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NSA Spy Cam Blocker

store.randpaul.com

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Re: NSA Spy Cam Blocker

#51

Post by rsync »

ceejayoz wrote: post #28
finnh wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really apples-to-apples, though. The Rand Paul cover is a sliding bit of plastic, vs just an adhesive strip.

The Rand Paul cover is a campaign contribution . edit: Not sure why this is getting downvoted. The price difference is unlikely to have much to do with the physical costs involved. Political campaign stores typically have inflated prices as they're fundraising efforts.

Do not interrupt the discussion to meta-discuss the scoring. Do not question or comment about your own downvotes.

Re: NSA Spy Cam Blocker

#52

Post by anExcitedBeast »

natch wrote: post #2

Stole the idea from the EFF, which sells it for a lot less money: https://supporters.eff.org/shop/laptop-camera-cover-set

Nope, this has been around for a while. It's not an original idea, but it isn't meant to be. He didn't "steal" it anymore than he stole campaign yard signs or promotional pens.

Re: NSA Spy Cam Blocker

#53

Post by ceejayoz »

rsync wrote: post #51
ceejayoz wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Rand Paul cover is a campaign contribution . edit: Not sure why this is getting downvoted. The price difference is unlikely to have much to do with the physical costs involved. Political campaign stores typically have inflated prices as they're fundraising efforts.

Do not interrupt the discussion to meta-discuss the scoring. Do not question or comment about your own downvotes.

It's more an attempt to clarify the point (which appears to have worked).

Re: NSA Spy Cam Blocker

#54

Post by peeters »

kevinnk wrote: post #16
peeters wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm OK with a bit of fear mongering if it means that warrantless spying actually becomes an election issue. These tactics have been used to go to war and substantially reduce individual rights; at least this is a cause I can somewhat get behind.

"I'm okay with the ends justifying the means when the ends are something I like."

No. It depends on what the means are.

In this case, "the means" are raising awareness to documented fact (that the NSA spies on its own citizens). If that causes fear, then so be it. It should cause fear, because it's scary. People should care about what their government does, and fear is one emotion that leads to caring.

If history has shown anything, it's that the American electorate doesn't get invested in purely intellectual debate. They need some skin in the game.

Re: NSA Spy Cam Blocker

#55

Post by peeters »

kevinnk wrote: post #49
Karunamon wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Worst case scenario for this "fear mongering": People put sticky tape over / unplug their cameras. Or are you against all instances of causing people to be afraid of something on principle?

Fear mongering has the connotation of making people irrationally afraid for your own benefit, which, yes, I am against in all instances on principle.

If that's the definition you're working off of, so be it. I mostly agree with you. I wasn't qualifying the fear as being "irrational".

Re: NSA Spy Cam Blocker

#56

Post by tombrossman »

The website is also using Google Analytics without disclosing this in their privacy policy, which violates Google Analytics' TOS[0] and is a pet peeve of mine. Hard to take the site too seriously but I like that privacy is a campaign issue, so it isn't all bad news.

"You must post a Privacy Policy and that Privacy Policy must provide notice of Your use of cookies that are used to collect data. You must disclose the use of Google Analytics, and how it collects and processes data."

[0]http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/us.html

Re: NSA Spy Cam Blocker

#58

Post by ebbv »

Brought to you by the guy who:

- Used to claim the Civil Rights Act went too far before he started thinking maybe he wanted to be president.

- Says he will sell off a bunch of our national parks to the highest bidder.

- Invented his own bogus Ophthalmologist certificate and certified himself.

Come on HN, you're better than this.

Re: NSA Spy Cam Blocker

#59

Post by logfromblammo »

usefulcat wrote: post #39
s_q_b wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can also extrapolate a fairly decent image from the microphone, sort of like a make-shift SONAR.

From multiple microphones, perhaps, but from a single microphone? Seems unlikely.

You can produce a depth map from a single lens camera by manipulating the flash across multiple captured images. Similar results could be achieved with a single microphone if the device also has speakers capable of producing sound at certain frequencies.

Re: NSA Spy Cam Blocker

#60

Post by seandougall »

uptown wrote: post #45
dataker wrote: post #7

If anyone is exploiting my system, microphone would be my top priority. Getting image doesn't really tell as much as listening to what, how and when you talk.

Where is the microphone on a MBP?

Varies from model to model, but on my 15" Retina MBP, it's tucked in under the left speaker grille, near the Tab key. Pull up some software that shows you a live mic level (e.g. System Preferences -> Sound -> Input tab), and rub your finger gently over the grille, and you can usually tell roughly where it is by the spike in input volume.

If you're wondering about blocking it off, though, that's much harder than the camera. You'd basically have to open the laptop and unsolder the mic capsule -- or mount a little white noise generator right over the mic, but then you can't close your laptop. :-)

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