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techcrunch 00283.txt

#Blackphone Confirms Privacy-Focused App store And Device Sandboxes Incoming Blackphone the post-Snowden pro-privacy Android smartphone joint venture between secure comms company Silent Circle and phone maker Geeksphone has confirmed it will be adding an app store to its##Privatos in an update early##next year. The major update will also roll out##another new feature called#Spaces. This will enable users to segment##activity on their##device by creating multiple##secure spaces for particular apps accounts or data. The feature will be powered by Canadian company##Graphite Software#s OS-level virtualization software. Speaking to Techcrunch back in October Blackphone cofounder Jon Callas indicated an app store was incoming detailing a plan##to expand its##hardened Android OS to include a curated app store experience#offering third party apps##it##has selected and vetted/reviewed for potential security concerns. The Blackphone device and startup business is an attempt to consumerize the hard problem of security and privacy within a familiar-looking Android##wrapper and by bolting on multiple third party services to put##secure alternatives for essentials such as##cloud storage within easy reach (as well as bundling up the cost of their initial subscription in with the phone). But one major usability##trade-off with Blackphone thus far has been##the lack of a pre-loaded app store. Users can##download and add stores to their device after##purchase but that requires at least a degree of##legwork. Adding its own privacy-focused store to the OS is therefore a natural next step#given it will expand the utility of the device while apparently maintaining high standards of user##privacy. However it s also##a trade-off given that running third party software introduces more security risks. That s presumably why Blackphone is##combining the launch of an app store with the addition of virtualized secure Spaces#to offer another sandboxed layer to help safeguard data on the device. The latter feature##is likely to##appeal to corporate buyers especially since it enables companies to remotely configure ##and##manage corporate Spaces on a Blackphone device and##the user##to have just the one##device for work and person use securely separating out their##personal apps and content from##work apps and content. Much like Blackberry s Balance feature in fact. Blackphone said today that its app store will arrive in January and will feature a selection of apps that it has chosen##as#the most secure privacy-optimized apps on the market#.#The update will also roll out a default#Silent Space #which##will##include its##Silent Suite of apps for encrypted communication along with the##app store plus#a bundle of pre-loaded privacy apps#.#Users will then also be able to spec out additional Spaces on the device as they desire#such as for instance a child-friendly bucket with access to a sub-set of apps. It will certainly be interesting to see how tightly Blackphone curates the apps in its own store.####The number of apps on the store will doubtless intentionally remain##far fewer than on major app stores such as Google Play. And may avoid including certain categories altogether such as games. Callas previously told Techcrunch the store could##include##different security review tiers for apps as a way for users to navigate the risks of running third party content. And that it##may also include##apps that some might##consider insecure by design (such as social media apps which##focus on sharing) or make it easier for users to download other app stores.##We re going to do things like security reviews of apps. We re going to review their privacy policies. We re going to put a security and privacy seal of approval on them. But we also want to be able to have people go download their favorite game.####Everyone s addicted to something#Angry Birds Candy Crush Saga ###And we don t want to be having to security review games. So you go to one of these other stores to get the fun things and we cover##the unfun things like email clients things like that which we have gone and done a review on#he said at the time

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