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[0]https://www.reddit.com/r/eero/comments/nnvs20/amazon_sidewal...
The Security Now podcast has a great episode [1] about why this isn't as scary as the headlines make it out to be. I'm actually quite disappointed at the sheer amount of fearmongering surrounding this technology here on HN of all places. For some reason I expected HN to be better than the general tech press when it came to these things. [1] https://twit.tv/shows/security-now/episodes/796
I pay for all of this stuff. Amazon wants to resell it without asking me. NO.
This feels like an "you're either with us or you're against us, Amazon B A D"-article.
The central thesis is misleading and wrong because it's NOT "unlimited, direct sharing of your WiFi to whatever Amazon users happen to fall and scrape their knees outside your home because they can't skateboard," it's "likely low-rate connectivity for other Amazon users' devices over Bluetooth or (maybe) Zigbee gated through Echo devices acting as bridges that happen to use WiFi as a backhaul."
Tile does the same thing already with their mobile app over Bluetooth - everyone with the app and BT on participates as a missing tag locator; Amazon is adding Tile into the mix (900 MHz BLE for Tile Pro) for another way to find tags.
Is Amazon going to suddenly allow or support BitTorrent-to-eSATA light dimmers (or some sort of WiFi backdoor)? IDTS. Where's the problem (other than opt-in vs. opt-out)?
PS: I worked in a radio group of a GPS manufacturer at the time when radio modules were in their kindergarten years. 900 MHz of BLE is always going to work better than 2.4 GHz for low rate data because of physics. 900 MHz is awesome.
I'm curious - is it an altruistic act to leave this functionality enabled? I'm all for making wifi access easier for people.
It’s so “smart” TV’s etc can send data home even if you don’t connect them to the internet. Longer term expect random devices you own to inject even more advertising into your daily life.
Before Sidewalk, if a device manufacturer wanted to be able to get sensor/environmental/etc data back to the mothership, it had to either pair to a phone with bluetooth, use wifi (needs creds), or include a 2g modem with a SIM (pretty expensive). A customer who doesn't see a need for that device to have that connection just won't pair / give wifi creds, and the 2g modems/SIMs are expensive enough to keep them out of most devices.
In a world where Sidewalk is a viable option, a lot more devices will be sending whatever information they like that they can sample about you out of your house. Sure, it makes sense to carefully read the privacy policy when you're buying a echo dot or ring whatever, but are you going to be so careful when you're buying a toaster?
This episode of black mirror sucks.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s so “smart” TV’s etc can send data home even if you don’t connect them to the internet. Longer term expect random devices you own to inject even more advertising into your daily life.
Amazon is going to sell access to Sidewalk to e.g. TV manufacturers (and anybody else), making money off of your internet connection. Before Sidewalk, if a device manufacturer wanted to be able to get sensor/environmental/etc data back to the mothership, it had to either pair to a phone with bluetooth, use wifi (needs creds), or include a 2g modem with a SIM (pretty expensive). A customer who doesn't see a need for t…
I would at least be interested in a way of finding out what sidewalk bridges are accessible from my location. Anybody know of a way? Is it just wifi?
Article doesn't mention it, but this is how you opt-out (there are others but this one has screenshots). https://www.tomsguide.com/reference/what-is-amazon-sidewalk Added to my list for the next time I'm on the phone with my parents, for our (weekly at this point) how-to sessions on "stopping the industry I work in from spying on you". I really, really wish product managers would understand the kind of ecosystem they…
I wrote my guess elsewhere in this thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27358758
tl;dr Amazon will resell access to Sidewalk to device manufacturers, allowing them to cost-effectively bridge the "telemetry gap".
Article doesn't mention it, but this is how you opt-out (there are others but this one has screenshots). https://www.tomsguide.com/reference/what-is-amazon-sidewalk Added to my list for the next time I'm on the phone with my parents, for our (weekly at this point) how-to sessions on "stopping the industry I work in from spying on you". I really, really wish product managers would understand the kind of ecosystem they…
For what it's worth, the only way to Opt-Out from Apple's broad network like this is to disable all "Find My" network tracking, so you'll never be able to remote control your own phone using its standard radios if you wish to disable the tag network stuff.
I'd rather go without internet than have one of these damned smart devices in my house. I can't believe how popular they are.
I'd rather go without internet than have one of these damned smart devices in my house. I can't believe how popular they are.
However, I find the convenience of these devices to be extremely high: they play music, they give us convenient timers, they function as a whole house intercom, they tell us the weather and answer (often poorly) some random questions without going to get our phones out.