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"  Just more than a month before the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spanish handset maker Geeksphone, in partnership with encrypted communications firm Silent Circle, announced a smartphone that takes mobile security seriously. It&amp;#039;s called Blackphone, and it runs PrivatOS, a security-focused version of Android. The device &amp;quot;is a carrier- and vendor-independent smartphone giving individuals and organizations the ability to make and receive secure phone calls, exchange secure texts, transfer and store files, and video chat without compromising user privacy on the device,&amp;quot; according to the press release. This anonymity will be achieved through piping your data through an anonymous VPN.  Although there are other international handset makers that offer a similar &amp;quot;security first&amp;quot; promise, Blackphone is the first security-based smartphone to try to appeal to the general smartphone populous. The simple, nondescript device comes from the mind of Phil Zimmermann, who created the data encryption program PGP and is the co-founder of Silent Circle. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;ve spent my whole career working towards the launch of secure telephony products,&amp;quot; Zimmermann said in a statement. &amp;quot;Blackphone provides users with everything they need to ensure privacy and control of their communications, along with all the other high-end smartphone features they have come to expect.&amp;quot;       From the press release and the short video clip (which looks strangely familiar) explaining the project, the details and specs are still vague, and we&amp;#039;re unclear what the user experience will be like. Most likely, stock dialers and messaging apps will be replaced with secure alternatives, possibly Silent Circle&amp;#039;s own products.  Of course, perfect encryption (which many argue isn&amp;#039;t even possible) is a two-way street. Whether calling, emailing, or texting, the level of security is dependent on what tech or services are being used on the other end of the line. So until the market becomes flooded with security devices or big name OEMs and carriers adopt more secure practices, perfect mobile security will still remain relatively out of reach. Geeksphone and Silent Circle will be available for pre-order starting Feb. 24 to coincide with MWC, where we&amp;#039;ll probably hear more about the device&amp;#039;s specs and how the Blackphone hopes to live up to its aspirational security claims. There&amp;#039;s no set price, and the phone, of course, comes in black. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/a10017/silent-circle-announces-security-first-smartphone-16384335/?click=main_sr>