[Soulstream]

And the government desktop computers stay behind firewalls. Most users can't get root or admin access to them, that is all controlled by the IT support staff. Most importantly the average desktop computers don't travel around the world with their users the way smartphones do. Government assets are prime targets for state level actors and are protected with that in mind. Laptops too.



LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

I know that, I am not advocating less protection for government devices. If a desktop/laptop OS has the ability to be both open for root for average consumers, but also locked down for corporate/government use, then there should be a similar option for mobile OSs as well.

I cannot really understand why having root access is considered so "evil", when we as consumers have had root access for years on our desktops/laptops.

[Richard Buckley]

I know that, I am not advocating less protection for government devices. If a desktop/laptop OS has the ability to be both open for root for average consumers, but also locked down for corporate/government use, then there should be a similar option for mobile OSs as well.

I cannot really understand why having root access is considered so "evil", when we as consumers have had root access for years on our desktops/laptops.

It is who can get root access that makes it evil. If governments used smartphones that could be rooted like Windows can, they would have to be protected the same way, which would make a smartphone useless. For example image a smartphone that could not use mobile data at all and could only connect to company Wi-Fi. How would you use that on a trip?

Until you have worked in this type of environment you really don't know, which is why you don't understand.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

[co4nd]

Whats the benefit for blackberry?

[zephyr613]

It is who can get root access that makes it evil. If governments used smartphones that could be rooted like Windows can, they would have to be protected the same way, which would make a smartphone useless. For example image a smartphone that could not use mobile data at all and could only connect to company Wi-Fi. How would you use that on a trip?

Until you have worked in this type of environment you really don't know, which is why you don't understand.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

^ This

And...

Boeing: Boeing Black Smartphone

No data stays on the phone.

[stlabrat]

Development undertaking? You do realise that android runtime is emulation of android on BlackBerry device?

Let me put this way....

You using Windows 10. But, you are developer of android apps, and you know that best os for that is Ubuntu. But you don't want to your main os on your 500 dolar Pc or laptop be Ubuntu. What do you do? You make dual boot of primary os as Windows and secondary Ubuntu. Thats how android runtime on BlackBerry works, phone, contacts, browser, camera, all basics stuff work as primary os, and only usage of android on BlackBerry is when you install and use android app.

And how BlackBerry 10 os recognise that you use android app? Simply by launching it!
Try latest Viber app. Is it working? No, because api is different from the one In android runtime on BlackBerry. That's it! Nothing else!

Posted via CB10

oh, i see, you want partition hard drive type for your phone.... hmmm, how much memory and ram you want? how much cost would be? try run two android version on the phone, just as demo (no compatibility issues assume)... and come back tell us what spec you required and how about battery life... (don't forget your pc is plug into wall). other issue on the side...

[RPM_KW]

Let's make this easy....you open source it, then any BlackBerry could be hacked. There are still a lot of organizations using it for its security.

Would you expect GM to make a master key to start every car? Sure, most people won't steal a car, but some will.

Posted via CB10

[shorski]

If BlackBerry open source the OS, it will nullify their vision statement which is and has been "security".
The only way BlackBerry can satisfy the Ops main desire(of running Android apps) is to update the android runtime and this cannot happen because Google won't allow it.

[Nikola Stojic]

It's possible to part open source BlackBerry OS and get community involved in developing it without breaking licenses, etc. Also, open sourcing something does not make it less secure.

[Nikola Adzic]

It's possible to part open source BlackBerry OS and get community involved in developing it without breaking licenses, etc. Also, open sourcing something does not make it less secure.

Ma ne mozes ti to objasniti njima da 100 godina pricas

Posted via CB10

[anon(8063781)]

Why not support or contribute to existing open source projects, like LuneOS, Plasma Mobile, or Ubuntu Touch?

Or, if you want a gesture-based OS with a better android runtime (currently KitKat), and at least the hope of runtime improvement in the future, have a look at Jolla's Sailfish OS.

It's possible that one day BlackBerry might see a benefit to open sourcing some or all of BB10, but it doesn't appear to be imminent, so another course of action would seem more appropriate.

[Nikola Stojic]

To be honest, some good products died because of the stance: "Nope, not a chance, it stays locked". I still think that PlayBook is one of the best built tablets that got punched hard due to disaster with its OS.

[Richard Buckley]

It's possible to part open source BlackBerry OS and get community involved in developing it without breaking licenses, etc. Also, open sourcing something does not make it less secure.

Actually making something open source can make it less secure. It doesn't have to but in many cases it can. There are in fact many instances where people contributing to open source projects have introduced security problems because the code was not properly reviewed.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

[Nikola Stojic]

Actually making something open source can make it less secure. It doesn't have to but in many cases it can. There are in fact many instances where people contributing to open source projects have introduced security problems because the code was not properly reviewed.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

Same goes for closed source software. The exploit could go unnoticed for months.

[Richard Buckley]

Same goes for closed source software. The exploit could go unnoticed for months.

Could happen, but closed source projects are more easily coordinated to ensure that code meets specifications, and is error free. I work with open source and closed source projects. In my experience closed source projects are easier to manage ti produce high quality code. It takes work, id doesn't happen automatically, but it is a matter over coordinating people who are all working for the same organisation versus coordinating people who are working for different organisations with potentially different goals. And this is born out by the number of errors report in the open source versus closed source projects I have access to.

By the way, it is quite common to find vulnerabilities in code -- open and closed -- that have gone unnoticed for many years. Neither open nor closed is a good predictor of code quality, but coordination and unified goals are good predictors of code quality. That is why iOS out performs Android in code quality even though neither is all that good.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

[Nikola Stojic]

Could happen, but closed source projects are more easily coordinated to ensure that code meets specifications, and is error free. I work with open source and closed source projects. In my experience closed source projects are easier to manage ti produce high quality code. It takes work, id doesn't happen automatically, but it is a matter over coordinating people who are all working for the same organisation versus coordinating people who are working for different organisations with potentially different goals. And this is born out by the number of errors report in the open source versus closed source projects I have access to.

By the way, it is quite common to find vulnerabilities in code -- open and closed -- that have gone unnoticed for many years. Neither open nor closed is a good predictor of code quality, but coordination and unified goals are good predictors of code quality. That is why iOS out performs Android in code quality even though neither is all that good.

LeapSTR100-2/10.3.2.2876

I agree about coordination.

[markmall]

Just one more all-touch Z30 follow-up BB10 device!

Posted via CB10

[dpgo]

What about a removing our BlackBerry fimware and soft in order to have a 'kind' of generic hardware device?

I mean just publish hardware drivers and ease a method to remove OS10 firmware/os, so developers of ubuntu, sailfish, cyanogenmod can produce a rom for us.

I don't mind to continue 1 year more using bb10 but seeing the lack of support, soon we will not have a decent native browser, and many other native features will be outdated.

However for many users, the hardware could be good enough to work some additional years.

If we have many linux distributions for old pc hardware, why phones are hardware with 2 year expiration?

And thinking in high voice....
Why most people use 600€ phones just to launch basic apps that should work in 30€ device; such as fb and whatsapp?

Posted via CB10

[Troy Tiscareno]

Why do some people buy Porsches, Ferraris, Mercedes, BMWs, and Lexuses to drive around in when a Ford Focus does just as well?

BB is never going to open-source BB10, as it would require open-sourcing QNX, which is a key part of its software & services business. And the hardware manufacturers (Qualcomm) aren't going to write QNX drivers for their hardware for free.

And, BTW, where does one buy a "void generic smartphone"?

[co4nd]

If you alter your phones ID to trick it into stating it's something it's not to install the latest version of android and perhaps even accessing Google services aren't you violating Google's license terms and violating their intellectual property?

[Huussi]

If you alter your phones ID to trick it into stating it's something it's not to install the latest version of android and perhaps even accessing Google services aren't you violating Google's license terms and violating their intellectual property?

Android is open source so you can do pretty much whatever you want with it, the google services however are not.

[DrBoomBotz]

About security...one guy enter my service shop, given me a BlackBerry Priv and said, exact words: Root me this device, I'll pay what ever you want.

So, with all my self-confidence, as I root over 500.000 devices, I said: Done!

Rooting 1 device per minute continuously 8 hours per day, 200 days a year comes to 5.2 years of work.
You must enjoy your work.