It seems as though the device has been in the works for a while so it’s a safe bet that the spec sheet won’t be the most competitive, and I wouldn’t expect to see anything newer than Froyo or Gingerbread running on it.
If you hadn’t already guessed, this isn’t the sort of device you’ll be able to pick up at your local mom-and-pop cell phone store. In developing their Android phone, Boeing kept an eye on big competitors in the secure communications market, who often price their proprietary devices in the five-figure range.
Thanks in part to the inclusion of a free (not to mention robust) mobile operating system, Boeing plans to introduce their smartphone at a much lower price, which should please the procurement folks within the Defense Department and other
security-conscious operations.
Cost apparently isn’t the only reason that Boeing opted to create an Android device — with Google’s OS accounting for over around 50% of the U.S. smartphone market, users are coming to expect more out of their work-issued devices. As Krone told National Defense Magazine’s Stew Magnuson, the Boeing Phone will give customers “what they are used to seeing [on consumer market smartphones] and give them the functionality from the security perspective.”
Boeing isnt the first company to surprise us with news of a security-conscious mobile device — Dell surprised us late last year when they announced that the their discontinued (and oft-maligned)
Dell Streak 5 was the first Android device to be given the official seal of approval by the U.S. Department of Defense. Folks within the organization were apparently fond of the mini-slate’s design, though I have to wonder how well those things actually hold up in the field.
ATM systems that we use today work pretty well, but there are flaws with security of the systems that can allow hackers and thieves to take money from accounts not belonging to them. Some people also use pin numbers that are easily hacked allowing other people to access their account if they find the user’s ATM card. One Japanese bank called Ogaki Kyoristu Bank has a new plan that will significantly increase security.
Barnes & Noble just announced its latest ereader: The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. It doesn’t look any different from the previous model until you turn it on. That’s when the magic happens. Powered by a front-lit screen dubbed GlowLight, the new Nook emits a pleasant glow that’s sort of different from traditional backlighting. It’s easier on the eyes but the light cuts the battery life in half — which honestly is not that big of a deal.
It's been a mixed bag when it comes to Microsoft and open source involvement, but Redmond's now getting all enthused, setting up an Open Technologies subsidiary dedicated to making friends in open source circles. While of other parts of the Redmond behemoth will also continue to work on open source projects, this new team of up to 70 internally-recruited staff members will attempt to engage with open source 
After the disappointing LiveView failed to make much of an impression when it launched in 2010, Sony surprised us when they revealed yet another wearable device — the SmartWatch — at this year’s CES. After taking a brief spin in the U.K., Sony has just announced that their newest diminutive wrist-mounted gadget is now available here in the States for $149.
Last week I mentioned that some early details on the latest grand challenge hosted by DARPA had surfaced. Those early details outlined a robotics contest that had some complicated steps that had to be completed to win. The official details on the DARPA Robotics Challenge have now been posted, and it still seems like a complicated task.
Traveling Around the World in 10 Days Looks Like the Most Fun You Can Ever Have
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