I’m honored to have been asked to participate in a hearing being held by the US Helsinki Commission this Thursday, in Washington, D.C. While my enthusiasm for the power and potential of new media will be evident, I hope to bring a metered tone to this discussion, laying out a number of issues, including the risks to activists utilizing these tools, the role of corporations in surveillance, as well as issues with the U.S. Government’s own position towards the use of these tools for domestic dissent…
“Twitter against Tyrants: New Media in Authoritarian Regimes”
Thursday, October 22, 2009, 2:00 p.m.
1539 Longworth House Office Building
This briefing will consider the ways in which new media and Internet communication technologies affect the balance of power between human rights activists and authoritarian governments. Panelists will focus on new media’s role in protests and elections, the ways in which it empowers civil society activists, and the darker side: how dictators use new technology to control and repress their citizens.
The following panelists are scheduled to speak:
• Daniel Calingaert, Deputy Director of Programs, Freedom House
• Nathan Freitas, Adjunct Professor, New York University Interactive Telecom Program;
developer of groundbreaking technology for protests
• Evgeny Morozov, Yahoo! Fellow at Georgetown University’s E.A. Walsh School of
Foreign Service; contributing editor, Foreign Policy
• Chris Spence, Chief Technology Officer, National Democratic Institute
Catch up on previous weeks’ readings and homework that you haven’t turned in yet
Continue to develop and plan your cause with a target on being able to concisely explain it for your midterm and the next Speed Geek!
Review the content presented in class and decide on the approach (server vs client or mixed) and the tools which you will utilize.
All: develop the user stories and basic mockups of your service – “iterate with pencil” before moving into fancier renderings
Server Developers: setup an IMified account and review the developer documentation
Client Developers: setup the Android SDK, then download and build the gReporter source code
Another exciting week at ITP. This week the classes was visited by Evan Henshaw-Plath aka Rabble, who both spoke of his personal experiences with mobile technology and activism, and also provided critical feedback to students on their projects during our first Speed Geek.
The second half of the class focused on preparing for the development of actual mobile applications and services. While students are free to choose any software or hardware approach they want, the two platforms that will be covered in class are IMified and Google Android.
Here is the audio of the second hour of class as I walk through the links and slide presentations embedded below:
This first presentation provides an overview on approaching the development of mobile applications considering all of the unique factors of using a small, portable device on the go:
The second presentation uses the gReporter application to discuss the development of location and media-capture applications on the Google Android platform.
Finally, for beginning to design and mockup applications, here’s a list of solutions for the iPhone (thanks to TechJini blog) that can also apply to Android:
A few of you know that I’m a huge fanboy of something called the CyanogenMod. If you have a Goodle Android phone, like the T-Mobile G1 or myTouch, watch out, because before you know it, I’ll have it rooted and running an alternate version of the operating system.CyanogenMod is like Ubuntu for mobiles – the sexiest, smoothest running “distro” you can get your hands on, and that you want to show off to all your friends running lesser, closed, proprietary operating systems (especially ones distributed by Apple). CyanogenMod exists because Android is an open-source mobile operating system – in fact, it is the only commercially viable open-source mobile operating system. When the words “open-source” and “commercially viable” exist in close proximity to each other, I usually start talking too fast and wave my arms excitedly.
Recently, a kerfuffle arose where in some overeager/ever-vigiliant IP lawyers at Google sent the developer of Cyanogen a CeaseAndDesist letter, because in his custom distro of Android he included certain closed source applications that are NOT part of Android. Unfortunately, the closed source applications weren’t just some utilities or demo applications, but actually GMail, Google Maps, YouTube and the Android Market. It could be stated that these are pretty much the essential end-user experience for the common user. In addition, some of the companies behind the hardware device drivers in the ROM are also beginning to complain.
However, Cyanogen, being the innovative, clever hacker he has revealed himself to be, along with the hundreds of other Android MOD hackers out there, are bound to come up with a clever solution to this mess shortly. After all, when you purchase an Android phone off the shelf, you buy the right to a license of those applications, and should be able to continue using them on your device, regardless of the underlying operating system flavor you are running. (To keep abreast of the latest developments, which seem to be taking new twists and turns each hour, you should check http://twitter.com/cyanogen)
Finally, I just wanted to state some points about my perspective on the “open source”-ness of Android and the possibilities for any project looking to distribute custom MODs of it , including my own Guardian Project:
Android is not completely open-source; we’ve all known that for awhile, specifically b/c the entire baseband layer and radio firmware are closed source. These are the pieces that manage the GSM radio, controlling all the actual interface into the wireless network. This is just the reality of the mobile phone industry today. (Mad props to OpenMoko and BugLabs for making actual, true completely open-source mobile software and hardware.)
Having custom MODs of Android released without the Google pieces in there by default is actually a good thing… Android has always been perceived as being too tied into Google by default. I want to build the non-Google Google Phone. If Yahoo had a clue, they’d release their own open-source client applications for their mail and map services and make a Yahoogle Phone.
There are plenty of excellent, truly open-source alternatives out there for the market, maps and video players. This will give those solutions opportunities to shine. Specifically checkout the OpenStreetMap-based AndNav and AndAppStore an open alternative to the Market. PixelPipe offers uploads to YouTube, Blip, Flickr and many other media sharing sites. Finally, K9Mail is a open-source email client that works just fine with GMail’s IMAP service.
Android is fundamentally built to route around Google’s centralized control… you don’t NEED a marketplace. You can download and install apps directly via a URL link, send them via Bluetooth, install them from an SD card and so forth.
Just the fact that it is possible for Cyanogen and the tens of other MOD and theme distributors out there to do what they are doing is completely freaking fantastic. We have to thank and commend Google for that. Compared to the glacial speed of OS update release cycle, etc. of Palm when I worked there, Cyanogen is moving at warp speed, embracing the best practices of agile and duct tape progamming.
That’s all I have for now… I’d love to hear from you. Perhaps I being too kind? Any other excellent true open-source alternatives out there for the Google closed apps? What do you think about the possibility for a Yahoogle phone?
Take pictures or video using a camera phone or Flip-style device of something controversial or in a place where you might be seen as a threat to the subject of the video or photo. The goal is to feel/experience the state of using mobile technology under duress. Post videos to a public website and share the link via textmarks ITP2800 or twitter #itp2800
Write a one page proposal for developing a mobile technology solution for a specific cause
The slides begin with a review of a breakdown of the class title “Social Activism using Mobile Technology” that the class went through in week one. Out of that, I came up with some slightly silly, but potentially introspective, alternate titles for the course:
Some brainstorming on the service value grid I shared…. the class brought up the idea that synchronous request/response service might provide a different experience than asynchronous messaging application. Larger questions about how and when to make value judgements about mobile services which interrupt, distract and complicate our lives was also brought up.
The goal was to consider how to create a memorable tag that is also short. Positive feedback was given on tags that were intriguing, calling the user to take action to find out more. Some of the tags were actually put into use, gaining hundreds of re-tweets in just a few weeks. Another student created posters with mobile barcode images to promote their tag.
The overall topic of this week was “Simplicity is Powerful”, and so we did a whiteboard analysis of the “Flip cam”, cheap video cameras that have proliferated the market, and their usefulness in the service of social activism:
– Cheap < $100 in some cases
- Durable
- Great battery life (electricity is a common foe)
- Push-button "fisher price"
- double as hard drive storage
- Unambiguous about what it is far
- Ambiguous in that it might look like a cellphone or iPod
- low profile
- has a screen for display
- has a video output jack
- has a tripod connector (gorilla grip clamps work too!)
- Can't remove storage (this is a plus and minus)
- Easy to carry
- quick to use, boot, load, very responsive UI
- standard, global usability, globally available
- standards based plugs, video (usb, rca 1/8 inch)
While it is easy to dream up complex, James Bond-esque technology solutions, often it is the more MacGuyver-esque "off the shelf" approach of combining cheap, easy to use things, that can make a greater impact.
Our first guest speakers for the semester were Mark Belinksy and Emily Jacobi from Digital Democracy. They visited the class through a live Skype video connection, and presented the slides below, discussing their recent visit to Burma (Myanmar) and work in Thailand refugee camps, sharing information on digital communication and social media tools.
Unfortunately, the video capture of the event failed, but you can view clips from a previous event with Mark and Emily – “Subversive Tech and Burma’s Struggle for Democracy”, a talk held in Brooklyn, NY in June 2009, involved a presentation by Digital Democracy on the use of technology inside and along Burma’s borders, footage from the Sept 2007 Saffron Revolution, where mobile phones and the internet allowed protesters to coordinate and publicize the largest protests seen in a generation, and a Q&A with “Stanley”, a Burmese computer programmer and chairperson of the All Burma IT Students Union.
My first post was titled “Guardian Approved” as I did want to highlight applications that were of a certain quality or caliber. Unfortunately, in the realm of secure, private, encrypted short messaging (SMS), I can’t really say I have anything to approve! The best, most trusted solution out there (from CryptoSMS.org) hasn’t been ported to Android yet, and the rest of the offerings either cost too much, aren’t targeted directly at SMS, are closed source or generally poorly written alpha quality applications.
I’ve quickly realized that a quality SMS encryption application for Android (along with interoperability with other mobile phone platforms) is a critical application for the Guardian Project to focus on. One of the really cool aspects of building apps for Android is that you can completely replace the core applications on the device, meaning that an encryption-enabled SMS application isn’t relegated to a third-party status within the device. It can actual take over and replace the built in “Messaging” application and seamlessly handle SMS traffic and transparently handling encryption of messages to and from those addresses you have done a key exchange with.
Where Its At
In the meantime, here is a quick breakdown of what is available on Android today:
While not used for encryption, ChompSMS represents an excellent example of a “power-up” replacement for the built-in Android messaging application. It does offer an ability to send SMS through their Internet-based SMSC gateway. This means that as long as you have an mobile Internet data connection, you can send SMS messages without being monitored by the local mobile carrier, and even send SMS over a WIFI connection.
Encrypted SMS – $1.99 – “Parents Spy Much? Here’s your solution!” – This app is clearly targeted at the “passing secret notes in class” audience and not meant for anything serious. The encryption used seems to be of the basic letter substitution pig-latin variety, which could be cracked in about two seconds by someone with a pencil and paper.
Platinum RSA SMS – Free – “Encrypted text messaging service for your Android device. 1024 bit RSA math” – While the potential for this app seems good and the heavy use of the phrase “RSA math” indicates they know SOMETHING about encryption, the user interface is very confusing, even for me a seasoned user of terrible mobile user interfaces.
TXTCrypt – $9.99!
“With TXTcrypt just enter your message and a password for it , now the encrypted message can only be decoded with that password , just tell it to someone , and send them message encrypted with it , they can use TXTcrypt to decode it..”. This application is very powerful and well written. However, it costs way too much for what it offers. No key change, no proper integration with SMS… it is just a basic password-based plain text encryption tool.
CryptoSMS
As mentioned before, there is a quality, open-source solution available called CryptoSMS. From their site: “Cryptosms provides public/private key encryption, key generation and key management. it sends and receives encrypted sms and public keys, de- and encrypts files, offers key verification via fingerprints and provides a secure login. ”
Unfortunately, CryptoSMS is only available for J2ME-based phones today, which Android is not. There is a J2ME emulation app for Android, but it is a terrible user experience. What this is all adding up to is that the Guardian Project must/will plan to contribute to and otherwise support porting efforts of CryptoSMS to Android… while the user experience and integration with Android OS concepts like intents and content providers will take some work, the core engine of CryptoSMS appears to be just what is needed.
If you are in the New York area, and would like to learn more about CryptoSMS, you can attend a workshop this Thursday evening, August 13th, at The Change in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. More information available here…
