NSA-approved smartphones leaves Obama with some ugly choices

Next week's US presidential inauguration of Barack Obama will have one sour note for the Illinois senator. Sure, he's gonna be the leader of the free world, but the notorious BlackBerry addict will have to give up his smartphone -- and frankly, if given the choice, we'd probably choose cellphone over country. There is hope, however, as CNET outlines two Windows Mobile devices that met the NSA's seal of approval for governmental use back in 2007: General Dynamics' Sectera Edge and L-3 Communications' Guardian. Unfortunately, both options look about as dated as the Treo 650, with exceptionally large antennas to boot. Hey NSA, any chance we can get something a bit sexier on the approval list?

[Waveblade @ Jan 13th 2009 6:36PM]

The price of being the president...

[Bevon Findley @ Jan 13th 2009 7:27PM]

I just want to know if it can stop a bullet when its in your pocket

[Troels C @ Jan 13th 2009 7:51PM]

It can stop a train.

[Mobius_1 @ Jan 13th 2009 8:21PM]

Only Chuck Norris can crack the code used in these machines, in fact, it is Chuck Norris in the processor.

[tom @ Jan 13th 2009 8:28PM]

Thing is. This piece of junk is approved in 2007, level of security could have been compromised in 2009. Plus, i find it shameful for a president to carry around such an ugly looking thing.

[Chase @ Jan 13th 2009 9:21PM]

Maybe when Nobama fixes the economy the NSA will have more resources to design a less ugly phone....

[Flashpoint @ Jan 13th 2009 9:33PM]

THE PRESIDENT CAN COPY/PASTE and he has a REMOVABLE BATTERY ????

[balls @ Jan 14th 2009 12:42AM]

@Mobius_1: actually thats not true. The phone has Bruce Schneier's brain as the neural net. Chuck would be stuck having to brute force it, and his brute force attack would cause the universe to collapse on itself.

[OneLove @ Jan 14th 2009 11:41AM]

You made Jack Bauer cry.

[Micromuffin @ Jan 14th 2009 3:47PM]

Sorry for the reply... anyhoo,

FUGLY!!!!

[FLaSHBaCK @ Jan 13th 2009 6:38PM]

Its trying to choose the lesser of to evils...

[massive_98 @ Jan 13th 2009 7:06PM]

Most people won't get your comment.

[Ross @ Jan 13th 2009 7:10PM]

i did, i just didn't get the grammar

[FLaSHBaCK @ Jan 13th 2009 7:15PM]

Hmm, i can't think of a better paraphrase that doesn't sound awkward.

[Robbie @ Jan 13th 2009 7:17PM]

to too two all sound the same and include two of the same letters to be honest I think its the languages fault not his I too get the three confused

[AutumnBringer @ Jan 13th 2009 7:21PM]

No need to paraphrase, just make sure to differentiate between to and to. They are to different words and sometimes it's to hard to tell what someone's saying if they use the wrong one. See?

[FLaSHBaCK @ Jan 13th 2009 7:21PM]

"It's like trying to chose the lesser of two evils." is that better?

[AutumnBringer @ Jan 13th 2009 7:24PM]

I understood it fine the first time ... just people get to be all spelling/grammar nazi about stuff. I agree with the intent of your post though. Looking at outdated looking electronics sometimes really gives me a sad feeling inside, I think they're both evil.

[kal326 @ Jan 13th 2009 8:17PM]

@AutumnBringer

You do realize that you put "to and to"....

So for further clarification, two and two = four
or
I think I need TO get a beer or TWO....or twelve...

[superfresh @ Jan 14th 2009 1:37PM]

@AutumnBringer: You mean the type of grammar Nazis that would point out the error in the headline?

[miragexp215 @ Jan 22nd 2009 10:27PM]

@kal I could use a beer TOO.

[Electromodo @ Jan 13th 2009 6:38PM]

"...if given the choice, we'd probably choose cellphone over country..."

You would most probably fail the security clearance.

[wickedpheonix @ Jan 13th 2009 6:57PM]

Ironically enough, I don't think that elected officials as high up as the President need something like a security clearance.

[DeoWulf @ Jan 13th 2009 9:50PM]

@wicketphoenix:
Because we know that presidents are SO free from corruption. It's not like they're both human AND politicians. [/sarcasm]

[unzarjones @ Jan 13th 2009 11:47PM]

Judging by the company he keeps, Obama believes it too.

[Gabe @ Jan 13th 2009 6:42PM]

At least he can get some cool cases on it, right?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[a ham sandwich @ Jan 13th 2009 6:43PM]

...and they're surprised he's resisting?!

[bondsbw @ Jan 13th 2009 6:46PM]

Oooh, sexy!

[Boards of Canada @ Jan 13th 2009 6:47PM]

He will replace the blackberry by a personal secretary. No need of a phone when you just have to dictate whenever you want!

[npChaos @ Jan 13th 2009 7:26PM]

I wish I had a personal secretary to dic...tate... to.

[dLeet @ Jan 13th 2009 8:06PM]

pretty sure your aim is sarcasm there but in case: I'm pretty sure Senators have more than one secretary. Maybe they can get Japan to come up with a robot secretary that will receive emails for you as well as take your dictations - then we might have a solution.

[Andie @ Jan 14th 2009 8:18AM]

The robot secretary should have a cigar holder too.
Think about it.

[Loonie @ Jan 13th 2009 6:48PM]

The L-3 is apparently still in development.

[Ed T @ Jan 13th 2009 9:15PM]

Yeah, they probably hired a bunch of devs from Latvia on H1B visas to finish up the code and test the security...

[NSA @ Jan 13th 2009 6:49PM]

"Hey NSA, any chance we can get something a bit sexier on the approval list?"

No.

[Jag @ Jan 13th 2009 6:50PM]

lol @ america being the 'leader of the free world'

The richest country in the world cannot even provide its citizens with free health care !! Maybe Mr Obama should tackle that first.

[Dnorris @ Jan 13th 2009 8:25PM]

There is no such thing a a free lunch.

Free health care in a myth. It is really taxpayer funded health care.

[aznflameboy @ Jan 13th 2009 8:24PM]

I doubt we're the richest in the world. We're in debt to like every country esp China.

[dataset @ Jan 13th 2009 8:44PM]

Stop being so ignorant. Dnorris is right, the money would come from somewhere, and thats the taxes. No one wants your ignorant comments here, so grow up.

[Jason @ Jan 13th 2009 9:44PM]

Your statement is ironic. We are the richest country in the world because we don't provide everyone with free health care. And while we are at it why not give everyone free houses, cars and vacations? I could certainly use those over health care at the moment.

[GenoMalice @ Jan 22nd 2009 3:40PM]

lol @above... yeah you don't need it for the moment but let's talk when your pushing 80 or when you need chemotherapy for cancer which is, I'm afraid to say, more likely to happen in the United States then anywhere else in the world!

Oh, and knock-on-wood... hope you live a wonderful, long and healthy life!

[kangbp.nyc @ Jan 22nd 2009 11:46PM]

well, here in america, we AMERICANS work and pay for our health care, unlike those chinese who pirate it, and those socialist europeans who believes that health care belongs to all

[aznofazns @ Jan 13th 2009 6:52PM]

"and frankly, if given the choice, we'd probably choose cellphone over country."

You are quite the patriot.

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Jan 13th 2009 6:54PM]

Wow, a General Dynamics smartphone. Any phone made by a defense contractor seems pretty bad-ass to me.

[Hexing @ Jan 13th 2009 7:07PM]

I think thats what body armor is made of these days, stuffed with NSA approved smartphones..

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Jan 13th 2009 7:12PM]

If you say so, I'd have to try it first I suppose. The phone that is, not a body armor test.

[mrsalty @ Jan 13th 2009 6:55PM]

My mother works for AT&T and she sets up the General Dynamics phone at least once a week for government "contractors". They are very cool though HUGE. I would trade in my BB for it... it is the uber nerd phone. I think she said they run about $3200 bucks for one, are unlocked and work on TMOBILE or ATT networks.

[huh @ Jan 13th 2009 6:56PM]

I've always had a soft spot for distinct external antennas.

Maybe he could hack Android onto one of these devices.

[Jimmy Jones @ Jan 13th 2009 6:57PM]

Can we say thumbs up to Windows Mobile 3.1?

[John P @ Jan 13th 2009 6:58PM]

The General Dynamics phone starts at over $3000. You think they could have put in just slightly more styling. It only takes a little.