More of Google copying Apples worst features. Apple iPhones that are “off” simply become Airtags. This is functionality that works for big tech and not the end user. We need to push back on this shit.
Patronize alternative products and services. The growth of GrapheneOS, Calyx, and other alternative phone operating systems is significant and shows there is a market. Hopefully privacy respecting hardware can follow.
You know what’s funny. I was investigating the hardware datasheets for the PinePhone and looking at the RTC module and just like PC RTC chips there is an option to trigger an interrupt/power on when a certain time is met. That means that there appears to be no reason this couldn’t be a current feature on probably all modern smartphones. Just lack of software support.
That’s good to know! Maybe the open source community can work something out. Google certainly won’t bother with what’s in essence the most purely offline functionality. It’s not in their interest to have phones offline (case in point, the update mentioned here).
But how otherwise to convince people to always leave their surveillance devices phones switched on?! I had a oneplus 3t that would wake itself for alarms, shame it broke eventually.
Wasn’t some spy company just caught selling info of people whose phones pinged near family planning clinics? If I turn my phone off, I want it off, dammit. Bring back phones that let us remove the battery just to make sure.
You can do that with Fairphones. In fact you can take the whole screen off them in the dark with your bare hands. Also, they have two SIM slots which I think is a pro for privacy.
Nice phone but too expensive for most users imo. We need sub $200 phones with removable batteries.
Another thing, I got a new phone about 3 months ago but the old one still has some unmigrated info on it. So once in a while I power it on to access something. It has stayed charged because there isn’t a battery sucking Bluetooth beacon running when the phone is off. I’d hate to have to keep charging the phone when it’s just sitting in a drawer.
That feature is right on the border between real neat tech and deeply unsettling.
“Hey, my phone uses its last few electrons to turn into a bluetooth beacon to stay findable” sounds like sci-fi “reserve power emergency mode”
“I can’t turn off the locator chip in a device that holds half my life and memories” is just dystopian.
I’m wondering if there would be a way to keep it useful while minimizing impact for people who stay off the grid. A hardware switch would probably be a good start but they won’t fly with current all-touch designs.
minimizing impact for people who stay off the grid
People who stay off the grid don’t have smartphones!
As much as we enthusiasts like to try and have our cake and eat it too, the only way to really be completely private/secure/anonymous is to be completely disconnected. Threat models and compromises and all that.
It will be seen how they implement it, but since Google is creating their own version of the Find My network, it will likely be tied to activating that. If it’s anything like the way the iPhone does it, disabling Find My would turn it off, they might (should) also provide the option to turn it off when powering down your phone.
Nooooo, but it’s all for your security and convenience, see? They know better than you when to turn your device on or off, don’t you worry your pretty little head about it one bit! Plus, I bet it also protects the children and prevents terrorism too! Why would you turn your device off, are you like a terrorist pedophile or something? /s
We need to stop normalizing the idea that you can go about your day carrying some big tech tracking device on your person and maintain privacy!
If you’re protesting, you should be bringing no phone > or a dumb phone > or a completely clean install.
Regardless of which option you choose, if you’re carrying any phone to a protest you should be carrying a faraday bag. They cost like $5 people! If you can afford a phone, you can afford a faraday bag.
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Iphones already did this right? I’m not sure but I heard that they do this.
Waiting for GrapheneOS approach
Apparently they’d have to go out of their way to support it (Bluetooth has to be configured and enabled) so it will not be implemented
More of Google copying Apples worst features. Apple iPhones that are “off” simply become Airtags. This is functionality that works for big tech and not the end user. We need to push back on this shit.
How? Will you start a petition or what?
Patronize alternative products and services. The growth of GrapheneOS, Calyx, and other alternative phone operating systems is significant and shows there is a market. Hopefully privacy respecting hardware can follow.
Doesn’t say if it works when the phone powers itself down due to almost no battery juice remaining.
Would be nice if it used the precious little remaining juice to ping, say, once every 12 hours.
Cool. So you can no longer turn your phone off.
The more the IT world takes this dystopic approach the more I turn into a fucking luddite.
Lol google be like: let’s fuck the people. We need more money
“How can we sell Intel Management Engine to phone users?”
How about letting damn alarms to run even when the phone is turned off? We lost this ancient feature moving away from dumb phones.
Afaik Huawei phones have or had that.
I heard Samsungs can as well. However I nor anyone I know have ever owned a Samsung in order to verify.
You know what’s funny. I was investigating the hardware datasheets for the PinePhone and looking at the RTC module and just like PC RTC chips there is an option to trigger an interrupt/power on when a certain time is met. That means that there appears to be no reason this couldn’t be a current feature on probably all modern smartphones. Just lack of software support.
That’s good to know! Maybe the open source community can work something out. Google certainly won’t bother with what’s in essence the most purely offline functionality. It’s not in their interest to have phones offline (case in point, the update mentioned here).
But how otherwise to convince people to always leave their
surveillance devicesphones switched on?! I had a oneplus 3t that would wake itself for alarms, shame it broke eventually.Yeah…exactly the reason why they never did it.
removed by mod
Wasn’t some spy company just caught selling info of people whose phones pinged near family planning clinics? If I turn my phone off, I want it off, dammit. Bring back phones that let us remove the battery just to make sure.
You can do that with Fairphones. In fact you can take the whole screen off them in the dark with your bare hands. Also, they have two SIM slots which I think is a pro for privacy.
Nice phone but too expensive for most users imo. We need sub $200 phones with removable batteries.
Another thing, I got a new phone about 3 months ago but the old one still has some unmigrated info on it. So once in a while I power it on to access something. It has stayed charged because there isn’t a battery sucking Bluetooth beacon running when the phone is off. I’d hate to have to keep charging the phone when it’s just sitting in a drawer.
That feature is right on the border between real neat tech and deeply unsettling.
“Hey, my phone uses its last few electrons to turn into a bluetooth beacon to stay findable” sounds like sci-fi “reserve power emergency mode”
“I can’t turn off the locator chip in a device that holds half my life and memories” is just dystopian.
I’m wondering if there would be a way to keep it useful while minimizing impact for people who stay off the grid. A hardware switch would probably be a good start but they won’t fly with current all-touch designs.
People who stay off the grid don’t have smartphones!
As much as we enthusiasts like to try and have our cake and eat it too, the only way to really be completely private/secure/anonymous is to be completely disconnected. Threat models and compromises and all that.
It will be seen how they implement it, but since Google is creating their own version of the Find My network, it will likely be tied to activating that. If it’s anything like the way the iPhone does it, disabling Find My would turn it off, they might (should) also provide the option to turn it off when powering down your phone.
On iOS there is an option to disable it until you turn the phone back on when shutting down, right under the shutdown control.
Yes, I was saying Google should implement the same thing.
Trying to force the graphene crowd to the near $2000 option, eh Goog?
Hopefully software will take care of it.
“Off”
Exactly. When I put a device off, it’s supposed to stay off.
Nooooo, but it’s all for your security and convenience, see? They know better than you when to turn your device on or off, don’t you worry your pretty little head about it one bit! Plus, I bet it also protects the children and prevents terrorism too! Why would you turn your device off, are you like a terrorist pedophile or something? /s
<Incredibles Meme> Off means Off </meme>
Yeah nah, don’t bring your phones to protests folks
We need to stop normalizing the idea that you can go about your day carrying some big tech tracking device on your person and maintain privacy!
If you’re protesting, you should be bringing no phone > or a dumb phone > or a completely clean install.
Regardless of which option you choose, if you’re carrying any phone to a protest you should be carrying a faraday bag. They cost like $5 people! If you can afford a phone, you can afford a faraday bag.
Great we finaly get the features that the NSA has been saying is “classified” Big step for open spying for everyone