[8804] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: Starium (was Re: article: german secure phone)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bram Cohen)
Mon Jun 4 13:59:54 2001
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 10:21:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bram Cohen <bram@gawth.com>
To: Crypto List <cryptography@wasabisystems.com>
In-Reply-To: <87r8x0423m.fsf_-_@snark.piermont.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.21.0106041013520.29647-100000@ultra.gawth.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On 4 Jun 2001, Perry E. Metzger wrote:
> I was unaware that Starium has ever released a product to be
> compatible with, and a quick glance at their web site fails to reveal
> products for sale. Am I mistaken on this? I would very much like to
> buy their products if they existed...
I heard from an investor that they decided the first box was 'not secure
enough' and spent a bunch more time and money building the second mox,
which makes it harder to do physical snooping at either end, as a result
of which they haven't shipped a product and are now imploding.
Said investor was quite insistent that not shipping the first model was
necessary for security reasons. How not shipping enhances security I don't
understand.
I'd have bought the first box (phone -> device -> regular phone jack,
green light comes on if encrypted) if it had shipped for under
$50. Hopefully someone will start selling them some day.
I *wouldn't* have bought the second one, since it wouldn't work with
cordless phones, and frankly, I just don't care that much.
-Bram Cohen
"Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent"
-- John Maynard Keynes
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