Why Does My Remote Control Need to Know My Location?

Post by Scoundreller » Thu, Feb 21, 2019, 8:29 PM UTC

pdkl95 wrote: post #129

derriz wrote: post #13

At least they acknowledged it, responded to the feedback and fixed it. Unfortunately I have a Sonos system which became effectively bricked unless I signed a new user agreement allowing the collection of data. There are no physical controls on Sonos so the system becomes useless without accepting. They used to sell dedicated controllers/remotes years ago but these were also bricked as part of an upgrade about a year…

> by having it run on a disconnected network This is only a temporary solution to the problem of devices phoning home against your wishes (or knowledge). The "system-on-a-chip" CPUs used in embedded ("smart") devices with an integrated cellular (LTE/etc) modem have existed for years[1]. The hardware that can simply bypass your local network and phone home over the cellular network already exists. The people that want…

Post by criddell » Thu, Feb 21, 2019, 8:32 PM UTC

conesus wrote: post #121

criddell wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I store anonymous metrics that I use to gauge usage levels How valuable has that data proven to be? Is it worth collecting?

It tells me which features I should invest more time in getting right and handled edge cases and which features nobody but me uses and so it’s not worth the extra effort. I only have so much time!

Post by Scoundreller » Thu, Feb 21, 2019, 8:33 PM UTC

CharlesColeman wrote: post #141

pdkl95 wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> by having it run on a disconnected network This is only a temporary solution to the problem of devices phoning home against your wishes (or knowledge). The "system-on-a-chip" CPUs used in embedded ("smart") devices with an integrated cellular (LTE/etc) modem have existed for years[1]. The hardware that can simply bypass your local network and phone home over the cellular network already exists. The people that want…

> The hardware that can simply bypass your local network and phone home over the cellular network already exists. Wouldn't such a thing require an antenna that you could remove or disable to function? Speaking of... is there a more effective way to disable a cellular modem than removing its antenna? Like some kind of component that you could replace the antenna with that would mitigate any residual antenna-function o…

Post by forrestthewoods » Thu, Feb 21, 2019, 8:37 PM UTC

kllrnohj wrote: post #126

forrestthewoods wrote: post #83

> Google, in its wisdom, has tied "Location" into things like BLE Scanning and WiFi scanning. The excuse is that you can use these things as a proxy for location. That is, if I know you are near access point X your location is probably near Y. There’s a reason Apple Maps says “enable WiFi to improve location accuracy”. I’m incredibly annoyed that phones don’t report themselves with randomized Mac addresses. WiFi trac…

> I’m incredibly annoyed that phones don’t report themselves with randomized Mac addresses. WiFi tracking is pervasive. You've got it backwards. The phone isn't being tracked, the phone is the one doing the tracking. The phone is looking at all the wifi APs it can see and then looking those up in a database. Nobody sees the phone's MAC address. It isn't broadcasting anything at all.

Post by Angostura » Thu, Feb 21, 2019, 8:44 PM UTC

derriz wrote: post #13

At least they acknowledged it, responded to the feedback and fixed it. Unfortunately I have a Sonos system which became effectively bricked unless I signed a new user agreement allowing the collection of data. There are no physical controls on Sonos so the system becomes useless without accepting. They used to sell dedicated controllers/remotes years ago but these were also bricked as part of an upgrade about a year…