Re: Let us impact the material world
On Sat, 2008-06-28 at 20:54 +0800, xiangfu wrote: > may be can use SMS control the remote NEO like send > "#neo_command shutdown -h now " > then the neo poweroff : ) Something like this has been floating around the mailing list for months (or more) now. Personally, I'm hoping that the SMS stack in FSO will allow plugins to filter incoming SMS messages and provide a secure(ish) functionality for something like this. -KW ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
On Sat, 2008-06-28 at 12:24 -0500, Nelson Castillo wrote: > Doesn't IM requiere permanent connection? For status updates, etc? Not necessarily. A lot of us used IM back in the old dial-up days. I've done a lot of thinking on this subject over the last several years and tried several systems with my existing phone and GPRS connection. If the IM protocol in use (I'm thinking XMPP) supports offline storage, distributed servers, and connection encryption, and preferably a robust message delivery system (e.g. requiring an ack for messages sent) then it should be usable, provided the phone has a data connection. It could/would shorten battery runtime keeping the GPRS up all the time, but a lot of that depends on other power-saving in the device. If the user has very limited data connection (e.g. only WWW (Port 80), and MAIL (Ports 25, 110, 143, 587, 993) then a proxy of some kind would be necessary. The proxy would need to maintain the user's login to the IM network and provide storage of messages sent by the client program (running on the phone). For those with no data connections, something involving SMS (And eventually MMS if/when it's ever ported) would need to be created. A lot of provider IM programs (At least the ones I've used) rely on SMS to transport messages to/from the phone. > I'd like to know what you think about two things: > > 1) We know email is broken (at least unsafe and prone to spam) > 2) What is the best alternative for this scenario? Is it really IM? > 3) Are there other (IP-based) protocolos suitable for delivering the > encrypted messages? Honestly, for the usage pattern I reckon most people will use (based on my existing usage of SMS and the various people who I correspond with), SMS is just phone-based IM, so extending real IM to the phone, especially with an extensible format like XMPP can be a real boon. E-mail is still (IMHO) a bit heavy (More than 1k in headers to deliver a one-line message). I don't remember right now if XMPP provides for a compressed transport, but I do know that by default it encrypts the connection. -KW ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
On Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:56:58 -0400 Sean Moss-Pultz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: [...] > Think: The collapse of so many hi tech companies on our stock exchanges > has humbled many. Creators within the digital world -- no matter how > novel and exciting -- will have no value unless they impact the material > world directly. > > So this is my call to all of us today. Our work must begin to impact the > material world. We have the tools. We have the knowledge. We must use > our knowledge to transcend the digital world. [...] Coming into this thread late, as I was travelling. Firstly, thank you for a nicely-written, and passionate posting. I am a little curious, though, what exactly do you mean by the "material world"? >From part of your message (the reference to companies collapsing on stock exchanges), this seems to be largely a definition based on financial health, though the rest of your message seems to indicate otherwise. I am also of the view that FOSS developers need to get out of the software ghetto, and take a larger view of the world, and the possible impact on the world of the software, and hardware that we jointly produce. In my opinion, FOSS has managed to overturn "traditional" thinking in the world of software because it was not considered a significant-enough threat to entrenched interests till it was too late. We have the possibility of making such efforts count in ways which really make a difference to people in the world, but that work will be much harder, both because of more external opposition, and because of our own failure to visualise and cater to real needs. > Hardly a day goes by for me without thinking about this elegant idea. > The smart phone has become too complex. Our challenge is to make it > simple and wise. > > Yes I am well aware of the distance between us and this goal. The > complexity of our system pains me as much as I'm sure it pains you. But > starting today, I hope we can become more conscious and more focused on > simplicity and wisdom. [...] (I will take the liberty of snipping your well-reasoned points---which are already being followed-up to, in order to add a perspective of my own, which comes from living in India, and working on localisation efforts in Indian languages.) As many of you might be aware, mobile phones are a huge success story in India. Currently, India has the fastest-growing population of mobile users, and it is likely to remain that way for a while, as the per-capita usage is well behind even countries like China. This revolution is happening not only among the rich, as poorer sections of the society have been among the first to appreciate the cost/benefit ratio of a mobile phone. I have personally seen rickshaw pullers using mobiles. To my mind, a killer application on mobiles in India will be support for Indian languages on the hardware, in a manner transparent to end-users. The cost of an OpenMoko phone will also need to come down significantly, but that can come from sheer economy of scale. I would like to know about people working on such efforts in an open-source environment. There are various people (e.g., Nokia) trying to do such things, but as Sean points out, we can do it better. Such work will also have implications for console-mode support for Indian languages in free operating systems like Linux, which can again be a big win for FOSS penetration in India. Regards, Gora ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
> it is exactly what we need :) we need to make people understand the > FreeRunner is unique, and can do things never imagined before! you mean, upping the apparent nerdiness of its owners? now they not only _speak_ incomprehensible but even send incomprehensible sms ... :-) ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
it is exactly what we need :) we need to make people understand the FreeRunner is unique, and can do things never imagined before! If I was planning an advertisement campaign, one of the facts I would focus is that the FreeRunner can be a USB host: this means using USB drives (including cameras, mp3 readers, also external hard disks!). No phone nor smartphone can do such a thing... FreeRunner is special, it will not just "send" SMS, he will manipulate SMS so you spend less money. Tell me what device is build for the user spending less money on something :) 2008/6/29 arne anka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: >> There is also a nice feature that could be used with SMS: imagine that >> the SMS is automatically shortened (eg by abbreviating words and stuff >> like that) than it's compressed before being sent; > > there exists a similar application, done in (horrible dictu) j2me. > a german university of applied sciences, i think, created it. > > but it still requires _both_ parties to have such a plugin installed. > > http://kom.aau.dk/project/mobilephone/Documents/README-ENG.pdf > > ___ > Openmoko community mailing list > community@lists.openmoko.org > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community > ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
> There is also a nice feature that could be used with SMS: imagine that > the SMS is automatically shortened (eg by abbreviating words and stuff > like that) than it's compressed before being sent; there exists a similar application, done in (horrible dictu) j2me. a german university of applied sciences, i think, created it. but it still requires _both_ parties to have such a plugin installed. http://kom.aau.dk/project/mobilephone/Documents/README-ENG.pdf ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:24:28 -0500 "Nelson Castillo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Mmm. > > Doesn't IM requiere permanent connection? For status updates, etc? > > I'd like to know what you think about two things: > > 1) We know email is broken (at least unsafe and prone to spam) > 2) What is the best alternative for this scenario? Is it really IM? > 3) Are there other (IP-based) protocolos suitable for delivering the > encrypted messages? > > Regards, > Nelson.- > What do you mean about e-mail being broken? It can be encrypted much more easily then most other ways of communications. We could just port GPG on the OpenMoko. Spam is actually quite filterable. I think we should go with e-mail as the main way of messaging. It's well standardised and works with computers as well as phones. If we could make GNU Privacy Guard transparent enough, it would also encourage encryption usage among the users. Why re-invent the wheel? ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
Hmm, I'd personally like a good tor client on there. Of course, tor also needs more relays :-P Still, if we want real freedom, it's a step in the right direction. On Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 7:13 PM, Paul Wouters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Fri, 27 Jun 2008, Nelson Castillo wrote: > >> I think encrypted messages are crucial for freedom. I also think most >> people don't know how easy it is for others to see what they send >> through the networks. I cannot wait to see those Encrypted messages >> traveling free through _their_ networks to deliver _our_ messages. > > That means: > > - Phase out SMS in favour of IM (SMS char limit makes crypto hard, cheaper > too) > - Use OTR with IM (http://otr.cypherpunks.ca) > > I am not sure at the current state of IM clients, but there are > python bindings for OTR at http://pyotr.pentabarf.de/ > > I will go at it as soon as I can order my Freerunner in Canada > > Paul > > ___ > Openmoko community mailing list > community@lists.openmoko.org > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community > -- H. Lally Singh Ph.D. Candidate, Computer Science Virginia Tech ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
On Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 6:13 PM, Paul Wouters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Fri, 27 Jun 2008, Nelson Castillo wrote: > >> I think encrypted messages are crucial for freedom. I also think most >> people don't know how easy it is for others to see what they send >> through the networks. I cannot wait to see those Encrypted messages >> traveling free through _their_ networks to deliver _our_ messages. > > That means: > > - Phase out SMS in favour of IM (SMS char limit makes crypto hard, cheaper > too) > - Use OTR with IM (http://otr.cypherpunks.ca) > > I am not sure at the current state of IM clients, but there are > python bindings for OTR at http://pyotr.pentabarf.de/ > > I will go at it as soon as I can order my Freerunner in Canada Mmm. Doesn't IM requiere permanent connection? For status updates, etc? I'd like to know what you think about two things: 1) We know email is broken (at least unsafe and prone to spam) 2) What is the best alternative for this scenario? Is it really IM? 3) Are there other (IP-based) protocolos suitable for delivering the encrypted messages? Regards, Nelson.- -- http://arhuaco.org ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
kenneth marken wrote: > On Saturday 28 June 2008 14:54:11 xiangfu wrote: >> may be can use SMS control the remote NEO like send >> "#neo_command shutdown -h now " >> then the neo poweroff : ) >> > > that could be worriesome without some kind of id system to verify that the > sender is someone that should have that kind of control. > > if a random person can send commands to the freerunner, it will be a security > nightmare... Well, I figure that a list of trusted senders is absolutely needed :) Anyway thanks Sean for your words! -- Treviño's World - Life and Linux http://www.3v1n0.net/ ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
On Saturday 28 June 2008 14:54:11 xiangfu wrote: > may be can use SMS control the remote NEO like send > "#neo_command shutdown -h now " > then the neo poweroff : ) > that could be worriesome without some kind of id system to verify that the sender is someone that should have that kind of control. if a random person can send commands to the freerunner, it will be a security nightmare... > Francesco Cat wrote: > > There is also a nice feature that could be used with SMS: imagine that > > the SMS is automatically shortened (eg by abbreviating words and stuff > > like that) than it's compressed before being sent; I tried once and > > there should be libraries that could fit the "dictionary" needed for > > extraction + 500 characters in 302 chars... It means 2 SMS instead of > > 3 or more :) > > > > 2008/6/28 Paul Wouters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > >> On Fri, 27 Jun 2008, Nelson Castillo wrote: > >>> I think encrypted messages are crucial for freedom. I also think most > >>> people don't know how easy it is for others to see what they send > >>> through the networks. I cannot wait to see those Encrypted messages > >>> traveling free through _their_ networks to deliver _our_ messages. > >> > >> That means: > >> > >> - Phase out SMS in favour of IM (SMS char limit makes crypto hard, > >> cheaper too) - Use OTR with IM (http://otr.cypherpunks.ca) > >> > >> I am not sure at the current state of IM clients, but there are > >> python bindings for OTR at http://pyotr.pentabarf.de/ > >> > >> I will go at it as soon as I can order my Freerunner in Canada > >> > >> Paul > >> > >> ___ > >> Openmoko community mailing list > >> community@lists.openmoko.org > >> http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community > > > > ___ > > Openmoko community mailing list > > community@lists.openmoko.org > > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community > > ___ > Openmoko community mailing list > community@lists.openmoko.org > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
may be can use SMS control the remote NEO like send "#neo_command shutdown -h now " then the neo poweroff : ) Francesco Cat wrote: > There is also a nice feature that could be used with SMS: imagine that > the SMS is automatically shortened (eg by abbreviating words and stuff > like that) than it's compressed before being sent; I tried once and > there should be libraries that could fit the "dictionary" needed for > extraction + 500 characters in 302 chars... It means 2 SMS instead of > 3 or more :) > > 2008/6/28 Paul Wouters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: >> On Fri, 27 Jun 2008, Nelson Castillo wrote: >> >>> I think encrypted messages are crucial for freedom. I also think most >>> people don't know how easy it is for others to see what they send >>> through the networks. I cannot wait to see those Encrypted messages >>> traveling free through _their_ networks to deliver _our_ messages. >> That means: >> >> - Phase out SMS in favour of IM (SMS char limit makes crypto hard, cheaper >> too) >> - Use OTR with IM (http://otr.cypherpunks.ca) >> >> I am not sure at the current state of IM clients, but there are >> python bindings for OTR at http://pyotr.pentabarf.de/ >> >> I will go at it as soon as I can order my Freerunner in Canada >> >> Paul >> >> ___ >> Openmoko community mailing list >> community@lists.openmoko.org >> http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community >> > > ___ > Openmoko community mailing list > community@lists.openmoko.org > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
There is also a nice feature that could be used with SMS: imagine that the SMS is automatically shortened (eg by abbreviating words and stuff like that) than it's compressed before being sent; I tried once and there should be libraries that could fit the "dictionary" needed for extraction + 500 characters in 302 chars... It means 2 SMS instead of 3 or more :) 2008/6/28 Paul Wouters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > On Fri, 27 Jun 2008, Nelson Castillo wrote: > >> I think encrypted messages are crucial for freedom. I also think most >> people don't know how easy it is for others to see what they send >> through the networks. I cannot wait to see those Encrypted messages >> traveling free through _their_ networks to deliver _our_ messages. > > That means: > > - Phase out SMS in favour of IM (SMS char limit makes crypto hard, cheaper > too) > - Use OTR with IM (http://otr.cypherpunks.ca) > > I am not sure at the current state of IM clients, but there are > python bindings for OTR at http://pyotr.pentabarf.de/ > > I will go at it as soon as I can order my Freerunner in Canada > > Paul > > ___ > Openmoko community mailing list > community@lists.openmoko.org > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community > ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
On Fri, 27 Jun 2008, Nelson Castillo wrote: > I think encrypted messages are crucial for freedom. I also think most > people don't know how easy it is for others to see what they send > through the networks. I cannot wait to see those Encrypted messages > traveling free through _their_ networks to deliver _our_ messages. That means: - Phase out SMS in favour of IM (SMS char limit makes crypto hard, cheaper too) - Use OTR with IM (http://otr.cypherpunks.ca) I am not sure at the current state of IM clients, but there are python bindings for OTR at http://pyotr.pentabarf.de/ I will go at it as soon as I can order my Freerunner in Canada Paul ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
On Saturday 28 June 2008 00:40:44 Nelson Castillo wrote: > >I am in Columbia. Drinking local coffee (yes Paola your coffee is > > thebest in the world) and thinking with the early morning clarity > > only those blessed with jag-lag can understand. > > Sean, > > I'm _really_ glad you enjoyed our Colombian Coffee, our food, and I > hope you can keep in touch with the spirits that live in our > landscapes. I'm sure that those spirits are friends of the "spirit > that lives in the computer" [1]. > > [1] (I really like what Alan Perlis said) > http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-text/sicp/book/book.html > > > Start with things people are familiar with and find new ways to make > > them more qualitative, says Offray. Take SMS, he continues, instead of > > just plain text, why not send special compressed messages, readable only > > by Neos. We can use these as enablers to change mobile ecosystems. Hack > > their network to embed more freedoms for normal people. Add more > > meaning. Transform our Neo into an artifact. > > I think encrypted messages are crucial for freedom. I also think most > people don't know how easy it is for others to see what they send > through the networks. I cannot wait to see those Encrypted messages > traveling free through _their_ networks to deliver _our_ messages. > > Regards, > Nelson.- (one very excited (amateur ^ 3)) i suspect that until one stick a computer on every lamp post in the world, with a text to speech program that spills out every clear text message sendt so that it can pick it up, people wont take notice. they understand putting letters in envelopes, because thats something they can see. but until you show them a packet sniffer, and explain that this can be used on any part of that messages journey, they will not understand it for electronic media. hell, i wish that mail apps would come with a standard system for signing and encryption. that would at least be a start. as long as people have to install third party apps to get that feature, it will not be used... ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
>I am in Columbia. Drinking local coffee (yes Paola your coffee is > thebest in the world) and thinking with the early morning clarity > only those blessed with jag-lag can understand. Sean, I'm _really_ glad you enjoyed our Colombian Coffee, our food, and I hope you can keep in touch with the spirits that live in our landscapes. I'm sure that those spirits are friends of the "spirit that lives in the computer" [1]. [1] (I really like what Alan Perlis said) http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-text/sicp/book/book.html > Start with things people are familiar with and find new ways to make > them more qualitative, says Offray. Take SMS, he continues, instead of > just plain text, why not send special compressed messages, readable only > by Neos. We can use these as enablers to change mobile ecosystems. Hack > their network to embed more freedoms for normal people. Add more > meaning. Transform our Neo into an artifact. I think encrypted messages are crucial for freedom. I also think most people don't know how easy it is for others to see what they send through the networks. I cannot wait to see those Encrypted messages traveling free through _their_ networks to deliver _our_ messages. Regards, Nelson.- (one very excited (amateur ^ 3)) -- http://arhuaco.org ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
On 2008-06-27, Sean Moss-Pultz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: [snip] > Whenever I talk publicly about Openmoko, or so it seems, the following > question is asked: How can you compete again the giants of this > industry? For most of us, I'd like to think, the answer is obvious. > Instead of answering, I usually return their question: How can they > compete against us? [snap] You really know how to express yourself:) I cannot see how other phone companies can be compared. What I like so much about Openmoko, is that I am a part of it - that it is (also) my project. Openmoko will have success because they work very much for it. The community will help making the software and come up with ideas (by nagging or "spamming the mailing list" :) and you will take the best ideas and make them real. Keep making attractive hardware and the community will grow and make the software needed:) I hope Openmoko will be big enough to be able to "force" the hardware manufactures into GPL. Maybe they realize that GPL is not that bad, and that propritary drivers is far more expensive (in support for all their customers). We are all living on the same dream: the freedom to use the hardware we own in the way we want. Openmoko is making that dream come true. ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
On Jun 27, 2008, at 10:57 PM, xiangfu wrote: > I feel the NEO is more than a phone. > the idear of neo is a artifact. the neo is a kind of life style. > iPod is an artifact for music lovers. Music is part of their lifestyle. The Neo is part of the lifestyle of every engineer that I work with at Openmoko. Coding is their life. Just like I share music with my friends through an ipod, these people proudly present their creations through a Neo. Whether that be a full suited application or a blinking light, it really is a pleasure to see things constantly 'being born'. I'm seeing people impact the material world everyday, in their own language, representing their own lifestyles. So yeah, maybe the Neo is more than a phone. Or maybe the iPod is just a music player. You guys decide. ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
Re: Let us impact the material world
moko can better impact our > daily lives. The Neo, to him, is a social cognition node -- an artifact > -- where we can balance the power of the individual with that of the > group within the mobile world. > > Here comes the second concept: Artifacts, he explained, have values > embedded within, but sometimes they are not explicit. Our challenge, he > said, is how to make this explicit. > > Start with things people are familiar with and find new ways to make > them more qualitative, says Offray. Take SMS, he continues, instead of > just plain text, why not send special compressed messages, readable only > by Neos. We can use these as enablers to change mobile ecosystems. Hack > their network to embed more freedoms for normal people. Add more > meaning. Transform our Neo into an artifact. > > These are only two concepts. Many more exist. Together, we must start a > conscious exploration of simple ways to impact the material world around > us. Exactly where this will lead us is unclear. But we must begin. > > Whenever I talk publicly about Openmoko, or so it seems, the following > question is asked: How can you compete again the giants of this > industry? For most of us, I'd like to think, the answer is obvious. > Instead of answering, I usually return their question: How can they > compete against us? > > Openmoko is the collective creation of amateurs working on exactly what > we love. They are professions, some doing what they love, most working > towards the next paycheck. > > At certain times, the amateur has a distinct advantage over the > professional. A professional knows what they can deliver, and rarely > goes beyond it. An amateur has no concept of their limitations and > usually goes well beyond them. Experience teaches us our limits. When we > have learned that and become complacent, we are finished, because our > work can be calculated and measured. Our work ceases to be a weapon. > > Now is such a time. Let us ignore limitations. Let us create new > technologies that breed new ways of thinking. Let us impact the material > world. > > Thousands of FreeRunners have been loaded into planes and fired around > the world. Many of our distributors have already begun shipping. In > about another week, Steve and Harry will announce the opening of our own > webshop. > > I plan to start a new blog, sharing stories of how our Neos impact the > material world. If you have something you would like to share, please > email me directly. I would love to weave your ideas in our collective story. > > Thank you, from the the bottom of my heart, for all your incredible > support and patience. I know the delays have been long. But now we are > ready. Let us run free and impact the material world. > > > Sincerely, > > > Sean (one very excited amateur) > > > > > > > > ___ > Openmoko community mailing list > community@lists.openmoko.org > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
RE: Let us impact the material world
How do you not purchase a product from a man this eloquent? Wish I had $400. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sean Moss-Pultz Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2008 9:57 PM To: List for OpenMoko community discussion; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Let us impact the material world Dear Community I am in Columbia. Drinking local coffee (yes Paola your coffee is the best in the world) and thinking with the early morning clarity only those blessed with jag-lag can understand. Yesterday was an amazing day. After a morning walk around the government buildings and many beautiful museums of Bogota, we went up into the mountainous region of Monserrate. To get to the top of this cityscape icon and pilgrimage destination you have three choices: A gravity defying train, a somewhat stable cable car, or climbing. Pilgrims prefer the latter; but, perhaps due to the long delays of FreeRunner, my sense of urgency even here was overwhelming, I chose the cable car. For almost two years now I have told the story of Openmoko. Ascending that mountain provided me with a brief moment where, like my new view of Bogota, I was able to look at things from the outside. A moment long enough to rethink the way in which I told our story. I realized that evangelizing the impact of digital technologies is not enough. We must take charge of them. The story of Openmoko needs to be a story of us changing our "open source reality". For this is the opportunity presented to us now. Think: The collapse of so many hi tech companies on our stock exchanges has humbled many. Creators within the digital world -- no matter how novel and exciting -- will have no value unless they impact the material world directly. So this is my call to all of us today. Our work must begin to impact the material world. We have the tools. We have the knowledge. We must use our knowledge to transcend the digital world. People use heroes as touchstones to help them surmount their challenges. John Maeda has been a hero of mine ever since I first discovered my love for combining art and computers. I encourage you all to learn more about this incredibly creative person. His "Laws of Simplicity" would be a good place to start. For projects like ours, these are indeed guiding lights. Let me share one of his "laws" with you today; it's the tenth one: "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful." Hardly a day goes by for me without thinking about this elegant idea. The smart phone has become too complex. Our challenge is to make it simple and wise. Yes I am well aware of the distance between us and this goal. The complexity of our system pains me as much as I'm sure it pains you. But starting today, I hope we can become more conscious and more focused on simplicity and wisdom. We have been hard at work subtracting the obvious from our current architectures. Our new framework initiative (http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/OpenmokoFramework), is all about simplicity achieved through a complexity of thought and design. But Maeda insists that we must add meaning. Removing the obvious is not enough. So then, what meaningful for a smart phone? What exactly can we add that hasn't been added before? Today let me share two concepts. The first stems from a genre of design called "reactive graphics". Pressed to come up with an explanation of how this differs from interactive graphics, I would say the following: Reactive design engages the viewer at an almost instinctual level, rather than just the communication level found in interactive designs. This has a profound effect on how an individual views technology. "Reactivity" is, in my opinion, the key ingredient for making computers feel more human. All living organisms react. When our Neos begin to react to the environment around them, they will feel more alive to normal people. This is comforting. This is a simple way for us to impact the material world. Meeting interesting people with creative ideas is perhaps the most rewarding part of my job. Last night, while fighting off the less-than-helpful side of jet-lag, I had an great conversation with my new Columbian friend, Offray, about how Openmoko can better impact our daily lives. The Neo, to him, is a social cognition node -- an artifact -- where we can balance the power of the individual with that of the group within the mobile world. Here comes the second concept: Artifacts, he explained, have values embedded within, but sometimes they are not explicit. Our challenge, he said, is how to make this explicit. Start with things people are familiar with and find new ways to make them more qualitative, says Offray. Take SMS, he continues, instead of just plain text, why not send special compressed messages, readable only by Neos. We can use these as enablers to change mobi
Let us impact the material world
But we must begin. Whenever I talk publicly about Openmoko, or so it seems, the following question is asked: How can you compete again the giants of this industry? For most of us, I'd like to think, the answer is obvious. Instead of answering, I usually return their question: How can they compete against us? Openmoko is the collective creation of amateurs working on exactly what we love. They are professions, some doing what they love, most working towards the next paycheck. At certain times, the amateur has a distinct advantage over the professional. A professional knows what they can deliver, and rarely goes beyond it. An amateur has no concept of their limitations and usually goes well beyond them. Experience teaches us our limits. When we have learned that and become complacent, we are finished, because our work can be calculated and measured. Our work ceases to be a weapon. Now is such a time. Let us ignore limitations. Let us create new technologies that breed new ways of thinking. Let us impact the material world. Thousands of FreeRunners have been loaded into planes and fired around the world. Many of our distributors have already begun shipping. In about another week, Steve and Harry will announce the opening of our own webshop. I plan to start a new blog, sharing stories of how our Neos impact the material world. If you have something you would like to share, please email me directly. I would love to weave your ideas in our collective story. Thank you, from the the bottom of my heart, for all your incredible support and patience. I know the delays have been long. But now we are ready. Let us run free and impact the material world. Sincerely, Sean (one very excited amateur) ___ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
