From: sbryan@maroon.tc.umn.edu (Steve Bryan)
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 95 14:01:11 PDT
To: "Vladimir Z. Nuri" <shamrock@netcom.com (Lucky Green)
Subject: Re: PRZ encrypted voice software release imminent
Message-ID: <v02130505ac515bae047a@[134.84.101.105]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


At 10:59 am 8/11/95, Vladimir Z. Nuri wrote:
[snip]
>>I can't violate my NDA, but PGPFone will be a *major* revolution for
>>communication security. I would not be surprised to see several hundred
>>thousands of users. PGP will plale in comparison.
>
>I sincerely doubt this. if someone could find a way of doing 
>voice encryption through simple idiotproof hardware adapters
>(I am thinking of cups that you could attach to any standard phone)
[snip]

Am I the one of the few who thinks that PGPFone is the biggest CypherPunk event for years? I think it will be even more significant if we get strong encryption built into the low level infrastructure of Internet as Perry and others are pursuing but that isn't an event that will be big news next week. A lot of people who don't usually think or talk about fundamental issues of privacy and technology will be doing so next week. I hope that some of the people here who have contacts in the press are ready to say useful and clarifying things to reporters who would be just as happy to concentrate on usual suspects (drug dealers, et al).

On the speculation of attaching cups to a standard phone I think this has an air of unreality. To apply strong encryption you need a digital signal. That doesn't necessarily imply a computer but sufficiently powerful computers are going into people's homes at an astonishing rate already. I use MegaPhone on my Quadra 660av at home and I can't wait to try out PGPFone. Even without PGPFone I have thought for a while that computer based telephony is getting ready to take off. Combining CallerID, customized call handling, high quality speakerphone capability and a truly useful personal directory (TouchBase Pro is too sluggish, but getting there) there were already the ingredients of substantive usefulness. If you can add in street maps fetched with an AppleEvent or even a QTVR enhanced map then you get something that might make even an AT&T ad envious. Adding complete privacy (relative to previous levels available) and possibly authentication makes this a very big event.

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