In this thread I am not concerned about commercially disruptive tech but rather socially disruptive software and possibly hardware.

In 2011 we have seen the immolation of one man in Tunesia set the whole middle east into a digitally linked human tsunami of revolt against corruption and thug rule.

How can we leverage our Maemo/Meego devices to demonstrate subversive communications that will hopefully be emulated in other smart OS's?

Specifically I am thinking of facilitating communications in a net-down situation like we saw in Egypt this spring and protection during quick police searches of confiscated phones.

*Mesh WiFi with autoconfigure and routing
*Amateur radio voice and data apps which can be used on commercial radios
*TOR, already well implemented
*Encryption, make it dead easy like cut/paste
*Obfuscation, use stenography to hide encrypted confidential information or even applications where they will not be found in quick searches
*Smart sneakernet, if the Internet is down use WiFi or Bluetooth to help a person physically traveling from one mesh to another intelligently deliver mail or info reminiscent of Fidonet
*Embedding data into pirate FM radio streams to be read by smartphones
*Whole device encryption or panic button wipe if there is a possibility the device may be confiscated by police or paramilitary troops.

This is all only brainstorming, some of this tech is already well developed like WiFi mesh for the OLPC, others may be mostly outside the scope of Maemo but some users here might know of another community that can act on these ideas.