Thoughts on open_slate and/or brax?
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https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/braxtechnologies/open_slate?#/section/features-specs-8214129 says:
One of the main reasons for selecting the Genio 720 chip, apart from its power and feature-rich design, is the mainline Linux kernel support provided by MediaTek and officially contracted integrators.
The mainline Linux project distributes proprietary firmware. In addition to the usual suspects (Bluetooth and WiFi), neither the video output nor the NeuroPilot (whatever that is) will properly work without proprietary drivers, as https://mediatek.gitlab.io/genio/doc/ubuntu/bsp-installation.html explains:
These packages are maintained by MediaTek and are distributed under proprietary licenses.
With all that proprietary software, MediaTek may spy on its users. If Xi Jinping follows Trump's example, Taiwan's companies (including MediaTek) may soon become Chinese and will have to collaborate with the government. It may already be the case in fact. A "private tablet", really?
I knew it was too good to be true
So it has mass surveillance issues though is good enough for me to tell everyone to avoid that crap even if I liked tablets which i don't.
Makes sense to me.
I find this peculiar given he cares about privacy when trying to get info to youtube users.
I wonder what his reasons are for using a mediatek chip that surveils people.
Kind of sad
I'm no expert... Anyone with technical experience care to explain where the Slate would fall on the "Freedom Ladder" in comparison to similar devices such as a Pixel Tablet running GrapheneOS?
The CPU is running binary blobs on the Slate, but so is the CPU on a Pixel - and almost all of the other hardware on GrapheneOS devices.
It seems like the Slate could have potential. Especially if the firmware and drivers were to be liberated.
I don't know if grapheneOS is spying on the user though or allowing the user to be spied. Well, unless they using a carrier like Verizon. Although I don't know how much it is spying either. It could just be the voice aspect or it could be more. I don't really know.
No amount is good though...
As for that Brax tech guy I suspect, he thinks he can mitigate the worst of that chip and/or that no better alternative will sell any better or be better.
ath9k would the one that wouldn't sell better. but would be better.
Beyond that, not really sure
Privacy guy is not a free software person. Free software is not his priority. I may at one point have asked him if he puts effort into selecting hardware which will run on free software. I do not remember his answer. I think he said he has a pragmatic approach regarding selecting hardware components when it comes to their ability to run on free software. Great if he can find a free software device but not his biggest priority. Privacy guy has a couple of times mentioned free software people in a derogative manner. In a post he answered me that he does not understand the free software matter. Strange, because in videos he resents how windows will delete a dual installed gnu linux system and how windows surveils its users. Had windows been free software he could do something about windows' deficiencies. Do not use privacy guy as a free software reference. His field is the privacy matter. How are you being surveilled and controlled? And he can do big scale analyses. I have watched a number of his videos. I doubt I would have gotten the knowledge he provides otherwise. Privacy guy detects privacy issues and tells you if you can do something about them.
My point is, I don't understand where he is coming from and I had a feeling it was puzzling reasoning.