Miscellaneous – Purism https://puri.sm/ High-quality computers that protect your freedom and privacy Wed, 01 Oct 2025 18:29:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.28 https://puri.sm/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-purism-logo-rectangle-1-32x32.png Miscellaneous – Purism https://puri.sm/ 32 32 Librem PQC Encryptor: Future‑Proofing Against Both SS7 and Quantum https://puri.sm/posts/librem-pqc-encryptor-future-proofing-against-both-ss7-and-quantum/ Sun, 21 Sep 2025 21:07:44 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=84444 Signaling System 7 (SS7) was designed in the 1970s to let telecom carriers route calls, deliver SMS, and enable roaming. It was never built with authentication or encryption in mind. Security wasn’t part of the plan.  The assumption was simple:  All carriers are trusted.

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]]> The NYPD’s $3B “Domain Awareness System” isn’t just a New York problem—it’s a warning for every American https://puri.sm/posts/the-nypds-3b-domain-awareness-system-isnt-just-a-new-york-problem-its-a-warning-for-every-american/ Thu, 18 Sep 2025 17:48:28 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=84454 In her September 15, 2025, New York Times opinion piece, Elizabeth Daniel Vasquez lays bare a reality too many Americans have ignored: the New York Police Department has quietly built one of the most expansive, integrated surveillance systems in the nation’s history.

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]]> PureOS Crimson Development Report: July 2025 https://puri.sm/posts/pureos-crimson-development-report-july-2025/ Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:18:53 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=84155 Welcome back! In our last update, we mentioned a fix in pureos-meta for some missing essential system components.

This seemed trivial at the time - just add the missing components. However, when the fix went into review and we looked deeper, it turned out to be anything but trivial.

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]]> Is Google’s AI Reading Your Private Messages? Why It’s Time to Consider a Secure Alternative https://puri.sm/posts/is-googles-ai-reading-your-private-messages-why-its-time-to-consider-a-secure-alternative/ Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:09:17 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=83678 On July 7, 2025, MSM ( Is Google’s AI secretly reading your private texts? Here’s what’s really happening—and how to stop it before it’s too late ) reported that Google silently activated a controversial update: its Gemini AI began scanning popular third-party apps like WhatsApp and Messages on Android devices.

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]]> After a week, Trump Mobile drops claim that the T1 Phone is “Made in the USA” https://puri.sm/posts/after-a-week-trump-mobile-drops-claim-that-the-t1-phone-is-made-in-the-usa/ Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:23:04 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=83596 Trump Phone’s “Made in USA” Claims Raised Eyebrows a week ago, today it has been confirmed that the device is not made in the USA according to ARS Technica (link to article).

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]]> Purism Liberty Phone free from tariffs, as reported by Yahoo Finance https://puri.sm/posts/purism-liberty-phone-free-from-tariffs-as-reported-by-yahoo-finance/ Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:03:12 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=83419 In a recent interview republished by Yahoo Finance, Purism CEO Todd Weaver explained why the Liberty Phone, Purism’s secure made in the USA smartphone, is exempt from U.S. tariffs targeting smartphones manufactured in China—such as Apple’s iPhone.

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]]> Google Restricts Android Sideloading—What It Means for User Autonomy and the Future of Mobile Freedom https://puri.sm/posts/google-restricts-android-sideloading-what-it-means-for-user-autonomy-and-the-future-of-mobile-freedom/ Wed, 04 Jun 2025 18:40:54 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=83335 Google has recently implemented new restrictions on sideloading Android apps, citing growing security concerns. In a pilot program launched in Singapore, the tech giant now blocks the installation of certain sideloaded apps—particularly those requesting sensitive permissions such as SMS access or accessibility services—if they are downloaded via web browsers, messaging apps, or file managers. The move, developed in partnership with Singapore's Cyber Security Agency, is designed to prevent fraud and malware-enabled scams.

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]]> How Big Tech Exploits Apps to Circumvent Privacy Laws & a Solution from Purism https://puri.sm/posts/how-big-tech-exploits-apps-to-circumvent-privacy-laws-a-solution-from-purism/ Thu, 22 May 2025 15:51:14 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=83303 Despite the promises of robust privacy laws like Europe’s GDPR and California’s CCPA/CPRA, Big Tech continues to push the envelope when it comes to data collection. This is especially the case with regard to mobile applications.

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]]> What Is PureOS? A Beginner’s Guide for iOS, Android, and Windows Users https://puri.sm/posts/what-is-pureos-a-beginners-guide-for-ios-android-and-windows-users/ Wed, 07 May 2025 15:21:44 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=83018   In today’s world, privacy and control over your digital life have become rare luxuries. Every tap, swipe, and click on most smartphones and PCs is tracked, analyzed, and monetized—usually without your explicit consent. That’s where PureOS comes in. So What Is PureOS? PureOS is a privacy-focused, secure, and open-source operating system developed by Purism. […]

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]]> PureOS Crimson Development Report: February 2025 https://puri.sm/posts/pureos-crimson-development-report-february-2025/ Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:36:08 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=82775 Great to see you again! In our January update, we worked on enabling essential functionality for the Librem 5 in PureOS Crimson. This time, we're working on something a little different - a solution to a longstanding issue that applies to both Byzantium and Crimson.

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]]> PureOS Crimson Development Report: January 2025 https://puri.sm/posts/pureos-crimson-development-report-january-2025/ Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:48:37 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=82737 Welcome back! In our last update, we had exciting news - it's now possible to flash a PureOS Crimson image to your Librem 5.

That's a large step toward our first milestone. Now, we need essential functionality. The goal of the first milestone is to enable broad testing of applications by the community, and essential functionality has to work in order to get good feedback about applications.

For a phone, sound is about as essential as it gets.

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]]> PureOS Crimson Development Report: December 2024 https://puri.sm/posts/pureos-crimson-development-report-december-2024/ Thu, 16 Jan 2025 13:58:49 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=82700 Welcome to 2025!
It's a new year, and we are excited for the developments coming this year to Librem devices!  We know our community is eager to try PureOS Crimson on their phones.  As we wrap up 2024, what better summary is there than a development image that you can try?

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]]> PureOS Crimson Development Report: November 2024 https://puri.sm/posts/pureos-crimson-development-report-november-2024/ Mon, 16 Dec 2024 15:09:48 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=82668 Welcome back!  Since our first report, this is now our fifth installment.  We appreciate our community's feedback about these updates, and we are happy to continue providing them!

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]]> Unexplained Potatoes https://puri.sm/posts/unexplained-potatoes/ Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:49:47 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=81659 Did you say Idaho Potatoes? Earlier this week, I was at a wedding, talking to a friend.  She asked if I’d ever been on a cruise – I have, once, years ago, and I proceeded to tell her the story of a couple from Idaho that we ate dinner with every night on the cruise. […]

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]]> Replacing the Screen of Your Librem 5 https://puri.sm/posts/replacing-the-screen-of-your-librem-5/ Thu, 25 Jan 2024 17:18:13 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=81369 For those who like servicing their devices themselves, we are now selling a screen replacement for the Librem 5 Evergreen, Librem 5 USA and Liberty Phone. Instructions on how to replace the screen can be found in the documentation. If you have a device with a broken screen and don’t feel like replacing it yourself, […]

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]]> Working with the Librem 14 https://puri.sm/posts/working-with-the-librem-14/ Wed, 22 Nov 2023 22:16:55 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=80717 Last year, I got the idea of showcasing the power of the Librem 14 by making a professional quality commercial video of it. This video would be made entirely with the Librem 14 itself. It would include everything that I love doing, which is 3D animations, 2D (hand drawn) animations, real world cinematic shots, all […]

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]]> No Terms of Use Required! https://puri.sm/posts/terms-of-use/ Tue, 14 Nov 2023 16:52:49 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=80748 Think back to your last cellphone setup. One of the first things you do is accept a bunch of End User License Agreements. It begs the question, why do you need terms of use for a device you purchased? Shouldn’t you own and control what is done with your device, not the device manufacturer and […]

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]]> The Path to the Liberty Phone https://puri.sm/posts/the-path-to-the-liberty-phone/ Wed, 13 Sep 2023 17:01:19 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=80292 The Liberty Phone enhances the Librem 5 hardware specs and utilizes the software stack of PureOS. Here is a montage of videos documenting our path in creating the Liberty Phone.

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]]> Cybersecurity Attacks Launched From Operating Systems & Apps On The Rise https://puri.sm/posts/cybersecurity-attacks-launched-from-operating-systems-apps-on-the-rise/ Thu, 11 May 2023 12:32:34 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=77632 According to a new report from Secureworks, endpoint attack vectors that include email, popular operating systems, and apps are on the rise. In response to attacks by way of Android apps, Google has removed thousands of nefarious apps that had the capability to launch malware enabling developers to launch a wide array of attacks including Distributed […]

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]]> Conversation with Kyle Rankin, President, Purism and Matthias Kirschner, President at Free Software Foundation Europe. https://puri.sm/posts/kyle-and-matthias/ Fri, 17 Mar 2023 08:44:16 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=77561 Matthias Kirschner, President at Free Software Foundation Europe, recently launched Ada & Zangemann: A Tale of Software, Skateboards, and Raspberry Ice Cream. This children’s book is delightfully illustrated by Sandra Brandstätter. The book is published under CC-BY-SA and can be purchased online at FSFE or here. Kyle Rankin, President caught up with Matthias Kirschner to […]

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]]> Toward Matrix support in Chats – Part 2 https://puri.sm/posts/toward-matrix-support-in-chats-part-2/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:19:55 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=77527 Matrix integration within the Chats app is progressing and this post is detailing the development progress since the last one. This update is not so much about new features but more about bug fixes and great improvements that make Chats slowly becoming an everyday “1 to 1” and “small groups” messaging app for both SMS/MMS […]

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]]> Update for the Librem 5 Support in Mainline Linux https://puri.sm/posts/update-for-the-librem-5-support-in-mainline-linux/ Tue, 07 Mar 2023 11:17:12 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=77421 Following up on the higher-level report on the state of  the mainline Linux in August 2021 where we announced a “usable” devkit in fully mainline Linux, let’s focus on the phone and see how things look like right now. As you might know, the latest Linux kernel tree we ship to users contains lots of changes […]

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]]> Update on Librem-EC 1.12 https://puri.sm/posts/update-on-librem-ec-1-12/ Thu, 23 Feb 2023 21:00:09 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=77240 Librem-EC 1.12 for the Librem 14 has been released with a fix to the PL4 power limit to address sudden shutoffs that still remained in the 1.11 release.  Once again, the issue was in a subtle corner case, which we were able to identify with help from testers.  Update to 1.12 with our update instructions, […]

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]]> The Danger of Focusing on Specs https://puri.sm/posts/the-danger-of-focusing-on-specs/ Tue, 31 Jan 2023 20:39:11 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=76952 Many years ago I was a sysadmin for a medium-sized tech company, and a fringe benefit of that role was getting first choice at stacks of “obsolete” computers that were about to be thrown away. They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that is even truer when the first man ran […]

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]]> Extended till 10 December 2022: Special Year End Promotion for Librem 5 USA https://puri.sm/posts/extended-till-10-december-2022-special-year-end-promotion-for-librem-5-usa/ Tue, 06 Dec 2022 14:01:02 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=76601 Just so you can get all your holiday orders in, we’ve extended the sale on Librem 5 USA till Dec 10, 2022. This is a great gift for any one in your family concerned about secure supply chain or online privacy. Get a $100 off this holiday season on your order for Librem 5 USA with […]

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]]> Purism at “Le Capitole du Libre” in France https://puri.sm/posts/purism-at-le-capitole-du-libre-in-france/ Fri, 02 Dec 2022 20:53:35 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=76536 On the 16th and 20th of November, Adrien Plazas and I had a booth at the French Free Software event “Le Capitole du Libre” in the city of Toulouse. It was the first time the event was taking place since 2019. As for the previous years, this edition was a success and we have met […]

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]]> What We Are Thankful For https://puri.sm/posts/what-we-are-thankful-for/ Tue, 22 Nov 2022 19:05:43 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=76466 It’s that time of year when many people find themselves in a reflective mood. For those of us in the US, it’s the week of the Thanksgiving holiday and this week people commonly reflect on the past year and what they are thankful for. Normally our posts are status updates, tech tips, or thought pieces, […]

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]]> Toward Matrix support in Chats https://puri.sm/posts/toward-matrix-support-in-chats/ Wed, 09 Nov 2022 16:23:25 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=76320 We have been aiming for proper Matrix support for the Chats application since the beginning of its development. The initial support for Matrix was provided with the purple-matrix plugin. It had rudimentary Matrix support for non-encrypted chats and decryption (but not for encryption). This plug-in has been unmaintained for quite a long time and making […]

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]]> Year-End Savings Start Now with $200 off on Librem 14 Laptop https://puri.sm/posts/year-end-savings-start-now-with-200-off-on-librem-14-laptop/ Tue, 01 Nov 2022 17:07:41 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=76250   It is already the year end, and a new year will be knocking at our doors very soon! We’ve seen an incredible response to Librem 14 laptops this year, so we decided to offer a great new promotion, just in time for the holiday season ahead. Use the coupon L14SALE22 when you check out to […]

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]]> Top 15 Book Picks for Your Reading List https://puri.sm/posts/top-15-book-picks-for-your-reading-list/ Tue, 06 Sep 2022 20:40:31 +0000 https://puri.sm/?p=75821 We asked the Purism team for their recommendations on top books that inspired them or provoked their imagination. The genres ranges from non-fiction, sci-fi and even cyberpunk. Here is the list of our team’s top 15 books, in no specific order. Feel free to share them with your friends. We’d also love to know which […]

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