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Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

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Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#831

Post by praseodym »

aloer wrote: post #825
johne20 wrote: post #606

This happened to me. Twice. I bought a 16" mbp when it was released because the keyboard of the previous mbp gave me carpal tunnel. I immediately added a camera cover like I always had done on macs. My screen stopped working a few days later, but mbp still worked on my external monitor. I took it in and they replaced the display for free via applecare. Once I got my mbp back, I added the camera cover again (stupidly)…

What kind of cover was this? My company provides a ~1.2mm thick plastic cover with a little slider inside. I didn't even trust it enough to be used on a thinkpad, much less a macbook What I do now is either ripping off a small piece of the sticky top of sticky notes (keep the remainder for later reuse) or a piece of washi tape.

Post-it Page Markers or Flags work great as well and are already the correct size for most laptops.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#832

Post by fastball »

kebman wrote: post #800

Yet another reason to buy something better than a MacBook. :) Don't get me wrong, I used to love Macs. But they really started screwing their own prosumers, ohhh, back in 2011 when they made Final Cut Pro X into a "for dummies" application, rather than the professional tool it used to be (this is a discussion all on its own btw, and while it's not clear cut, the change wasn't welcome at the time). From then on things…

What notebook is better than the new 16" MBP?

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#833

Post by teruakohatu »

system2 wrote: post #740
freakynit wrote: post #734

I'd rather take the risk of damaging my display. Thank You.

Why not electric tape?

Not the OP but electrical tape is a lot thicker than 0.1mm. Any branded electrical tape ranges from 0.15mm to 0.25mm or more for speciality tapes.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#834

Post by pfranz »

notRobot wrote: post #813
pfranz wrote: post #720

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure I follow. If the LED burns out you're implying the camera would no longer work? I imagine they'd replace the whole camera module. I saw one for an older model on ifixit for $30. I'd probably try and snag one scrap. I'm not sure how often it comes up.

They mean how do we get warned that the camera is active if the LED burns out?

I have no idea, but I would imagine if the LED is burned out the camera would not work.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#835

Post by Reason077 »

Natsu wrote: post #750
Wowfunhappy wrote: post #715

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> First, you have to trust Apple that the indicator _really_ can't be disabled. You also have to trust that there isn't a vulnerability Apple is not aware about that could allow rolling the camera without the light coming on. I have made this point several times throughout this thread, so I apologize for repeating myself: Every laptop Apple has manufactured in the last ten years has an LED connected to the same circu…

The problem is that the average user has no way to verify this and also the light doesn't prevent the camera from turning on, it merely notifies you that the camera is on. A manual, physical barrier, especially an aftermarket one, solves those issues. Personally, I use electrical tape.

> ”the light doesn't prevent the camera from turning on, it merely notifies you that the camera is on.”

No, but the OS prevents the camera from turning on without permission from the user.

(There have been bugs/compromises to this in the past, but at the browser level - you still had to give camera permission to the browser)

Besides, if you’ve got some compromised or surreptitious software on your MacBook trying to secretly take photos, you probably have much bigger security problems to worry about than just what it can see through the camera.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#836

Post by Kaibeezy »

dwd wrote: post #664
bloody-crow wrote: post #648

This statement has a number of issues. First, you have to trust Apple that the indicator _really_ can't be disabled. You also have to trust that there isn't a vulnerability Apple is not aware about that could allow rolling the camera without the light coming on. This has happened in the past [0] and there are known Apple products that are vulnerable, yet the statement never mentions this making you believe it's impos…

I had to switch on my camera for a video call for the first time yesterday. (I can usually get around it and do audio only) Removed the piece of electrical tape I had over the camera to find the image was completely blurry from the glue. Good to know if it ever falls off and I don't have tape to replace immediately.

I use gaffer's tape. Sufficiently (for my standards) unlikely to fall off, and the better quality stuff is designed not to leave residue.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#837

Post by peroporque »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #715
bloody-crow wrote: post #648

This statement has a number of issues. First, you have to trust Apple that the indicator _really_ can't be disabled. You also have to trust that there isn't a vulnerability Apple is not aware about that could allow rolling the camera without the light coming on. This has happened in the past [0] and there are known Apple products that are vulnerable, yet the statement never mentions this making you believe it's impos…

> First, you have to trust Apple that the indicator _really_ can't be disabled. You also have to trust that there isn't a vulnerability Apple is not aware about that could allow rolling the camera without the light coming on. I have made this point several times throughout this thread, so I apologize for repeating myself: Every laptop Apple has manufactured in the last ten years has an LED connected to the same circu…

You already found one yourself: if the LED is broken, you will notice at some point when it is too late.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#838

Post by dillonmckay »

pb7 wrote: post #468
iso947 wrote: post #353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I leave my laptop in my hotel room while I go out for dinner, so point 3 is valid.

You expect someone to take apart the fused display assembly and modify the intricate power pins to both the LED and camera while you’re having dinner? I hope you’re a billionaire with secrets because otherwise this is pure paranoia.

You could more easily swap out the entire screen assembly with a ‘compromised’ version.

Or as other poster mentioned, just swap whole units.

Re: Don't close your MacBook with a cover over the camera

#839

Post by Wingman4l7 »

pfranz wrote: post #802
Wingman4l7 wrote: post #775

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It hasn't had a chance to impact the secondhand market yet. The laptops with the T2 chip are relatively new, and aren't getting decommissioned & recycled in significant numbers. It will be a tremendous waste when they are. Those laptops will still be valuable for some parts, but considering now that not only the RAM is soldered to the motherboard, but the SSD too... there's not going to be much left to use. I find th…

> It hasn't had a chance to impact the secondhand market yet. I do think we're talking about different secondhand markets--or at least different large sections of it. Buying/selling working Macs aren't affected. That's the only one I've ever dealt with. I do think I was wrong above about non-working Macs--I do think there will be no resale value if they had a T2 chip. > I find the "theft" argument very hard to swallo…

The secondhand market I'm referring to is not one-to-one personal sales, but recyclers / refurbishers dealing with donated devices. It's already a huge issue with Apple products. Thousands of perfectly good working iPhones and iPads are not removed from iCloud accounts (either through a lack of consumer education -- resetting a device does NOT do this -- or it being too resource-intensive on the enterprise level) and the activation lock renders them worthless e-waste. This is what is going to happen to T2 chip Apple laptops.

Agreed, thieves aren't parting off stolen phones. I was referring primarily to unattended property theft (car break-ins, theft from public spaces, etc.) not muggings. Probably depends on what is driving the crime.

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