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Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

news.xbox.com

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Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#221

Post by Permit »

jonmb wrote: post #82
Permit wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Xbox 360 released at about $500-$550 as did the PS3. The price was likely not the reason your friends were considering abandoning Xbox. It was the poorly communicated DRM restrictions and Microsoft's initial reluctance to do anything about it. I would have been one of the people quick to abandon the platform, but now I'm considering purchasing the Xbox One. I'm sure some of your friends might be reconsidering as…

The most expensive Xbox 360 at launch was $399. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360#Retail_configurations

Perhaps it was different in the US. But that's the price I paid for my Xbox 360 in Canada.

Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#222

Post by bashinator »

hobs wrote: post #187
bashinator wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would really like more details about this software.

http://beyerdynamicheadphones.danielcadams.com/how-to-use-ea... Not any speaker, but you can use some headphones as microphones very easily.

Oh, OK - I knew about that trick. I thought you were referring to the internal speakers on a laptop being usable as a covert audio recorder.

Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#223

Post by kabdib »

nknighthb wrote: post #215
kabdib wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, what does a switch do? How does a physical switch work? Phones -- the old ones -- have big honking mechanical switches, but you can still listen through the things, with a little engineering. A switch that just twiddles a bit on an input line can be ignored by software. A switch that controls power might be interesting. But then there's a cable from the camera to the console itself, which could carry some power…

The "switch" in a telephone was never designed as a privacy mechanism, and the device itself necessarily requires a live connection to the telephone network at all times. By contrast, there is no compelling reason the Kinect component(s) must be connected to the xbox when not in use. I obviously don't know what sort of bus is being used internally, but if it were, for example, USB, then the mechanical switch could ea…

My point is that putting trust in a switch is a surprisingly deep subject. For instance, it's hard (and expensive) to mechanically switch high speed USB while retaining the proper electrical characteristics needed by the transmission lines.

Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#224

Post by nknighthb »

kabdib wrote: post #223
nknighthb wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "switch" in a telephone was never designed as a privacy mechanism, and the device itself necessarily requires a live connection to the telephone network at all times. By contrast, there is no compelling reason the Kinect component(s) must be connected to the xbox when not in use. I obviously don't know what sort of bus is being used internally, but if it were, for example, USB, then the mechanical switch could ea…

My point is that putting trust in a switch is a surprisingly deep subject. For instance, it's hard (and expensive) to mechanically switch high speed USB while retaining the proper electrical characteristics needed by the transmission lines.

That seems an extremely odd statement to make, but let's assume it's true: Then just make it an easily-accessible cable. Or leave it as an optional accessory, which is what everyone would have preferred in the first place.

Don't get stuck in the mode of thinking you must design the solution to fit arbitrary requirements already decided upon. Those requirements aren't merely the source of the problem, they are the problem, and they're causing Microsoft to deliberately put its customers at risk.

Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#225

Post by katbyte »

LaurelCrowned wrote: post #172
katbyte wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My computer doesn't have a webcam or mic plugged in all the time pointed at my living room.

Your computer or phone doesn't need a conventional microphone to record sound. They could very easily be hidden in software, or by anything that can detect vibration. Not that I'm worried about a console doing this anyway.

I'm pretty sure a computer with no mic is unable to record sound...

Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#226

Post by katbyte »

scott_s wrote: post #116
katbyte wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My computer doesn't have a webcam or mic plugged in all the time pointed at my living room.

My computer has a webcam and microphone pointed at me whenever I'm using it. Same for many, many people.

But you have the option of unplugging the mic and camera, apparently that is not the case with the xbox.

Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#227

Post by katbyte »

scott_s wrote: post #160
rjd wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And unsurprisingly there are many accounts of this being abused already, heres a few high profile examples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbins_v._Lower_Merion_School_... , http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/rat-breeders-meet...

Indeed. But it happens rarely enough that its usefulness to video chat with friends outweighs the risks for me and many other people. Most people are already okay with a camera on a device that is constantly pointing at them.

I dare say most people are blissfully unaware of how often and how easy it is for someone to use their webcam to spy on them.

Either way thats not the point, I don't have a webcam or mic plugged in, except when i am using it for video chat or gaming, and afterwards i unplug them. The xbox's cannot be removed like my PCs.

Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#228

Post by katbyte »

Groxx wrote: post #107
katbyte wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My computer doesn't have a webcam or mic plugged in all the time pointed at my living room.

would you recognize one if it were on the motherboard? it's not like microphones are big.

no, but i've never heard of a motherboard having an internal mic. Is that a thing now?

Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#229

Post by scott_s »

katbyte wrote: post #226
scott_s wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My computer has a webcam and microphone pointed at me whenever I'm using it. Same for many, many people.

But you have the option of unplugging the mic and camera, apparently that is not the case with the xbox.

I do not have that option with my Macbook, nor do I think people have such an option with most laptops that have an integrated camera and mic. I could physically cover the lens and mic, but you can do that with a Kinect, too.

Re: Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One

#230

Post by ericd »

Narishma wrote: post #220
ericd wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Put a hat on it? Why are we debating this?

Because there's no valid reason for it to be required to always be connected.

I meant about taping over the lens. There are fairly obvious solutions, like putting something opaque and non-sticky over it, like a hat.
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