The way that sentence has been structured, there is an implicit suggestion that an open-sourced platform implies weak encryption.

What would you rather have? Security through obscurity?

That is actually exactly what my app, Zip Phone (link) does.

All voice traffic is encrypted using a randomly generated 256-bit AES key, which is exchanged using 2048-bit RSA. Both phones display a hash of the public key, so the callers can exchange it vocally to confirm that there is no MITM.

The REALLY neat thing about my app, if you ask me, is the fact that it automatically makes VoIP calls to any of your contacts that also have the app installed, without you even needing to open up the app.

The key exchange happens directly between the two devices, with no server in between. The keys aren't even put on permanent storage on the phones. They're removed as soon as the phone call gets over.

Who believes anything the NSA says anymore?

I honestly believe the only way forward is to encrypt ALL of our communications from here on. HTTP, SMS, email, voice, everything! Give them so much encrypted data they don't know where to look and what to decrypt. Even with their awesome hardware and unknown capabilities, surely it's an easy task to drown them in exabytes of encrypted data.

As a developer, I've taken the first step (shameless plug coming up). Awaaz is a Android plugin that automatically takes over any outgoing calls, and assuming the other party also has it installed, it will establish a direct P2P connection over the Internet and encrypt all communications using 256-bit AES. The symmetric key is exchanged using 2048-bit RSA, and new public and private keys are generated every single time, thus theoretically making decryption impossible. I encourage everyone to use it!

Actually India has been polio free for the last two years, and has even applied to the WHO to recognize that fact and declare the country free from the disease.

Link

Way back when I first got Internet, I always used to keep my WiFi open for universal access. My thinking was, I found it extremely convenient when I accidentally found an open WiFi while traveling, so why not do the same for others.

However, now the point is moot, since open WiFi is as good as illegal in my country (India) now. After a spate of related news articles, I had to lock down my wireless. It just isn't worth having cops over for something like this :-(

So obviously one of the biggest issues with an idea like this is the need to maintain a vacuum over hundreds of kilometers, where a single defect can render the entire setup useless. SO, how about just blowing air into one end of the tunnel at a high speed, like let's say 200 km/h, and sucking it out from the other end at the same rate? Heck, this way the train doesn't even need to be powered anymore - it'll just get pushed by the high pressure behind it, and low pressure in front. No catastrophic failures in case there is a hole somewhere in the tunnel either - just a little loss of efficiency!