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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

#81

Post by closetohome »

twunde wrote: post #60
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 2015 macbooks and earlier were great. The switch to USB-C/removal of thunderbolt AND hdmi has made using the newer macs a real pain. The older macs had much better keyboards (and better placement of the touchpad). The only nice thing about the touchbars is that they have a fingerprint reader.

Actually they replaced Thunderbolt 2 with Thunderbolt 3, and it's better.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#82

Post by closetohome »

vtail wrote: post #66
xoa wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. Emphasis added, because of course you don't need to, and most people don't. Apple themselves have been working at it and Mojave contains a bunch of new restrictions and bring…

> Emphasis added, because of course you don't need to, and most people don't. Apple themselves have been working at it and Mojave contains a bunch of new restrictions and brings more visibility to what software wants what. That's a good point. It is interesting, still, that someone took time to build an app like that - maybe its perception vs. reality, but I have seen a lot of coverage on how various spyware can use…

> It is interesting, still, that someone took time to build an app like that

Countless people still insist that Facebook is literally recording their conversations. I'm not sure it's possible to overestimate people's paranoia, or how stupid it makes them act.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#83

Post by michaelcampbell »

closetohome wrote: post #80
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?

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.

I just "refreshed" my work MBP to a Lenovo and Linux.

I'm happy with a 1080p screen.

I don't need a trackpad that's half the size of the laptop. I don't need keys that only mostly work. I don't need a strip of whizbang capable of playing Doom.

I need function keys, that work, and give me tactile feedback.

People like different things.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#84

Post by closetohome »

michaelcampbell wrote: post #83
closetohome wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I just "refreshed" my work MBP to a Lenovo and Linux. I'm happy with a 1080p screen. I don't need a trackpad that's half the size of the laptop. I don't need keys that only mostly work. I don't need a strip of whizbang capable of playing Doom. I need function keys, that work, and give me tactile feedback. People like different things.

If playing Doom at 1085x30 is wrong, then dammit I don't want to be right.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#85

Post by godot »

thebeefytaco wrote: post #74
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.

I switched to Firefox on Android recently and found that a lot of web sites with a login form, for some reasons, prompts for microphone on Firefox. This applies for major banks web sites like Wells Fargo as well. I suspect there's a common JS library being used by many sites for login forms that ask for microphone access early.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#86

Post by vtail »

closetohome wrote: post #80
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?

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.

FWIW, I will be getting a highDPI (25x16) screen for my Thinkpad, and I think it's a worthy upgrade at ~$100. But Lenovo does give you a choice in case you would rather use 1080p.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#87

Post by denebo »

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…

How does the trackpad feel? The only thing I haven't found anyone else do better than Apple is the Mac's trackpads. They're absolutely smooth and a pleasure to work with.

I installed Unbuntu on a Lenovo and the trackpad felt horrible in comparison, even after tinkering endlessly with the settings.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#88

Post by jessedhillon »

denebo wrote: post #87
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…

How does the trackpad feel? The only thing I haven't found anyone else do better than Apple is the Mac's trackpads. They're absolutely smooth and a pleasure to work with. I installed Unbuntu on a Lenovo and the trackpad felt horrible in comparison, even after tinkering endlessly with the settings.

Half the allure of a Thinkpad is the trackpoint though.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#89

Post by twunde »

closetohome wrote: post #81
twunde wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 2015 macbooks and earlier were great. The switch to USB-C/removal of thunderbolt AND hdmi has made using the newer macs a real pain. The older macs had much better keyboards (and better placement of the touchpad). The only nice thing about the touchbars is that they have a fingerprint reader.

Actually they replaced Thunderbolt 2 with Thunderbolt 3, and it's better.

Do you actually have any equipment that comes with Thunderbolt3/USB-C cables? My office currently buys new hires at least one dongle plus an hdmi cord because our monitors don't come with a USB-C cable (if yours do, please let me know what you're purchasing). Wireless mice and keyboards that use the USBs need dongles. If you go into a random conference room (at work, at clients etc), many places will have hdmi cords which you used to just be able to plug in. Instead of having a laptop that "just works" it's now a pain to ensure that new hires have all the equipment they need.

Re: Micro Snitch – Know when someone spies on you

#90

Post by jsharf »

jessedhillon wrote: post #88
denebo wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does the trackpad feel? The only thing I haven't found anyone else do better than Apple is the Mac's trackpads. They're absolutely smooth and a pleasure to work with. I installed Unbuntu on a Lenovo and the trackpad felt horrible in comparison, even after tinkering endlessly with the settings.

Half the allure of a Thinkpad is the trackpoint though.

I don't understand trackpoint. I've tried flat & adaptive pressure profiles and a mix of different sensitivities.

I always overshoot what I'm trying to click on a tiny bit. With a macbook touchpad, that just doesn't happen at all.

Also, it feels like the force and dexterity to use a trackpoint puts a bit too much pressure on my finger.

I've tried using a trackpoint for a while. I desperately regret switching my corp laptop from a macbook to thinkpad several months ago. Linux is nice, but now I have to deal with this really shitty trackpad for over another year until my refresh.

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