Crypto Phones...

[Peter Wayner <pcw@access.digex.net>]

I realize that it is quite possible to design a secure phone
with a Vocoder, a modem and some cpu power to do the encryption,
but I think that an easier solution may be on the horizon. 

I believe that Microsoft and many others are exploring hooking
phones to PCs so people can do things like ship pictures of their
weekend fun to friends. When PC's can easily access phone communications,
then developing encrypted conversations should be as easy as
programming for Windows :-). 

Another solution may be for the Digital Phone companies to make 
a phone that is reprogrammable so people can hook up their laptops
or run software on the phone itself. This is, I believe, a valid
marketting strategy because it could make the phone that more desirable
when third parties start offering Sharp Wizard/Newton/EO interfaces
so people can hook up their address books to the phones. 

What do you think, Phil? You said that you had plenty of cycles left
over to do DES with the last digital phone you designed. Do you
have enough left to bring up Windoze? 

-Peter