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Amazon Sidewalk

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Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#121

Post by daniellarusso »

rolandr wrote: post #96
rubatuga wrote: post #11

Please don’t support Amazon from creating another network-effect product that creates vendor lock-in, and privacy issues. Convenience should not be the end-all goal, as the ad blatantly states, but instead interoperability and open-protocols.

I generally agree, but on the other hand, from a consumer perspective IoT devices have and continue to be particularly inconvenient. After 15 or so years of IoT devices, what do we have that resembles interoperability or open protocols? Maybe Zigbee? Instead, it seems that each IoT device is a one-off effort by a very small team, and that networking is the part where you cross your fingers, close your eyes, and hold…

I thought you were describing Bluetooth for a moment.

Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#122

Post by hsbauauvhabzb »

visarga wrote: post #45
dan1234 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My main concern with sharing like this isn't the bandwidth usage, but what happens when someone abuses the connection (downloading/sharing child porn as an example). I don't want anything to do with it if there's even the slightest chance I'd end up on the hook for someone else's crimes.

Or run a spam bot from your IP and get you in trouble with Google.

Or get your ip blackholed on AWS

Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#124

Post by WarOnPrivacy »

Haemm0r wrote: post #107
walrus01 wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Coming soon, YouTube video guides on how to locate the rf ICs on the motherboard of your smart tv, and take a Dremel cutting disk to the section of the PCB that has the copper traces for the antenna.

Don't forget to cut the HDMI Cable too :)

Dystopic cable cutting is weird

Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#125

Post by adreamingsoul »

satori99 wrote: post #115
adreamingsoul wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well there is a cost and the challenge of having to deal with all the various carriers across the world. Wifi is mostly universal.

If Amazon Kindles can do it, it's probably not too hard for the likes of LG, Samsung, or Sony either.

Good point.

Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#126

Post by me_me_me »

choeger wrote: post #60
squarefoot wrote: post #50

So, if I buy a so called Smart-TV (not because I like it but because traditional ones are getting harder to find) but don't set up it on my home network so it can't phone home, it could scan around anyway and find other open devices more than willing to participate in my personal data exfiltration? If the Amazon project succeeds, I would expect in a few months most home devices manufacturers, to partner to implement…

This. That move is just one step further in removing control. They now have sealed devices that can have who knows what functions but are confined to the network. Next step is to have a concealed upstream. After that they will somehow get a legal mandate to force such devices on you (like the EU did with cars). Maybe they will use smoke detectors or "emergency" services. In the end, this is exactly like in 1984.

Time to invest in companies producing faraday's cages for houses.

Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#127

Post by mikro2nd »

amelius wrote: post #89
squarefoot wrote: post #50

So, if I buy a so called Smart-TV (not because I like it but because traditional ones are getting harder to find) but don't set up it on my home network so it can't phone home, it could scan around anyway and find other open devices more than willing to participate in my personal data exfiltration? If the Amazon project succeeds, I would expect in a few months most home devices manufacturers, to partner to implement…

Use tinfoil wallpaper.

No need... the builder used tinfoil-based insulation when they built my house.

Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#128

Post by xyst »

This looks like a disaster, and looks like a hackers wet dream. Wouldn't be too hard to hack an Echo or another device and essentially create your own portable access point and piggyback off of another persons connection.

Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#129

Post by daniellarusso »

jelling wrote: post #44
dangerface wrote: post #19

I love how insidious Amazon are with their products, get the hardware into their homes then just change what it does to what you want. What you didn't read the EULA in the last update?

The latest Firestick software update is a great example of this. The new UI/UX aggressively de-prioritizes apps from content producers in favor of a "feed" that lets them push their own content and intermediate content producers from their customers. They even go as far as to deliberately hide your saved items/watch next items three levels deep in a menu.

Even worse, I bought a 4k Firestick about a month ago to replace an aging first-gen Firestick.

I had other things come up and did not unbox it yet.

After the first week, I have begun to receive emails from Amazon urging me to setup the Firestick, at least once per week.

This is the opposite of motivating, Amazon.

Re: Amazon Sidewalk

#130

Post by gambiting »

adreamingsoul wrote: post #106
satori99 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is nothing stopping TV manufacturers from putting a 3/4G modem in their products. The billing is likely insignificant compared to the value of the data they can exfiltrate.

Well there is a cost and the challenge of having to deal with all the various carriers across the world. Wifi is mostly universal.

I mean, sure, but my TomTom 5000 which I bought like 8 years ago for £200 has a sim card that works worldwide, I've used it all over Europe, briefly in North America and in Martinique, it just has seamless GSM connection wherever you go. If a small satnav manufacter can produce such a device for £200 and clearly afford to pay the subscription fees for nearly a decade(I don't pay anything for having this) then I think it's literally a matter of time until we start seeing this in TVs.
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