinePhone. Forget stock photos of pretty models, athletes or busy professionals, that is what privacy sensitive people want to see on the back of their phone.

Re: $200 PinePhone Linux smartphone comes with physical kill switch

#10

Post by EE84M3i »

squarefoot wrote: post #9

Assuming all the switches actually turn off the chips (CE lines?), it means the drivers have to be written in order to be able to find that a chip was enabled or disabled out of their control, and not bomb because of that. Would this mean that all device drivers for these hardware subsystems are FOSS? If that's the case so we have a real hardware kill switch, then ladies and gentlemen the above image is the best poss…

I'm not sure I follow. Why does the drivers been written to handle chip disablement imply that they are FOSS?
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