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Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

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Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#191

Post by snarf21 »

lovehashbrowns wrote: post #62

They have this feature but closing the lid on a MacBook or even putting it to sleep allows Bluetooth devices to stay connected. Heck, a MacBook even while in sleep mode will connect to Bluetooth devices. As far as I can see, this requires a third-party app to fix. Can an application still use the microphone on a Bluetooth device that’s connected?

Agreed, why can't the user override the rules for mice/keyboard vs microphone/speaker or overall? I never use my MacBook in clamshell mode. I would prefer that closing it cancels ALL Bluetooth connections and prevents reconnect as well.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#192

Post by mrexroad »

lovehashbrowns wrote: post #62

They have this feature but closing the lid on a MacBook or even putting it to sleep allows Bluetooth devices to stay connected. Heck, a MacBook even while in sleep mode will connect to Bluetooth devices. As far as I can see, this requires a third-party app to fix. Can an application still use the microphone on a Bluetooth device that’s connected?

It also allows thieves to figure out which cars have a laptop in the trunk.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#193

Post by __MatrixMan__ »

philsnow wrote: post #79
crazygringo wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The microphone is located inside the left speaker grille anyways, so it would be terribly muffled in clamshell mode anyways. Note this is in contrast to previous models where the microphone had a tiny hole on the left edge (next to USB-C ports) and it could be used in clamshell mode. Which at first I thought felt like a downgrade... but the reality is that your laptop isn't usually in a good position for mic pickup w…

> The microphone is located inside the left speaker grille anyways, so it would be terribly muffled in clamshell mode anyways I don't think the hardware disable is meant as a UX convenience ("let's always disable it in clamshell mode because it sounds terrible"), as that could have just been done in software. It's meant for people privacy-conscious people who want to see a closed laptop and be able to assume it's not…

> There's a long history of attackers reliably detecting logging keys with audio using just inter-keystroke latency and some histograms

I wrote some fiction about this. The cosmic microwave background is hiding an audio signal. It's the sound of a keyswitch. Humanity uses the radio astronomy equivalent of these techniques to discover which keystroke caused the big bang.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#194

Post by RulerOf »

mgkimsal wrote: post #173
leipert wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest question: Why don’t you answer the call from the Mac? Or do you have that continuity feature disabled?

I usually want to walk away from the computer. I sit at the computer enough already. If a call comes in, I want - sometimes need - to be able to walk away. The long/short of it is, both devices 'know' about the airpods. Call comes in to phone, during an answer, having airpods switch to the phone quickly - like, under 2 seconds - is what I'm expecting. I'm not sure that's an unreasonable expectation (maybe it is?). At…

I've often said that Airpods are the best bluetooth headphones I've ever bought, and they still suck.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#196

Post by smoldesu »

pb7 wrote: post #156
t344344 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Screen on my Zenbook has touch layer, that makes glass a bit thicker I guess. And yes I keep it in stuffed in backpack and sometimes drop it. It is a tool, not museum exponate! I had other laptops that left fingerprints. But Macbook Air had glass so thin it would randomly pop from temperature difference (well known issue)! Nobody is forcing you to carry brick around. But some people like to carry brick and Apple shou…

>sometimes drop it. It is a tool, not museum exponate Yeah, why can't it double as a hammer too? >And how do you even clean keyboard on Macbooks The same way you do it on any other laptop. >That thing falls apart with a bad look No it doesn't. >But some people like to carry brick and Apple should make a new model just for them No they shouldn't, go buy your brick from someone else.

> No they shouldn't

Allow me to present the sexiest-ever evidence to the contrary: The G3 "Wallstreet" Powerbook. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_G3

Apple has made excellent portable dev workstations in the past. After the release of the Unibody Macbook Pro though, the focus of their hardware and software focues far, far away from developers. The new 14"/16" lineup is a good return to form, but in the context of how developer-unfriendly modern MacOS is it feels pyrrhic.

If you don't relate to someone's opinion, you don't have to justify Apple's stance against it.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#197

Post by exitb »

asveikau wrote: post #98
lovehashbrowns wrote: post #62

They have this feature but closing the lid on a MacBook or even putting it to sleep allows Bluetooth devices to stay connected. Heck, a MacBook even while in sleep mode will connect to Bluetooth devices. As far as I can see, this requires a third-party app to fix. Can an application still use the microphone on a Bluetooth device that’s connected?

I think you should be able to play music while the lid is closed. That seems like a reasonable use case. Set computer up on a table, pair Bluetooth speaker, put on your favorite streaming service, close the lid and walk away, the music filling the room. Totally reasonable.

That’s a different topic really. There are tools that can prevent going to sleep when the lid is closed with no peripherals attached. When not used, most users would expect for the laptop to go to sleep, even if it’s playing something at the time.

What this is about is engaging Bluetooth devices while asleep, which doesn’t make any practical sense.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#198

Post by kylehotchkiss »

I had no idea about the iPad microphone disconnect. That's cool enough to justify getting a new case. I wish they'd address some of their other products. Optionally enable hardware microphone disconnect on phones when placing upside down with their lockdown mode. No idea how the watch microphone could be disabled.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#199

Post by pb7 »

smoldesu wrote: post #196
pb7 wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>sometimes drop it. It is a tool, not museum exponate Yeah, why can't it double as a hammer too? >And how do you even clean keyboard on Macbooks The same way you do it on any other laptop. >That thing falls apart with a bad look No it doesn't. >But some people like to carry brick and Apple should make a new model just for them No they shouldn't, go buy your brick from someone else.

> No they shouldn't Allow me to present the sexiest-ever evidence to the contrary: The G3 "Wallstreet" Powerbook. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_G3 Apple has made excellent portable dev workstations in the past. After the release of the Unibody Macbook Pro though, the focus of their hardware and software focues far, far away from developers. The new 14"/16" lineup is a good return to form, but in the context…

>developer-unfriendly

This is where you lose me. Go to any tech company with pockets deep enough to afford whatever hardware its employees want and the vast majority will have MacBook Pros running macOS.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#200

Post by kylehotchkiss »

pulse7 wrote: post #176

Please, just add a physical switch to disconnect the microphone and camera and even battery! Why the hell do we need special chips to do this? Every chip can be hacked... internet hackers can't turn on physical switches...

It doesn't sound like a special chip, it sounds like an optical relay hooked up to a Hall effect sensor. If magnetic connection is available, the optical relay will disconnect the microphone entirely. They just started doing this with T2+ models.
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