Why it matters: The HTC Exodus 1 was a gimmick when it was released last December. Built on the solid (though boring) foundations of the HTC U12, its only special feature was a secure storage enclave called ‘Zion,’ but even that could only store keys to access digital cats. Costing a whopping $950 and only available for purchase via Bitcoin or Ethereum, most people were inclined to believe the phone would be a disaster – until it wasn’t. Very quickly, HTC realized that the price and purchasing requirements were simply too restrictive, and they made it available to purchase for $699. At that price, the phone could stand by itself, but through better software support the blockchain aspects gained an appeal as well. Other than using it to play CryptoKitties (an interesting game, actually) Zion lets users store the keys required to access cryptocurrencies, supporting bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and more. Zion is a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) that stores and manipulates keys separately from the operating system so that no malware or bad agents can access the keys. The benefits of having the cryptocurrencies on the Exodus is that it’s always mobile, so you can take them with you and protect them personally. There’s also the ability for users to access lost keys by sending parts to a handful of select friends, so that their combined codes unlock the key. HTC is also making an SDK for Zion available on GitHub. This makes it drastically easier for developers to support Zion storage and execution in their apps, enabling blockchain powered messaging, searching and social media to land in the app store. “We understand it takes a community to ensure strength and security,” HTC says, “so it’s important to the Exodus team that our community has the best tools available to them.” All that leads us to the Exodus 1s: the next step. The Exodus 1s will come in at a much lower $250-$300 price point so that it's accessible, while introducing new features, too. Key is the ability to use it as a node in a blockchain network, a full ledger of everything that has happened in the blockchain ever. Bitcoin, HTC emphasizes, has just 9,500 active nodes and needs more to sustain its decentralized nature. While typical Bitcoin nodes require 200 GB of storage growing at 60 GB per year (hence a microSD slot) the Exodus 1s will support a “pruned version” that’s just 10 GB and contains the essential information. “We are democratizing access to the technology for a free world. Full nodes are the most important ingredient in the resilience of the Bitcoin network, and we have lowered the barrier to entry for any person to run a node, which is simply a computer, mobile in our case, participating in a global Bitcoin network that propagates transactions and blocks everywhere, which is the foundation and fundamental definition of a peer-to-peer cash system.” Blockchain mining may not be available by the late Q3 launch, but it’s in the works. HTC’s Phil Chen says that they have “partners to announce that will offer hash rates to do so." While both acting as a node and mining will induce abnormal strain on the phone’s battery, processing, and network, the benefits are there. It’s full control and understanding over the network, meaning there’s nothing that you can’t do from the Exodus 1s. And it also enables a future decentralized system of mobile apps that are far more secure and private than current apps. Most of the Exodus 1s’s features will arrive on the big Exodus via an update, too. While no one is suggesting that a lone phone maker falling out of the news and into the history book will be enough to properly integrate blockchain into the mobile world, the growth of the Exodus and the promises of the 1s are exciting and innovative. They’re certainly something to watch.<doc-sep>HTC has unveiled its new Exodus 1s smartphone which will be capable of running a full bitcoin node according to HTC, with the new Exodus 1s launching in Q4 2019 for just $250-300. The new Exodus 1s will also have improved support for decentralized browsing, messaging, and social media apps. With the full bitcoin node sitting on the Exodus 1s you'll be able to have the entire bitcoin blockchain chilling on your phone, verifying transactions at the snap of its digital fingers. The original Exodus debuted at $699 and didn't make a dent in the market, but with a new $250-$300 price tag the Exodus 1s will get much more attention. HTC has been making inroads into the blockchain-on-your-phone market for a while now, with a renewed focus since the original Exodus smartphone. But now the company is doubling down with the new Exodus 1s with Phil Chen, HTC's Chief Decentralized Officer explaining: "We think that's foundational to the whole decentralized internet and just the whole fundamental premise. If you don't own your keys, you don't own your bitcoin, you don't own your crypto". Now, to make it clear you won't be mining Bitcoin on the Exodus 1s or any other phone that has an entire Bitcoin node. Instead, your full Bitcoin node makes you an important part of the blockchain for verifying transactions, as you can still use regular crypto wallet software on the HTC Exodus 1s. You'll just be one of the extremely cool kids with an entire Bitcoin node in your pocket. Chen explains that the Exodus 1s achieves this by routing the information that flows in and our of your phone through peer-to-peer connections in a distributed network "instead of passing through cloud or mainframe boards". The company and its Exodus team want to tap the blockchain to keep your financial assets secure and within your personal control, so they are making blockchain-focused smartphones like the Exodus 1s to keep your information more secure than ever before. Most people will think that housing the entire bitcoin node on your phone is crazy and requires huge amounts of storage, but you'd be wrong. Chen added: "The bitcoin blockchain is about 200 [gigabytes], and it's growing about 60 gigs per year. And those numbers are reasonable to hold on a smartphone. Imagine the iPod with 256 gigs ... of course the music fan wants to keep the whole music library but the crypto fan wants to keep the whole bitcoin blockchain". Chen continued: "Full nodes are the most important ingredient in the resilience of the Bitcoin network and we have lowered the barrier to entry for any person to run a node, which is simply a computer, mobile in our case, participating in a global bitcoin network that propagates transactions and blocks everywhere, which is the foundation and fundamental definition of a peer-to-peer cash system".<doc-sep>Share this article Supporting the Bitcoin (BTC) network may soon be as simple as turning on your phone. HTC has revealed technical specifications for the new Exodus 1s phone, which includes advanced blockchain capabilities. In addition to built-in key storage and wallets, the new device will include a new first in mobile phones: a full Bitcoin node, allowing users to interact with the largest blockchain network directly from their pockets. In a press release issued today, HTC described the new device as part of a movement towards protecting highlighted that full-node capabilities would allow users to trustlessly interact with the Bitcoin network, without exposing their privacy to other parties. Full nodes are used to broadcast and verify transactions, thereby ensuring that no coin can be spent twice and no user can be prevented from making a transaction. Although they do not mine blocks, they serve an important role in ensuring that the blockchain remains secure and accessible to everyone. Phil Chen, who serves HTC with the unusual title of Decentralized Chief Officer, described the new device as a part of the company’s mission to “empower the user.” “We are democratizing access to the technology for a free world,” Chen said. “Full nodes are the most important ingredient in the resilience of the Bitcoin network and we have lowered the barrier to entry for any person to run a node.” The phone also comes with a built-in hardware wallet, known as the Zion Vault. First introduced with the Exodus 1 earlier this year, the Zion Vault stores cryptocurrency keys in a trusted execution environment, allowing users to easily own and spend cryptocurrencies without exposing them to malicious applications. The Exodus 1s will take the vault a step further, releasing a software development kit (SDK for the Zion Vault. The new toolkit will allow developers to explore integrating cryptocurrencies and the smartphone with third-party apps. “We understand it takes a community to ensure strength and security,” HTC said in the announcement, “so it’s important to the EXODUS team that our community have the best tools available to them.” HTC is only the latest provider seeking to integrate mobile technology with blockchains and cryptocurrency. Crypto Briefing has already reported on Pundi X’s XPhone as well as the Samsung S10.<doc-sep>As expected, HTC is doubling down on the idea of blockchain smartphones… but it turns out the company’s next phone isn’t so much a follow-up to last year’s HTC Exodus 1 as it is a cheaper alternative. HTC has announced that the Exodus 1s will be available in the third quarter of 2019 and it’s expected to sell for under $300, which would make it less than half the price of the $699 Exodus 1. While the company hasn’t revealed the device’s key specs yet, HTC does say that not only will the new phone support “web 3.0” decentralized apps and function as a secure wallet for cryptocurrency, but you’ll also be able to use it as a full node. What that means is that the phone will be capable of holding the full Bitcoin blockchain ledger and that it will be able to validate transactions and relay them to other distributed points. That’s probably not something every user is going to want to do, since the full Bitcoin ledger is more than 200GB in size and would need to be stored on a large microSD card. HTC says a smaller “pruned down” version can be stored on the phone itself, since it would use about 10GB of space. Operating as a node would still probably take a pretty significant toll on a phone’s battery life. But even giving users the option of having their phones function as nodes could lead to a more robust Bitcoin network, which could hold its own appeal for some users. With an expected price tag of $250 to $300 and relatively low power consumption, one might even be able to justify purchasing an Exodus 1s just for use as a full node which is left plugged in and running most of the time while you use a different device as your primary phone. HTC says the original Exodus 1 will also gain the ability to function as a full node later this year, so there’s probably no reason to switch phones if you’ve already got the more expensive model. via Engadget, Mashable, and VentureBeat Share this article: Share this: Facebook Twitter Reddit Pocket Tumblr Pinterest LinkedIn Email<doc-sep>
Yes, the major public clouds offer a lot. But what you may not know are the limitations, and how open clouds make the difference. Elevate your enterprise data technology and strategy at Transform 2021. HTC has unveiled the HTC Exodus 1s smartphone, a cheaper version of the Exodus 1 phone with built-in cryptocurrency and blockchain. The new phone will be launched at the end of the third quarter. The Exodus 1s combines blockchain with a smartphone to bring the decentralized ledger technology to a new audience. The idea is to make it easy to let users participate in emerging economies. Those wanting to dip their toes into the crypto world for the first time can find easier access to the technology with a more accessible price point. HTC said this move will democratize access to crypto and blockchain technology and help global proliferation and adoption. The company will release further details on exact specifications and cost over the coming months. Image Credit: HTC The Exodus 1s will be the first smartphone to have full node capabilities and will contain the full Bitcoin blockchain and allow a trustless experience. Full nodes are the only way to use Bitcoin in a fully private way and are critical to securing the future of Bitcoin. “Exodus is about empowering the user. We gave users the ability to own their own keys, and now we’ve gone one step further to allow users to run their own full node,” said Phil Chen, decentralized chief officer at HTC, in a statement. “We are democratizing access to the technology for a free world. Full nodes are the most important ingredient in the resilience of the Bitcoin network, and we have lowered the barrier to entry for any person to run a node, which is simply a computer, mobile in our case, participating in a global Bitcoin network that propagates transactions and blocks everywhere, which is the foundation and fundamental definition of a peer-to-peer cash system.” The decision to add crypto and blockchain coincides with a movement toward protecting privacy and data security, driven by the skepticism of how large tech companies are using data and uncertainty as to how secure it actually is. HTC said the decentralized web will allow users to protect and secure their own data by providing more transparent peer-to-peer services, removing the intermediaries that used to benefit from holding your information. HTC’s Project Exodus is a smartphone solution that will power the decentralized web. Zion, your private vault on the blockchain, allows you to conduct cryptocurrency transactions, view and manage your crypto collectibles, and manage your crypto life while maintaining ownership of your keys. With your Zion Vault you can store, send, and request Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, selected ERC-20 tokens, and ERC-721 collectibles.