During Prime Days I was dumb and bought some Chinese lamp because it was on sale. I gotta say, it’s actually awesome — with the app I can change colors, styles, and so on, and I really like it.
The account creation already bugged me, although I think it was only needed for the first startup. I deleted the account since then. The app is in deep sleep on my phone with zero permissions except Bluetooth.
What really bothers me, though, is the built-in microphone for voice commands — on a lamp! I don’t want someone listening to me. It’s too late to send it back, and I actually want to keep it.
Until now, I’ve just unplugged it from the outlet every time I don’t use it, but that’s very tedious. So, is there an easier way to completely disable the microphone? Does putting tape over it completely mute it? Or would I have to take it apart and desolder it — which I’m probably too lazy, impatient, and inexperienced to do? So is there maybe a smarter or brute force way to do it? im paranoid i dont want my fucking lamp listening to me. sometime i even turn of mic and cam acsess on my phone.
Framework laptops have a little physical switch to turn off the camera / mic when you don’t want them.
The original SGI webcams, some of the first that ever existed, actually had a physical plastic cover that you could slide over them when you didn’t want the camera on. “No, I don’t trust your hardware any more than your software. I shouldn’t need to. Stop looking at me when I don’t want you to, and prove to me that you are not, or else I will be suspicious.” Back in those days that was sort of a universal point of view among internet people, I think…
The HP laptop I have for work includes a little plastic thing that slides over the webcam.
Unfortunately even this is not that comforting because we don’t know how the switch is implemented. Is it actually in series with the microphone data lines? Power lines? Ideally both but you’ll never know. It could even just be a software GPIO switch (gonna bet Amazon Echos with their microphone switches are implemented like that) and unless you have the knowledge to check the PCB you’ll always have that lingering suspicion.
This is a valid concern with a lot of manufacturers. My gut says that Framework actually does what it says, but here is a discussion about it:
https://community.frame.work/t/how-do-the-camera-and-microphone-switches-work/4271
The webcam light is also hardware for once. A lot of laptops do it with software, where people complain the camera turning on without the light being on. Framework shouldn’t have that problem
The classic Technology Connections video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=m0mMF7GaIR0
I can verify that the OS fails to see the microphone and webcam when switched off. This was really confusing the one time that I wanted to use them.
I sort of suspect that the wiring is in a diagram somewhere. I could be wrong, but that would be my guess. It’s not in a PCB, that’s up in the bezel where it’s just wires and stuff.
That’s called a schematic and not only are those not public, they’re closely guarded trade secrets that companies will spend a lot of resources to prevent from leaking to the public.
Also, just because a schematic says the switch is connected a certain way doesn’t mean that’s actually how it’s connected. The only way to prove how the switch works is to inspect the traces in the PCB, which is very difficult to do especially without destroying it. Modern computers have multi layer PCBs that you’d basically need to peel apart to see the inner traces.
Here’s the pinout for the webcam component: https://github.com/FrameworkComputer/Framework-Laptop-13/tree/main/Webcam
Unfortunately it isn’t really clear whether the switch positions are in the pinout because it’s the mainboard’s job to implement shutting off the camera when it’s off, or just as information with the webcam module responsible for shutting it off in hardware. I have no idea which it is, but it wouldn’t be super-hard for someone capable with EE to take off the bezel and fool around with it and see which it is (or just pay $19 for the magic of buying two of them, if you didn’t want to take apart your own laptop for it.)
They say they provide full schematics on demand to repair shops (https://knowledgebase.frame.work/availability-of-schematics-and-boardviews-BJMZ6EAu). I’m not sure why they don’t want to just post them publicly, so in that sense you might be right, but they also don’t seem like they are trying to keep them or the interface details of the webcam module fully top secret either.
They do seem like they publish enough information that someone could figure out the answer if they wanted to. (People in the forums have fooled around with them and seem to be convinced that they are actually hardware switches: https://community.frame.work/t/how-do-the-camera-and-microphone-switches-work/4271 IDK whether that’s accurate, but that’s what the forum people think.)
No idea why you’re trying to lecture me from this position of authority about taking apart PCBs and whatnot. Anyway, that’s how it works, hope this is helpful for you.