Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Revisiting webcam covers

rubenerd.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 58 posts

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#41

Post by taylorfinley »

booleandilemma wrote: post #22
Daneel_ wrote: post #5

There's something to be said for the more recent thinkpads that have physical sliders built into the laptop.

I love the slider, but why did they have to put a painted red dot on it? It makes it look as if the camera is on and recording me. It’s unnecessarily jarring.

When I saw the red dot on my wife's Lenovo laptop I immediately thought 'that looks like an IR pass filter.' if a company wanted to have a bypassable privacy slider they could have an IR cut filter behind the lens and an IR pass filter up front. When the bypass needed to be activated the IR cut filter could be moved out of the way (this happens automatically on night vision security cameras, so it's not farfetched).

I don't think they would actually use the bypassable filter in everyone's camera, maybe just political dissidents, but having the red dot be the standard would make it less noticable when a bypassable filter is deployed.

We just slide it half way, then there's no irritating red dot and the camera is still covered.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#42

Post by jspash »

booleandilemma wrote: post #22
Daneel_ wrote: post #5

There's something to be said for the more recent thinkpads that have physical sliders built into the laptop.

I love the slider, but why did they have to put a painted red dot on it? It makes it look as if the camera is on and recording me. It’s unnecessarily jarring.

I had to google what you were talking about and I agree, that is terrible design! It infers the total opposite of what its purpose is.

A little Ghostbusters symbol - even in red - would work much better.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#44

Post by gumby »

Nitrolo wrote: post #23
gumby wrote: post #11

I use my phone as my webcam. So to stream video I have to put it onto the clip on my monitor and plug in a cable. That doesn’t happen by accident. I recognize that this is more awkward than most people want. But the built in cameras (and third party too) are so terrible that it’s worth it to me.

What apps or programs do you use to make your phone work as a webcam? I've tried that last year but none of the solutions in the play store seemed to work for me.

I use camo which works really well but I am mac/ios so don’t know if they support other platforms.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#45

Post by remram »

kevincox wrote: post #33
remram wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use a webcam cover, but I'm not worried about people hacking into my laptop. What I'm defending against is one of the many apps I have to use for conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet, Bluejeans, Teams) starting up with the camera on when I'm not expecting it (and e.g. not wearing a shirt, my wife getting ready in the background, etc) for example because it was on last time I used that particular app.

For browser-based conferencing you can simply require them to ask for camera access every time. But that won't help you for tools with their own apps. One of the many reasons I try to avoid running the apps of "random" companies.

Revoking permission in my browser's control after each use might be an option. I wonder if I could make a script to change the browser settings (or an extension?)

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#46

Post by runjake »

jbay808 wrote: post #40
runjake wrote: post #4

I use a small tab of yellow sticky note. I use it not due to attacks but rather for the many dumb teleconferencing apps I have to use at work. Some automatically send video, some don’t. I try to configure them not to start video by default but for whatever reason, one of them always does.

3M also makes black sticky notes (intended for use with gel pens). Cut a piece off the sticky area and it blends in perfectly with ThinkPad matte black bezels. I also recommend putting another small piece on the backside (to make a "band-aid" shape) just to ensure that no adhesive gets left on your webcam lens cover.

Yeah I purposely use yellow because my eyes are old and it’s much easier to tell whether it’s in place or not.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#47

Post by Daneel_ »

remram wrote: post #45
kevincox wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For browser-based conferencing you can simply require them to ask for camera access every time. But that won't help you for tools with their own apps. One of the many reasons I try to avoid running the apps of "random" companies.

Revoking permission in my browser's control after each use might be an option. I wonder if I could make a script to change the browser settings (or an extension?)

I installed a virtual camera driver (eg, Canon's EOS camera driver) and set that camera as the default. If any program starts up the camera unexpectedly, they get a giant "NO EOS DEVICE CONNECTED" instead of me partially clothed with my no-coffee-yet face on.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#48

Post by NoImmatureAdHom »

mncharity wrote: post #21

Random story just for fun. Years back I was at a tech meetup, and left my laptop sitting on a lunchroom table, and wandered off to chat. Now my laptop then looked a bit odd, with three extra cameras, on folding sticks gaff taped to the lid. Two fisheyes perched on the corners, and a keyboard cam hanging out on a wooden-ruler arm.[1] For head, eye, hand and stylus tracking - the ThinkPad's quadro would run hot just dr…

I think we should all be pushing for norms that any camera must be covered with an easily visible (i.e., yellow) cover if not in use at that actual moment. Like zipping up the fly in your pants.

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#49

Post by NoImmatureAdHom »

schwartzworld wrote: post #17

Added benefit of webcam covers: if your office has mandatory cameras on, you can always turn on the video feed with the camera covered and just pretend you don't know why it isn't working.

This is a dystopian future I hadn't imagined, but in retrospect it seems like something you should've bet on. Is this really a thing, "mandatory cameras on"?

Re: Revisiting webcam covers

#50

Post by NoImmatureAdHom »

zitterbewegung wrote: post #34

Note for people who want to put a third party slidable webcam covers: make sure that the tolerances of your Laptop or other device will allow you to put the webcam cover without damaging your screen or other components. Instead as directed above use a Post it note. Another strategy would be to compartmentalize your activities using separate computers but this is a much higher cost (get a separate laptop for home use)…

Or just add some slightly thicker stick-on rubber bumpers to the top edge...then you don't need to worry about how thick the camera cover is.
Post reply on HN