Still waiting for my untraceable GNUphone with emacs as the browser, user interface and development environment.
Until then, reasonably non-evil will have to do.
Actually, I think Google are still reasonably non-evil. But that’s maybe because Apple and Oracle are keeping the bar nice and low.
Facebook “internet” sounds like a freaking joke, but the article linked via Cory’s text “supply “Internet” to poor people” as well as Cory’s paragraph itself both misrepresent what Google are offering which, in my opinion is pretty remarkable. The proof is in the linked article’s own references under “Facebook and Google Create Walled Gardens for Web Newcomers Overseas”
Free Zone let their customers perform searches, check Google Plus, and use Gmail on their feature phones. Free Zone users can open any Web page from a search result without charge. However, they will incur data charges if they click beyond that page, or if they open a photo or other attachment in Gmail.
So what Free Zone is offering is free access to any webpage that is listed in google search results, provided the referral comes via a google search. If people aren’t already aware of this: You can easily get any page to show up in google by searching for the URL, which means people in these places can essentially access any page on the internet for free.
Also note the bit about feature phones (aka dumb phones), which means that they are actually giving internet-like functions to people without smartphones.
I also scoffed a bit at the pity for these poor souls inflicted with the dishonour of using google and gmail with the inhumane condition of being ad-supported. Yep… I’m pretty glad we get to use these services without that burden. . . Hey… wait a minute!
Hm, which phone are you talking about? The only ones I see on their site that come close are the LG Optimus L1 II Black which, on the required 24 month contract, would set you back approx $110 US or the pre-paid Samsung Galaxy Pocket Plus which you can pick up prepaid for approx $84 US. The reason I emphasise prepaid is because that price isn’t a true reflection of the device cost, since they’re subsidising it with the money you’re gonna pay for future service.
If you can be assed figuring out how to flash stock software or pay someone on ebay $5 for a network unlock code, that prepaid phone is as unlocked as any phone purchased outright, but not many people know about that and even less have the ability or desire.
There are outright purchase Android phones available for less than $50 but you’re buying a lemon that will only serve to annoy you. There are 3 sub $50 android phones on DX but all of them run 2.3 on a 1ghz single core chip with 256mb RAM, have 1MP or worse cameras and they don’t have a GPS chipset.
Edit: Just for lulz I decided to see what $84 can buy you… Surprisingly it buys you a significantly better phone (Android 4.2.2 on a 1.3ghz dual core cortex A7 chip, 500mb RAM, 2GB TF card, 2/3MP camera, GPS, TV tuner). You can even buy a non-counterfeit Lenovo phone for $84.10 that has all these things.
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