• ji17br@lemmy.ml
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    5 months ago

    It’s worth noting that in recent MacBooks the camera can’t turn on if the led is off. It’s an electrical thing, not a software thing.

    • piccolo@ani.social
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      5 months ago

      Inb4 malware figures a way to over current the led and burn it out. I dont know why few manufacturers dont just put a simple sliding shutter over the camera.

      • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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        5 months ago

        An LED is pretty damn simple and there’s no reason it would even be possible to control the voltage going to it. May as well worry about hackers finding a way to make a physical shutter transparent.

        • piccolo@ani.social
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          5 months ago

          depends how it’s implemented. And if it was so simple, why was it not the first solution instead of the more complex software controlled solution?

          Also what about the scenario of the camera briefly enable to take snapshots? depending how fast the camera module turns on and sends back a signal… one could just create a timelaspe where the led flashes on inperceptively. A physical shutter cant be cicrucumvented and you can trust the camera is functionally useless until you need it.

      • Lets_Eat_Grandma@lemm.ee
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        5 months ago

        I dont know why few manufacturers dont just put a simple sliding shutter over the camera.

        There is an end user support concern with this. I prefer sliders, but users will put in tickets saying their camera doesn’t work.

        I still buy lenovo just for this professionally.

        • piccolo@ani.social
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          5 months ago

          really easy solution. if camera detects pitch black… pop up an error message with an illustration on how they need to move the shutter.

          • Lets_Eat_Grandma@lemm.ee
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            5 months ago

            that could work, or perhaps have a cut-out on the camera cover that blurs all light going in and has the words written on it “shutter closed” or something. Digital way built into the driver is probably easiest.

          • Trainguyrom@reddthat.com
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            5 months ago

            My current work laptop has a shutter built in which heavily blurs the camera, so it’s relatively obvious why your camera isn’t working but you still get some level of privacy