Aerospace giant Boeing is trying to make everyone's Mission: Impossible fantasies come true by developing an Android-based smartphone that will self-destruct if anybody tries to tamper with it. The smartphone, evocatively called "Black," is designed for "U.S. defense and security communities," and features secure software and a "tamper-proof" sealed casing. Here's the sentence that has everyone talking, from an FCC filing: "Any attempt to break open the casing of the device would trigger functions that would delete the data and software contained within the device and make the device inoperable."
It may seem strange for an aircraft maker to get into the smartphone business. But they're not doing it for James Bond–obsessed amateurs. "What really prompted the need for the new phone," says Nick Stockton at Quartz, "was BlackBerry's nosedive." The fading Canadian smartphone company is famous for its robust security, and Boeing still has 40,000 employees using the handsets. Boeing is betting it won't be the only security-minded firm looking for a secure alternative if BlackBerry disappears.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - September 7, 2024Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - football widows, meddling kids, and more
-
Smoking ban: the return of the nanny state?Talking Point Starmer's plan to revive Sunak-era war on tobacco has struck an unsettling chord even with some non-smokers
-
Crossword: September 7, 2024The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 winsspeed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughterspeed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopicsSpeed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 GrammysSpeed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
