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Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

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Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#371

Post by saagarjha »

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…

While not a solution to your problem, you can answer the call on your Mac and hand it off to your phone.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#372

Post by dividedbyzero »

reductum wrote: post #299
dividedbyzero wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish there were good quality webcams without microphones. My external microphone has a mute switch but my Streamcam mic is still available to any corporate spyware.

I wish the same. In the meantime, I like using these physical USB switches to easily disconnect my webcam when not in use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X82661H

There don't seem to be any USB3 capable ones sadly. The webcam I use supports USB2 too, but image quality takes a noticeable dip.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#373

Post by sgtnoodle »

makeitdouble wrote: post #329
georgelyon wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've long desired form my AirPods to operate in a "play any sound from any of my devices" mode. This seems like a no-brainer and such phantom connections would as a result have no user-visible impact and you could do things like listen to music coming from your phone while hearing sounds from your MacBook.

What you’re requesting seem pretty complex, or at least resource intensive to me. It means the airPods keep X active connections with any device that says it could emit sound at any time, while also harmonizing sound levels as the devices don’t have the same settings, and mixing it all at the end. That feels like a lot to ask for tiny devices with limited battery. Now that could be a nice idea for a separate device t…

Connect the devices all together with wifi direct to share and mix audio. Then have whichever device is connected to the earbuds send the mixed stream. The extra bandwidth of 802.11 would also allow for additional latency on the order of milliseconds.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#375

Post by badpun »

cj wrote: post #96
dvirsky wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has to be the most annoying thing in MacOS. My laptop, soundly sleeping in my backpack, takes over my bluetooth headphones all the time.

Similarly, whenever I'm working at my kitchen table I always "lose" my mouse as if there's another monitor connected. I realized a couple weeks later MacOS display continuity (or "sidecar"?) was connecting to my Mac Mini located directly upstairs using it as a 2nd monitor while I'm downstairs. My apple watch also regularly unlocks my Mac Mini when I'm downstairs (Mac Mini in a bedroom upstairs). All of these features…

To me, that's just a failure on Bluetooth spec part, period. All reasonable bluetooth devices should come with a selector which allows you to choose which device to connect to [1]. Instead, there's this crapshoot, where, if there are multiple bluetooth devices near you, you'll get paired with a random one, and will have to disable bluetooth on it to roll the dice again.

[1] For cheapest devices, a physical button that goes to the next available device would still make a world of difference.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#376

Post by eru »

kingkawn wrote: post #219
unxdfa wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've disabled unlock with Apple Watch and bought a touch ID magic keyboard. This is a far better solution! It was neat for a couple of days until I was walking out of the room and my mac unlocked itself.

FYI the feds can legally compel you to use biometric scanning to open your device, but cannot compel you to give up passcodes. Last I heard

[dead]

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#377

Post by lynx23 »

highwaylights wrote: post #266
cj wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Problem is I like Apple Watch unlocking. But not randomly when I’m downstairs cooking dinner!

I don’t really trust it. The sports bands (which I find most comfortable) are especially vulnerable to being “scooped” off the wrist with two fingers in a single motion without interrupting the presence detection.

Somehow I doubt this is true.

My Apple Watch 7 regularily "forgets" that I am still wearing it. I have to enter my code roughly 2 times a day.

So to me, it feels like presence detection actually fires way to often in situations where the watch is still on the wrist.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#378

Post by Someone »

mikepurvis wrote: post #291
highwaylights wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Would you like to enter the password before or after I check in the back to see if we have any latex gloves left, sir?”

Doesn't look like Filevault has a duress option— otherwise it'd be pretty nice to have a separate password that boots you to a dummy partition showing a fresh desktop install with apparently nothing on it. For bonus points, you could have the dummy OS kernel-patched so that it doesn't even show the other partitions as existing, and just pretends it's occupying the whole disk with mostly empty space. "That computer? O…

> "That computer? Oh yeah, I just picked it up, officer; was going to start configuring it when when I arrive at my destination."

That can get you into trouble with customs when the device looks new.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#379

Post by taneq »

makeitdouble wrote: post #334
taneq wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Such an obvious feature… you would think! Apparently it’s not that easy, though, because nobody seems able to do it.

The more I think about it, the more complex it sounds to me .... Let's say you're listening to a Youtube MV on your computer while cleaning the dishes. A Skype call comes on your phone, and you take it. - Do you still hear the youtube sound in the background ? - What does the play/pause button do on your earbuds ? Or the volume button ? Which source does it act on ? - An alarm starts on your iPad somewhere in the hou…

Oh, definitely! Even on a single device, some of these are issues. Does ‘play’ play winamp, or that YouTube tab, or VLC? Hopefully not all three! Now consider what volume each of these needs to be, especially if one is an online meeting and one’s a noisy voice call.

There’s a reason it’s a shambles.

Re: Hardware microphone disconnect (2021)

#380

Post by raxxorraxor »

kube-system wrote: post #17
fsflover wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The correct solution would be to have a hardware kill switch for the microphone (and camera). This is exactly what Purism laptops offer.

When it comes to privacy, for the vast majority of users, sane defaults are better than requiring the user to take manual action.

It is still the correct solution. A sensible default doesn't conflict here, but hardware switched are the only solution where you can be entirely sure.
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