• HidingCat@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    For privacy-minded people, hardware switches are a nice thing. I remember when I had a Xiaomi Mi 9T with its popup camera, and it was interesting to see that some websites would trigger said popup camera. While the camera was never actually used, the thing would go up and down. This was even with an ad blocker installed.

    • PoisonedPrisonPanda@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      I have a Mi 9 t pro. Never experienced anything like that.

      While I do have hardened my settings, debloat with adb etc. privacy whise and use the EU MIUI rom.

      Do you rememher said websites?

      • HidingCat@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Man, it has been a while, as I don’t use the 9T as the daily phone now. I think I recall The Verge as one of the sites, because I wasn’t expecting it from them. It happened only a few times, and it wasn’t site-wide. Can’t remember which pages triggered it though.

      • msage@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        My friend had one, and Instagram would often pop it out and back in quickly. That was way back when though.

      • Takumidesh@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Speakers are microphones, they are the same thing(basically), one uses current to move a diaphragm to create pressure and the other uses pressure to move the diaphragm to create a current.

  • sim642@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Only mic and camera? It should also turn off GPS, accelerometer, etc. Filming the inside of my pocket isn’t the biggest tracking concern. People are just afraid someone’s watching them masturbate all the time.

    • Mr_Dr_Oink@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The article states that there is second switch to diaable wifi, data, gps etc that is essentially an airplane mode.

        • macaroni1556@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          Yeah a hard switch that switches in a dummy load instead of the antennas would be excellent

          But it could hit battery life without also turning off the radios

    • ReginaPhalange@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Isn’t GPS just 3 sattelites passively shouting their clock to any who could listen? There’s no GPS kill switch because there’s nothing transmitted. WIFI kill switch is more understandable.

      • ReluctantMuskrat@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Your point is solid. But GPS position requires a signal from at least 3 satellites to work. There are a whole lot more than 3 in the sky.

      • sim642@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Privacy isn’t just about your device not emitting signals… If you don’t want your device and apps to track your location, you also don’t want to receive those GPS signals.

    • Caveman@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I really like having the mic off so Google doesn’t try to sell me something I mentioned a private conversation

    • Pantherina@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      Poorly yes. Even though

      • no headphone jack
      • super expensive
      • damn huge
      • no SD card slot
      • no hardware switches
      • repairable? Idk
      • oshitwaddup@lemmy.antemeridiem.xyz
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        1 year ago
        • yeah no headphone jack is a bummer
        • a used pixel is cheaper than than
        • my pixel 5 seems pretty small, but idk what they are now or what that is so you’re probably right
        • even bigger bummer than no headphone jack imo
        • I don’t think those are that important, a piece of tape over the camera is fine imo
        • you’re probably right there too, I wish fairphone could run grapheneos 😞
        • Pantherina@feddit.de
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          1 year ago

          Fairphones have no secure element. The devs may be annoying, but what they dont do for a second is waste time.

          Hmm, camera maybe but tape? Also microphone is not that easy. GPS, phone antennas and internet antennas are also way shadier

          • limerod@reddthat.com
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            1 year ago

            Fairphone uses the latest snapdragon. Unless qualcomm messed up, their processors do support and have supported secure element for a while. What you probably meant was a dedicated secure element chip. That’s present on tensor but not on most other smartphones.

            • Pantherina@feddit.de
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              1 year ago

              Huh? GrapheneOS is not wasting time with features or supporting phones that are not secure to their standards (meaning basically impossible to hardware-crack, which is NOT everyones requirement)

        • krolden@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          Yeah I really dont want to upgrade my pixel 5 for a 6 for many reasons but that is a big one

        • Pantherina@feddit.de
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          1 year ago

          Not in my experience? A new Pixel 8 costs like 800€, thats like 600€ more than I would consider appropriate for a phone. All these prices are made up

          • krolden@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            Pixel 8 has full support from google until 2030. Know of any current phones going for under 800 bucks with anywhere near that support lifetime?

            Also, the pixel 7a is supported until 2026 and is $500. Both prices are quite reasonable for a computing device you’re going to carry around for at least the next three years.

            • Pantherina@feddit.de
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              1 year ago

              In this case a Pixel 8 is the only real option poorly. How can a phone just last 3 years from now on? Thats crazy…

  • kvothelu@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    i really don’t care about degoogling trusting some random ass company and their VPN.

      • Lime66@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        E/os is not that trustable, they have no verified boot or relockable bootloader, and integrated signature spoofing

  • Onii-Chan@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    I’d still prefer a Pixel running GrapheneOS with aggressively-restrictive permissions.

  • Big P@feddit.uk
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    1 year ago

    Interested in the built in VPN. Is that going to a monthly cost? If not, how are they funding it?

  • Darken@reddthat.com
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    1 year ago

    For anyone wondering how to get the same feature on your device (not only mic-camera)

    • Go to developer settings (after enabling it)
    • Quick settings developer tiles
    • (enable) sensors off
    • Open your quick settings
    • (for Samsung) you will find the tile in the 1st row 1st position
    • (for aosp) you may need to add the sensors tile
    • now turn this tile on
    • now your camera, mic, gyroscope, etc… are off and apps will think that there’s an error with the camera or some privacy policy rule being applied

    ⚪ Note: this does not turn off GPS, Bluetooth, wifi, or mobile networks

    EDIT: forgot to mention (as comments said)

    🔴 Warning: core system services can override this setting…

    a phone call will have the mic working while app calls (Whatsapp…etc) will be muted

    • Madlaine@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      To further expand at least for samsung:

      • the mic will be re-enabled for regular phone calls
      • the mic won’t be re-enabled for other calls, e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram, Whatsoever
    • Rubanski@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      You just get two COVID vaccinations instead, should kind of work the same

  • Psythik@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Does it have a hardware switch to prevent apps from taking screenshots? I hate so much that they can do it at any time without you ever knowing.

  • underwire212@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Where can I get more information? Is the software open sourced? Has it been independently audited?