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Smartphone users are usually torn between the two choice — Android or iOS. Their dominance is such that other competing OS like Windows, BlackBerry OS, or Symbian have almost been abandoned.Those who don't want either of them can opt for Pine64's Linux phone dubbed the PinePhone which offers good hardware and software at an affordable rate of $149.
The phone's specs aren't great, but it does include a headphone jack (I wonder if it's capable of using the JACK audio system?) and the article notes that it may provide physical switches for disabling various components. The company behind it, Pine64, also produce the PineBook Linux laptop, which also use an ARM processor.
Source: https://fossbytes.com/pinephone-linux-smartphone-149/
Related: Kickstarter: Pine A64, Cheaper and More Powerful than Raspberry Pi 2 Model B
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday February 02 2019, @01:28AM (14 children)
Has that ever been done on a phone?
I assume you'll take off a back plate to get access to switches, battery, etc.
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(Score: 4, Interesting) by Arik on Saturday February 02 2019, @02:33AM (13 children)
Yes, that's how they all used to be done. :D
Even in recent years there have been a few. Palm used to have a physical mute switch to disconnect the ringer, for instance. I think some iphones have those too. It's handy to have; makes sure your phone can't embarrass you by ringing in the middle of a lecture, even if it goes berserk and factory defaults in your pocket.
I'd like to see a few more of them, and it wouldn't actually be hard to fit them if you design it carefully. One for each radio, one for the microphone, one for the camera if we must have one of those. Physically disconnected they should draw no current from the battery. Switches should be tactile meaning that you can tell which setting they are in by touch. You should not need to remove anything to access them - positive buttons that require a push down and THEN a slide over are pretty safe in the pockets.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 4, Interesting) by hemocyanin on Saturday February 02 2019, @03:24AM (2 children)
I wouldn't mind a little door the slides or swings out exposing a row of DIP switches, e.g: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=DIP+switch&t=lm&iax=images&ia=images [duckduckgo.com] . In some ways, I think that would be easier to use (and build) than a bunch of exposed switches.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Saturday February 02 2019, @03:38AM
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by Arik on Sunday February 03 2019, @01:58PM
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Saturday February 02 2019, @03:58AM (6 children)
TFA mentions switches for wireless, cameras, and speaker (I'm going to assume they meant the microphone). I don't know of any precedent for having the ability to physically disable all these on a smartphone, without doing some serious surgery on the device. Considering how tightly integrated SoCs are, the claim may need to be thoroughly fact checked.
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(Score: 3, Informative) by TheRaven on Saturday February 02 2019, @01:03PM (5 children)
sudo mod me up
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday February 02 2019, @01:06PM (1 child)
The point of the switch being that you can turn it back on!
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 03 2019, @05:53AM
Sure you can 'turn it back on'.
Get a hole punch, and put a hole in the right place and it will 'disable' the swipe to pay functionality. The antenna is literally disconnected.
Turning it back on may involve a bit of work, but hey, you could install a dip switch while you're there. You know, for, next time.
Or just buy one of those aluminium wallets.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Sunday February 03 2019, @12:19AM (2 children)
Not true. The wifi on these things are hostile computers running their own blobs. If it's powered on, it can communicate with anything on the bus. It needs to be powered off and/or disconnected from the bus; preferably both.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Sunday February 03 2019, @06:26PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Tuesday February 05 2019, @06:17PM
sudo mod me up
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 03 2019, @05:45AM (1 child)
I would pay extra to have this.
I never use GPS. Ever. I never want the chip to be activated.
Yet, if I open Google Maps it always turns the GPS on for a moment, captures my data, and sends it to Google. Forget making this type of action illegal. It should be impossible.
I do not own or fully control the OS on my phone.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 03 2019, @06:58AM
GPS does not hurt your privacy alone. The problem is when you have internet/cellular at the same time.
Even without GPS, your location can be estimated with cellular, wifi, etc.
(Score: 2) by cosurgi on Wednesday February 06 2019, @10:40AM
linux phone will never go berserk. Linus does all the berserking.
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