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Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

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Re: Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

#521
post #496
post #492

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How my devices configuration look (all their mac addresses banned on router level, they dont have access to internet): - tv, not connected to network, using raspberry pi 4 for kodi, connecting outside trough squid proxy limiting domains it can connect to. Was never connected to internet - roborock vacuum cleaner, rooted, software disabled, replaced by open source version - android deviced moved to microg lineage, arm…

The post you're replying to suggests that an independent LTE connection will be bundled into every device, so that none of the interventions you've listed will work. Good luck maintaining your bubble.

Sorry, but this is the device I will not buy. The tv I have bought was a mistake, it is my last smarttv, next one will be a monitor.

Anyway, why would companies bother to install LTE module, when 99.999% of people will just plug the device to the internet? It would be hugely inefficient. This just wont happen. I have seen chips beeing replaced by another ones due to be 50 cents expensier (and hugely more capable) and the LTE claim would go for even higher costs and logistics (signing the contract with mobile provider in small country like mine? Yeah right.) for trivial number of additional coverage? You are joking, right? My bubble stands as it is. It is your ass on the line, while I will renovate the appartment in next few years and adding tin foil within insulation layer into walls (to kill the wifi disturbancens from neibours) is already planned. 534 euros of additional cost is not that much compared to 60k that it will cost in total.

And dont forget about GDPR.

Re: Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

#522

It’s hard to believe Samsung has any customers outside of their Korean hegemony. Samsung hasn’t proven themselves as a trustworthy smart electronics vendor in the past, be it smart TV, smart watch, or smart phone: 2015 - https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-changes-smarttv-privacy-po... 2015 - https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/06/new-e... 2015 - https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-lg-smartwatches-yield-p…

As a Canadian taxpayer, my tax dollars fund Samsung.

A Canadian company, AdGear, won[1] a contract with the Government of Canada to be the official advertising technology provider in 2015. That was all fine and good, until Samsung acquired AdGear in 2016 [2].

Now Samsung is distributing official bulletins for the government, as well as running ad auctions on the national news outlet, CBC. These same ad auctions would presumably use all the data harvested from Samsung TVs and other consumer electronic equipment.

I have been unable to find more details on if/when this contract was renewed, I know the original contract was for a term of three years, with two optional one-year renewal periods.

One thing's for sure: The whole thing stinks.

[1]: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-government-of-cana...

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AdGear#History

Re: Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

#523
post #492

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How my devices configuration look (all their mac addresses banned on router level, they dont have access to internet): - tv, not connected to network, using raspberry pi 4 for kodi, connecting outside trough squid proxy limiting domains it can connect to. Was never connected to internet - roborock vacuum cleaner, rooted, software disabled, replaced by open source version - android deviced moved to microg lineage, arm…

What resources did you use to root and install open source software on your Roborock?

It is actually crazy. Their firmware update is as lame as it gets, they have an image (which you can mount on linux), encrypted with aes and password rockrobo.

Re: Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

#524
post #509

To those in this thread denouncing these dystopian times my question to you is, how do we as technologists create a meaningful and successful career changing this? I’ve been against this for a very long time and can’t see any easy way to contribute (and also provide $ for my family) short of being in government policy making or law making which would require substantial career changes and further education and then s…

Unfortunately I don’t think there is a legitimate opportunity to work on this problem, and also have a stable high paying job. At the moment I think the best thing to do is educate people. Eventually, awareness will build and the market will emerge.

Re: Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

#525

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like Zune's DRM (luckily before Zune died they let purchasers download MP3s). I wonder what funny failure scenarios we'll see in the future. On the topic of Samsung, their "smart" Fridge had issues when Google changed its API: https://support.google.com/calendar/forum/AAAAd3GaXpEWgy9gKk... , but at least that's some stupid feature and not a fridge's main feature...

Games have been becoming unplayable due to DRM servers shutting down. IoT devices are becoming bricks when they go out of support. DRM and internet dependency are the ultimate tools in capitalisms planned obsolescence toolbox. You no longer have to wait for a product to fail, you can simply remotely destroy it so the customer buys a new one.

While topics like privacy and DRM are important, framing the discussion in those terms de facto obscures/distracts from the issue of property rights. Using someone's property (to e.g. to spy on them) after they purchased it is usually some sort of crime: trespassing, theft, vandalism, etc. If "intellectual property" is "property", then destroying someone's property (with DRM or other remote control) is a crime such as vandalism. The manufacturer lost their rights at the first sale of the good to the customer.

This is why tech companies have been pushing to reframe the sales of their goods as a service. They abuse[1] copyright by claiming yu need to license the software/firmware. This is like claiming when you purchase a book it isn't your property because they only "licensed" the book's story. However, trying to extend copyright (which only grants rights related to making more copies) into property rights is a misuse of copyright[1].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_misuse

Re: Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

#527

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Root + alternate ROM

Is there much of a community for installing alternate ROMs on IoT devices?

yes, the first example I know from the top of my head is all the sonoff stuff.

They run a popular ESP8266 chip which people reflash.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=sonoff+reflash&t=canonical&ia=web

Re: Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

#528

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Root + alternate ROM

Is there much of a community for installing alternate ROMs on IoT devices?

Not sure it quite compares to the phone custom ROM community in size but there is an active community. I've reflashed cheap wifi IoT devices which otherwise wanted to phone home with Tasmota[0] which seems like a relatively active project. There are other similar efforts too. You could also consider eg home assistant, openhab or domoticz to form part of this type of community and they're very active.

0. https://github.com/arendst/Tasmota

Re: Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

#529

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This makes it much easier to go into the device and physically disable the radios on it. Wouldn't opening the device void the warranty?

Why are people so worried about preserving the warranty on their electronics? If it lasted 30 days and you don’t break it while futzing with it, it’s likely to work through the warranty period anyway. If it doesn’t, buy another one. TVs are ridiculously inexpensive now. I see people online waiting years (perhaps 5% of their life) to mod their cars or electronics for fear of losing the warranty. Side note: Magnuson-Mo…

More of an issue is that the devices will be single SoC and soldered together so removing a part risks frying the whole thing.

Re: Samsung TVs May Upload Screenshots for Automatic Content Recognition

#530
post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This makes it much easier to go into the device and physically disable the radios on it. Wouldn't opening the device void the warranty?

Nope! https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/04/11...

That's for removing a sticker. Not for removing a whole module or messing with wiring.
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