44 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
44 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: Smart TVs are not great
|
|
summary: >
|
|
I've been talking about smart TVs with other people recently and we all
|
|
came to the same conclusion: smart TVs may spy on us (like our smartphones do).
|
|
The thumbnail on the side shows the actual microphone that is soldered onto the
|
|
main circuit board of my remote control; it is no longer than 4 mm.
|
|
date: 2024-01-27T10:58:06+0000
|
|
# lastmod:
|
|
categories:
|
|
- computerstuff
|
|
tags:
|
|
- privacy
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
Have you noticed the product recommendations on Amazon whenever its ~~spy~~ Echo device
|
|
is in the same room as you and hears your conversations?
|
|
|
|
I usually ignore these recommendations anyway because they are actually way off of what I'm
|
|
looking for (or already have it) so there is no value in these personal advertisements.
|
|
|
|
BTW, personalized ads is something that I opt out whenever I can. I do not want or need them.
|
|
But Amazon thinks I need to see it anyway -- which makes me just more mad at them.
|
|
|
|
Always worth a rant, Amazon. Haha. Now actually I wanted to note that I removed the microphone
|
|
of my smart TV. I own that device since 2018/19 and it actually never came to my mind that
|
|
these devices could also spy on your conversations -- but the possibility is there and since
|
|
I never use the voice command function of my smart TV I decided to remove the mic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The mic is usually located very easily, though the elements below the hole are very, very small.
|
|
I used a sharp cutting knife and a sharp side cutter to remove the tiny circuit board.
|
|
|
|
![a picture of the circuit board and the shielding](mini-mic.jpg 'There is a very small hole in the shielding that surrounds the small
|
|
components on the "microphone circuit board"')
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The microphone circuit board was connected on four points which I cut with this cutter slowly and
|
|
precise.
|
|
|
|
|