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SLEKE.'s OdysseyOS is a Distraction Killer

Today, we want to highlight the OS component of our phone for those who are interested. At the end of this post is a video of our phone in action from the awesome YouTube page, Spencer’s Adventures. Our founders, Brennan and Austin, also make an appearance with some tidbits of their conversation with Spencer.


We are still in the early days and hope to bring even more innovation to the OS, but this is a great look at the current state of our product.


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Directly from our website:


OdysseyOS is the operating system that runs our phone. OdysseyOS is a modified version of AOSP with a strong foundation in privacy and security features. OdysseyOS is default de-Googled (with the option to use microG to utilize Google Play Services), has a custom launcher, and has system-level domain blocking of disallowed websites. We call it OdysseyOS because we take inspiration from Odysseus, the hero in the ancient Greek epic poem The Odyssey.


During his adventures, Odysseus and his crew encounter the Sirens - beautiful but dangerous creatures who lure sailors to their deaths with their enchanting voices. As Odysseus sails by the Sirens, he orders his men to plug their ears with beeswax, and commands them to tie him to the mast of his ship, so he can listen to the Sirens' songs while ensuring he cannot give in to their temptations. Through the crew’s collective effort, they navigate through the perilous encounter and continue their epic voyage.


Just like Odysseus' crew who bound him to the mast, we're here to help you resist the Sirens of distraction while enabling you to take advantage of the helpful tools that the smartphone enables. OdysseyOS is deliberately limited, offering only the tools needed for communication and daily utility. You'll find no games, web browsing, or multimedia apps here – just features that support you while you engage in real life.


We invite you to rediscover the beauty of the world around you. Whether you're a student focusing on studies, a professional looking to increase productivity, or eager to refocus your attention to real-life activities, OdysseyOS is designed to support you every step of the way.


Do Cool Stuff.

~SLEKE.




What We’re Reading and Watching


This wonderful talk is from Amber Case, founder of the Calm Tech Institute. From her profile, “The Calm Tech Institute exists to establish new standards for designing harmonious human-tech interactions.” Her philosophy is very aligned with our own and something we will look to for inspiration as we continue to grow at SLEKE. In fact, our founders had a conversation with Amber a few months back! Check that out if you’re interested: LINK



This piece from Gloria Mark, whose work we recently highlighted, has more insight into our digital habits. In the piece, she says, “The real challenge isn’t whether we use technology, but how we use it.” And that, for us, is the ticket! That is the reason why SLEKE was created. A device embedded with intentionality that works WITH the User. Rather than having to constantly exercise your willpower just to have a healthy relationship with your digital tools, our vision is to have a digital tool that is inherently synergistic with the User. To accomplish that requires discipline in design.


This is a good guide for parents on options for basic phones. We do hope to find SLEKE on articles like this in the future, but we applaud others trying to accomplish something similar. Ultimately, we hope to continue to innovate and achieve organic growth through the direct experience of our current User base. A positive experience from them should continue to ripple outwards. Fingers crossed!


This is a great piece about a family utilizing an old-fashioned land line to facilitate communication between parents and their kids. The author said something in the piece that resonates; “The landline is a techno-selectionist'sdream come true, a superb example of technology adding value to our life without detracting from it in any way.” This, we optimistically hope, is the future of technological design. We need more creators who engage in the design of technological tools with responsibility and intention. As said above, it will require discipline. There is hardly any further innovation in the iPhone it seems. That’s why Apple announcements are met with much less fanfare than in the past. The path forward is to exercise creativity in a way that designs tools in the actual sense of that words instead of devices that almost seem intentionally designed to distract us!

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