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Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

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Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#71

Post by vtail »

plainOldText wrote: post #68
vtail wrote: post #43

If you stop for a minute to think about it, it's a very sad state of affairs that you need to buy a closed-source app for the most secure consumer operating system, and pay constant attention to its status, in hope to avoid (or detect) spying. I'm personally re-thinking my approach to security and anonymity online, esp. in light of recent news re: Facebook (Cambridge Analytica, account breach), Google (Chrome 69, inc…

That's a questionable approach you took, since Lenovo has been caught in the past shipping laptops with spyware. I actually bought the same Thinkpad a few months ago (beautiful machine btw), but I had to return it as I couldn't get myself to trust a computer manufactured by a dishonest company, in an authoritarian country. It felt just so uncomfortable. At the end of the day, I still trust Apple the most, since they…

> since Lenovo has been caught in the past shipping laptops with spyware

Are you referring to [1]? Since I will be installing OpenBSD on this machine, I won't be affected by it. I do have to trust their BIOS, though, and unfortunately there is no easy way around it on modern hardware, unless you want to limit yourself to something supported by e.g. coreboot.

> manufactured by a dishonest company, in an authoritarian country

Macbooks are manufactured in the same country, but yes, I do understand your sentiment re: "dishonest" company - very few Chinese manufacturers can be fully trusted, as e.g. Chinese government has a lot of coercion power.

[1] https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-S-Series-ThinkPad-Yoga...

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#72

Post by bootlooped »

big_youth wrote: post #51
vtail wrote: post #43

If you stop for a minute to think about it, it's a very sad state of affairs that you need to buy a closed-source app for the most secure consumer operating system, and pay constant attention to its status, in hope to avoid (or detect) spying. I'm personally re-thinking my approach to security and anonymity online, esp. in light of recent news re: Facebook (Cambridge Analytica, account breach), Google (Chrome 69, inc…

I stupidly chose a high end thinkpad at my job a few years ago and I am a counting the days until I can renew and get a Mac. The hardware is shit. I've had to send it to service 3 times in the nearly 3 years I've been working with it. I just put in a new up arrow key last week because the last one broke. In it's current state only one USB port is functional. Granted I'm a consultant and do heavily traveling but it ha…

Which model was it? I have heard different model lines have vastly different quality levels. I think the T and X lines are widely considered the best. I would not consider anything outside those two lines for professional use.

My T430s has been great. It sees a lot of use too.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#73

Post by sh87 »

kidsnow wrote: post #61
tkfu wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting; I have basically the exact opposite experience. I had a T460P (running Linux) that I loved as my work computer, and then my company got acquired and I had to choose between a gigantic brick of a Dell or a Macbook, so I decided to try a mac for a while. I absolutely hate it: the keyboard needs to be blown out with compressed air all the damn time, plugging in external monitors is a total crapshoot, the to…

The fingerprint reader doesn't work most of the time. Either it doesn't appear at all, or it's completely unresponsive.

Yes, it doesn't work most of the time. Thats still higher than Lenovo fingerprint readers which never work.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#74

Post by thebeefytaco »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #69

Visiting LinkedIn website and Android tells me LinkedIn want access to my microphone ... nothing in the web page about mic usage, just visiting the homepage ... scary. Good that Android catches this now though.

I'd wager that there's some small feature you don't know about which uses audio input and it's requesting permissions too early rather than it being something malicious.

I wouldn't grant it either way though.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#76

Post by zumu »

dstroot wrote: post #56
vtail wrote: post #43

If you stop for a minute to think about it, it's a very sad state of affairs that you need to buy a closed-source app for the most secure consumer operating system, and pay constant attention to its status, in hope to avoid (or detect) spying. I'm personally re-thinking my approach to security and anonymity online, esp. in light of recent news re: Facebook (Cambridge Analytica, account breach), Google (Chrome 69, inc…

>similar/better specs vs Macbook Pro at half the price I hear people say that and I always get excited. Then I just went to Lenovo’s site and I configured one and for a small margin on error they are the same. Why do people say this when it doesn’t seem true? Is there a “50% Off all Thinkpads” website I don’t know about?

They have sales and the components are upgradable.

I got a monster of a machine 2 years ago for < $1100, by buying during a 35% off sale and getting the SSD aftermarket.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#77

Post by plainOldText »

vtail wrote: post #71
plainOldText wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a questionable approach you took, since Lenovo has been caught in the past shipping laptops with spyware. I actually bought the same Thinkpad a few months ago (beautiful machine btw), but I had to return it as I couldn't get myself to trust a computer manufactured by a dishonest company, in an authoritarian country. It felt just so uncomfortable. At the end of the day, I still trust Apple the most, since they…

> since Lenovo has been caught in the past shipping laptops with spyware Are you referring to [1]? Since I will be installing OpenBSD on this machine, I won't be affected by it. I do have to trust their BIOS, though, and unfortunately there is no easy way around it on modern hardware, unless you want to limit yourself to something supported by e.g. coreboot. > manufactured by a dishonest company, in an authoritarian…

Yep, I was referring to that. You are correct, you won't be affected, since you run a different OS. I personally just couldn't stomach that a manufacturer would engage in such sneaky practices.

So, maybe you're fine for now (I envy you slightly for enjoying such a well designed piece of non-Apple hardware) but will you trust the X7, X8, etc? Especially with the escalating US-China trade war.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#78

Post by thrower123 »

zumu wrote: post #76
dstroot wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>similar/better specs vs Macbook Pro at half the price I hear people say that and I always get excited. Then I just went to Lenovo’s site and I configured one and for a small margin on error they are the same. Why do people say this when it doesn’t seem true? Is there a “50% Off all Thinkpads” website I don’t know about?

They have sales and the components are upgradable. I got a monster of a machine 2 years ago for < $1100, by buying during a 35% off sale and getting the SSD aftermarket.

Yeah, it is a bit of a rube's game to opt for top-of-the-line replaceable parts from an OEM. Hard disks, RAM, sometimes graphics cards, you can do a lot better going for the cheapest possible option and popping in better stuff yourself. Besides, if you optimize for this scenario, you filter out soldered in crap, and get a chassis that has the potential to be a ship of Theseus down the line.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#79

Post by vtail »

plainOldText wrote: post #77
vtail wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> since Lenovo has been caught in the past shipping laptops with spyware Are you referring to [1]? Since I will be installing OpenBSD on this machine, I won't be affected by it. I do have to trust their BIOS, though, and unfortunately there is no easy way around it on modern hardware, unless you want to limit yourself to something supported by e.g. coreboot. > manufactured by a dishonest company, in an authoritarian…

Yep, I was referring to that. You are correct, you won't be affected, since you run a different OS. I personally just couldn't stomach that a manufacturer would engage in such sneaky practices. So, maybe you're fine for now (I envy you slightly for enjoying such a well designed piece of non-Apple hardware) but will you trust the X7, X8, etc? Especially with the escalating US-China trade war.

I do believe there is an increasing demand for privacy, so hopefully in 4-5 years, if I need to upgrade my machine, I would still have a reasonable choice.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#80

Post by closetohome »

dstroot wrote: post #56
vtail wrote: post #43

If you stop for a minute to think about it, it's a very sad state of affairs that you need to buy a closed-source app for the most secure consumer operating system, and pay constant attention to its status, in hope to avoid (or detect) spying. I'm personally re-thinking my approach to security and anonymity online, esp. in light of recent news re: Facebook (Cambridge Analytica, account breach), Google (Chrome 69, inc…

>similar/better specs vs Macbook Pro at half the price I hear people say that and I always get excited. Then I just went to Lenovo’s site and I configured one and for a small margin on error they are the same. Why do people say this when it doesn’t seem true? Is there a “50% Off all Thinkpads” website I don’t know about?

Because they didn't actually look at MacBooks, they're just guessing the price and specs.

Also for some reason people who say this never mention that they're happy with a 1080p screen.

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