Ullim
{{Short description|Line of tablet computers}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{CS1 config|mode=cs1}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| name = Ullim
| manufacturer = Pyongyang Informatics Company
| os = Android
| related =
| release date = 2014
| CPUspeed = 1.5 GHz
}}
Ullim ({{langx|ko|울림|lit=echo}}) is a brand name of an Android-based tablet computers family which is sold in North Korea{{cite news |url=http://38north.org/2017/03/mwilliams030317/ |title=All That Glitters Is Not Gold: A Closer Look at North Korea's Ullim Tablet |first=Martyn |last=Williams |work=38 North |date=3 March 2017 |accessdate=8 January 2020 |archive-date=23 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223091354/https://www.38north.org/2017/03/mwilliams030317/ |url-status=live }}.
History
The first of the Ullium tablet line were introduced in 2014.
The tablet is based on a tablet called Z100 which is produced by Chinese company called Hoozo. The tablets, however, are modified for greater control, over the government-approved intranet Kwangmyong.{{Cite web |last=Doctorow |first=Cory |date=2017-12-26 |title=Seven Awful DRM Moments from the Year (and Two Bright Spots!): 2017 in Review |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/11/seven-awful-drm-moments-2017-and-two-bright-spots |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation |language=en |archive-date=2023-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106141638/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/11/seven-awful-drm-moments-2017-and-two-bright-spots |url-status=live }}
Specifications
The "Ullim" tablet is one of four tablet devices marketed by separate companies in North Korea.
It is on sale for 120 US dollars for a 7-inch model, and 210 US dollars for a 10.1-inch model. Both units have a 1.5-GHz (gigahertz) dual core CPU (central processing unit).{{Citation |title=North Korean tablet can connect to local intranet, but isolated from internet |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I118EfiE33I |access-date=2023-11-06 |language=en |archive-date=2023-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106141629/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I118EfiE33I |url-status=live}}
= Operating system =
{{Main|Android KitKat}}
The operating system on which the tablet runs is Android version 4.4.2 "KitKat". It has modifications which gives the government significantly more control over by whom can the intranet be accessed.
Users require a dongle to access intranet by Wi-Fi, LAN or dial-up.{{Cite journal |last1=Rot |first1=Artur |last2=Olszewski |first2=Boguslaw |date=2017-09-24 |title=Advanced Persistent Threats Attacks in Cyberspace. Threats, Vulnerabilities, Methods of Protection |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.15439/2017f488 |journal=Annals of Computer Science and Information Systems |series=Position Papers of the 2017 Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems |volume=12 |pages=113–117 |publisher=PTI |doi=10.15439/2017f488|isbn=978-83-922646-0-6 |doi-access=free }}
The tablet PC can access the Kwangmyong intranet through Wi-Fi.
= Apps =
The tablet have basic apps like gallery though none of the Google apps such as Gmail are available.
Applications for education, cooking and games are pre-installed. It is also loaded with a local set of apps to match Microsoft Office – North Korea's software suite called "Changdok".{{cite web|url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20140801123900014|script-title=ko:北 태블릿PC 사용해보니…'김일성 저작'이 기본 앱|date=2014-08-03|website=Yonhap News Agency|access-date=2021-11-22|archive-date=2022-11-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105070023/https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20140801123900014|url-status=live|language=ko}}
= Control of use =
The tablet has a level of surveillance and control which was not previously seen in North Korean electronics.{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Martyn |date=2017-03-09 |title=A Closer Look at North Korea's Ullim Tablet |url=https://www.northkoreatech.org/2017/03/10/closer-look-north-koreas-ullim-tablet/ |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=North Korea Tech |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106141632/https://www.northkoreatech.org/2017/03/10/closer-look-north-koreas-ullim-tablet/ |url-status=live }}
The "Red Flag" program which runs as a background process captures a screenshot every time the user opens an application, records the browser history and ensures that the core operating system is not modified. The installation of applications is limited to an approved whitelist.{{Cite web |title=A glimpse at tech inside North Korea |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+glimpse+at+tech+inside+North+Korea-a0496776928 |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com |archive-date=2023-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106141629/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+glimpse+at+tech+inside+North+Korea-a0496776928 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Project Reveal. New research into North Korea s digital control system. Martyn Williams and Niklaus Schiess PROJECT REVEAL 1 |url=https://docplayer.net/234678179-Project-reveal-new-research-into-north-korea-s-digital-control-system-martyn-williams-and-niklaus-schiess-project-reveal-1.html |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=docplayer.net |archive-date=2023-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106141630/https://docplayer.net/234678179-Project-reveal-new-research-into-north-korea-s-digital-control-system-martyn-williams-and-niklaus-schiess-project-reveal-1.html |url-status=live }}
The devices also come with "Trace Viewer", a software that stores data and prevents users from deleting data.{{Cite web |last=Ven |first=Emi van de |date=2023-03-28 |title=Censuur in Noord-Korea: ongekende macht van de Kim-dynastie |url=https://www.vpngids.nl/unblock/censuur/internetcensuur-noord-korea/ |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=VPNGids.nl |language=nl |archive-date=2023-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106141630/https://www.vpngids.nl/unblock/censuur/internetcensuur-noord-korea/ |url-status=live }}
The tablet is able to access media only if it has the digital certificate either NATISIGN (authorized by the North Korean government) or SELFSIGN (created on the tablet itself).{{Cite web |title=An Assessment of North Korean Threats and Vulnerabilities in Cyberspace |url=https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4224&context=theses |access-date=2023-11-06 |archive-date=2023-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106141629/https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4224&context=theses |url-status=live }}
The table features watermarking of created files. Each of the created documents contains "fingerprints" of the device/owner.{{Cite web |script-title=ru:Всё идёт по плану |url=http://znoxx.me/2017/03/24/vsio-idiot-po-planu/ |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=znoxx.me |archive-date=2021-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517122052/https://znoxx.me/2017/03/24/vsio-idiot-po-planu/ |language=ru}}
Sales
In 2016, it was reported that the demand for the tablet exceeded the available supply.
In response, the government restricted sales of the device. The state also mandated that nobody can buy more than one tablet. This resulted in used tablets being sold roughly for original price.{{cite news |last=Mi Jin |first=Kang |date=5 August 2016 |title=Demand for 'Ullim' tablet among youth exceeds supply |url=https://www.dailynk.com/english/demand-for-ullim-tablet-among-yout/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105030636/https://www.dailynk.com/english/demand-for-ullim-tablet-among-yout/ |archive-date=5 November 2022 |accessdate=8 January 2020 |publisher=Daily NK}}
See also
References
Category:Tablet computers introduced in 2014
Category:Information technology in North Korea
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