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Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

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Re: Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

#261

Post by withinboredom »

dataflow wrote: post #249
withinboredom wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With Vodafone, I just login on the website and swap the esim. It’s ridiculously straight forward and you can set a sim pin that works across devices so even if someone were to steal the login and try to take your esim, they still need the pin to unlock the sim on the device.

That's better than what I've seen, but that still requires you to find a second phone with existing service? Everyone has 2 spare phones with 1 additional line of service lying around right? Or a computer with internet service I guess. With a normal SIM all you need is the device you're going to put it into. And a needle/paperclip...

Obviously, you need a second phone to put the sim or esim in. It doesn’t necessarily need service though.

You just need an internet connection to get the QR code for the esim (though I have a paper version I can scan as well). The beauty is I don’t have to swim to the bottom of a lake to get the original phone to get the original sim. I can just scan the piece of paper and put my pin into the new phone. Though I think no matter what, I would have to go online to give the IMEID so the phone will successfully activate.

Re: Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

#262

Post by yencabulator »

AceyMan wrote: post #234
falcolas wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, a couple of companies did actually stockpile chips (Toyota was one IIRC), because it was a component whose manufacturing flexability is pretty minimal. It was financially lucrative for them, since they could sell vehicles at a time where no other manufacturers could.

> Toyota was one Iirc The irony runs deep with that tidbit.

Maybe it's more that Toyota knows how to right-size their process, while most others are just cargo culting one superficial aspect of the method.

From the parent:

> because it was a component whose manufacturing flexability is pretty minimal

Re: Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

#263

Post by BLKNSLVR »

bzxcvbn wrote: post #160
BLKNSLVR wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't travel much, especially recently, so this may not be worth the hassle for frequent travellers, but I factory reset before going overseas, or use a non-current phone to take overseas. Whence through customs etc, reinstall only the essential apps for the trip, just remember your passwords or your single password to your password manager. You can also spread about an encrypted set of instructions amongst free em…

I have traveled a lot over the past few years, including several times through hostile customs (eg USA). I have never had any of them go through my phone or even ask to see it. And to be quite frank, I don't see what use a border agent or the government would use from my phone that they couldn't get in a different, simpler, less blatant way. I'm not sure what threat model you're fighting against, but it may exist onl…

I've been raided by the police before, so my threat model went up a couple of notches as a result of that.

It's a relatively recent incident and a story I'll be telling in detail at some point soon, I hope.

Re: Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

#264

Post by the_only_law »

bzxcvbn wrote: post #160
BLKNSLVR wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't travel much, especially recently, so this may not be worth the hassle for frequent travellers, but I factory reset before going overseas, or use a non-current phone to take overseas. Whence through customs etc, reinstall only the essential apps for the trip, just remember your passwords or your single password to your password manager. You can also spread about an encrypted set of instructions amongst free em…

I have traveled a lot over the past few years, including several times through hostile customs (eg USA). I have never had any of them go through my phone or even ask to see it. And to be quite frank, I don't see what use a border agent or the government would use from my phone that they couldn't get in a different, simpler, less blatant way. I'm not sure what threat model you're fighting against, but it may exist onl…

I’ve heard so many nasty things about customs recently. Down to officers straight up insulting people coming in.

Re: Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

#266

Post by aaaaaaaaata »

rudasn wrote: post #242
AceyMan wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Toyota was one Iirc The irony runs deep with that tidbit.

For anyone wondering, just in time was first established by Toyota and other Japanese manufacturers in the 70s and 80s.

For areas it makes sense!

Not every single supply chain in a nation!

Re: Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

#267

Post by winternett »

wizofaus wrote: post #248
winternett wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, I've noticed a lot of issues in using home wi-fi across social media. There is also some sort of cross platform tracking occurring between Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok for sure, because I've frequently been shown the same topics and trends across those sites. I'm beginning to think there is a UUID that is associated with my home IP, because when I go off it (roaming on mobile), my (off home IP) Internet exper…

That your IP address is used as part of delivery customization isn't surprising (though why it would make sense for platforms you need to log into I'm not sure). As far as YouTube/TikTok/Twitter sharing tracking info - unlikely, I'd say just the fact that you are the same person using all 3 services which all picked up on your personal preferences from your initial usage of each site would be enough to explain being…

I've frequently noticed that when I watch a youtube video, it suddenly shows up somehow on my twitter feed, or a connection thereto... Often I'm recommended to follow the artist from the song I discovered. It happens so much for me that it can't be coincidence, Perhaps my browser is the connection, but I've worked in tech for a while now, and could def could believe that artists meet with big tech regularly to run integrated marketing campaigns across different brands of social media, especially on the Beyonce level.

Re: Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

#268

Post by winternett »

s1artibartfast wrote: post #186
winternett wrote: post #161

Your phone is leveraged so much because it provides companies with deeper tracking capabilities. Most laptops and PCs only geo locate based on their connection points, phones have accelerometers and more accurate location and ID info in them, so many app makers hobble browser-based app iterations to encourage mostly phone use. They also know users are engaged and focused on content more when they are on phones becaus…

For reddit- sure, but why banks? Surely managing hundreds of thousands of my money is worth more than some geo data.

They could be using it to verify your phone number is being spoofed overseas. If location data on your device indicates you are currently in Texas, but suddenly a charge is made originating in Malaysia, it would trigger an alert based on a geo-location mis-match... They can also use it against you to find out where you go when you are paying in just cash, or for other nosy reasons. That's why the overreach is bad. When you consider other companies in insurance, the IRS, THE ENTIRE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY, and even CVS tracking you through apps, the harmful secret data they could compile on us to better fleece and police us is potentially outrageous.

Re: Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

#269

Post by discordance »

nicbou wrote: post #205
discordance wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The worrying difference for me here is that when I travel, I pull my phone out of my pocket 50 times a day but I only use my passport once or twice a week and can store it safely in between.

I strapped mine to a motorcycle and subjected it to sun, rain and dust for a few months. The GPS interface was baked into the screen, but it kept going. It even flew off the bike at speed once. I never had a phone fail from abuse. But I had much dumber failures: - Walk on a log to get a better picture of a lake, slip, and drop the phone in freezing water. Took multiple weeks to regain access to everything. - The humi…

That's cool, although I was referring mostly to the risk of loss or theft, not reliability. Phones are a more generally sought after commodity compared to passports.

Re: Ask HN: Why did smartphones become a single point of failure?

#270

Post by agileAlligator »

888666 wrote: post #133
agileAlligator wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you acknowledge that there is a problem in the system and have solved it by way of a third party application, why do you still place the blame on the user for not solving the problem the same way you did instead of the system for having holes in it

How does providing information have anything to do with placing blame?

> in my mind you have created a single point of failure for _yourself_

You are offloading decisions to the consumer, decisions that the consumer shouldn't have to take. They should be solved by systems design already.

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