I was considering this avenue as well. Would be something between good and perfect, but the cost is prohibitive :( Also, there are security concerns with multi-purpose devices, as they are more complicated and more prone to exploitation; secure devices should have as few functions as possible without impairing the usability. Another concern is the ease of use. PDA interface is for high-tech-skilled users. A secure telephone shouldn't be significantly more difficult to use than a standard telephone. If a device has to be mass-accepted, it has to be simple and cheap. Which is why I look for cores for embeddable computer cores, like the PXA one. Thanks a lot for the suggestion, though. Implementations running on Zaurus could be a way to cover another segment of the secure telephony market. :) On Wed, 7 Jan 2004, shrevie@ntnation.com wrote:

A much better choice would be a Sharp Zaurus C860... see specs here:

http://www.dynamism.com/zaurus/

Has 64 meg of RAM, a CPU as fast as the one mentioned below, and a Linux distro based on Debian..... also built in standard 2.5mm headphone out and an EXTERNAL mic in.... hard to imagine a better platform for SpeakFreely.

If you want to get fancy, throw in a small form factor CF bluetooth card (the 860 has a CF slot) and you could bond to a Bluetooth cellphone.... Speakfreely without wires :)

Moe

Thomas Shaddack wrote:

...

http://www.hw-server.com/test/sld_hws.html Take a look at the DIMM modules.

Looks like a good candidate for a battery-powered portable VoIP/GSM encrypted cellphone. Add a GPRS modem or a cellphone (or, for landline version, a modem), a small display/keyboard, and eg. SpeakFreely with suitable session key handshake, stir, serve warm.

Does it look like an usable way to have open and reasonably cheap ($160+cellphone+some parts around) portable secure telephone platform? Does anybody here have any experience with embedded computer hardware, who could confirm or deny this kind of hardware as bearing hope for this application?