Feel really guilty, my one family member gave me this. I don’t use much google stuff anymore and I really dislike the company as it gets more intrusive. Is there anything I can do with this thing besides give it away? Nothing is worse than getting a gift that you can’t use.
Just sell it online and be honest when asked. Gifting culture is too guilt based, just do the sensible thing and plow through that ridiculous social barrier like a bulldozer.
Yeah. I already informed them I don’t feel comfortable with it in the house. But I’m also the type to use TOR on all my devices. So I don’t know how paranoid that came off as.
I think I am going to try to trace down where they got it from. I’m thinking Walmart so, they may take it without a receipt I hope.
Best to sell it. Since you use Tor you’re probably already on a watchlist
I’ve heard this a lot - is it just a common joke in privacy circles, or is anyone using Tor/Tails actually likely to be on a list?
I don’t really know what I’m talking about tbh, but my understanding is the more unique you make yourself, the easier you are to identify. For example, as soon as you use an ad blocker, your browser fingerprint becomes more unique because your average person doesn’t use an ad blocker. Even fewer people use Tor. So if someone knows you are using Tor, then they know you are 1 of maybe 100,000 people instead of millions (idk if those numbers are accurate, but you get the point).
That being said, Tor does do a pretty good job of making you blend into all the other Tor users.
But what I was talking about initially was mostly your ISP identifying your Tor traffic. So you use a VPN, but again you are now more unique than someone not using a VPN, even if your traffic is more encrypted.
Its pretty likely to be the case, using tor makes you stand out significantly.
How so?
Didn’t you know? Only criminals use Tor! \s
I just prefer it to not get pre-aggrigated results.
The Snowden leaks revealed that simply subscribing to Linux Journal was enough to put you in a list for enhanced monitoring.
Well. Shit
The thing with gifts is to thank them for their intent, even if you tell them why you’re not going to keep the item.
If you don’t succeed in returning it, you might also consider giving it to someone with a movement disability, for whom the assistance might outweigh the privacy issue.
They are fantastic for the disabled. Everyone I know whonis disabled has the Amazon ones for some reason.
There is a stereo microphone and a camera in that thing. What good would Tor do in that case? That data would still make its way to google, unless you can root the whole thing and put a custom OS on it.
I’m not running TOR on the nest. That would be dumb. I’m mentioning this is coming from a whole other end of technology. I like privacy. Google is not very private.
oh ok i thought you were considering tunneling that things traffic through tor somehow
No, because the data would still need to find a way to google services
Do they live with you? If not, I guess just sell it.
If yes, you’re probably as screwed as me.
Looks like it’s technically possible to replace the OS, if you wanted to explore that option https://fredericb.info/2022/06/breaking-secure-boot-on-google-nest-hub-2nd-gen-to-run-ubuntu.html
It might* be worth trying this and installing home assistant.
*I say might because I just got some IoT stuff on sale and installed home assistant before realising there’s nothing useful in home automation except zoned heating. Fun to play with though, I guess.
Just return it. I’m sure they’ll understand. And it’s the thought that matters.
What thought? They clearly know nothing about OP and didn’t put any actual thought in. Lol
Someone close enough to be expected to gift, but distant enough to not know them well and only know “they like techy stuff”.
Like, I get that it isn’t the best gift for OP, and I dont presume to know their relational status with the gift giver, but there are plenty of ways this could be a well-intentioned thoughtful gift that just didn’t hit the mark…
That’s what my friend said too. I work in the tech industry, but gosh do I find it creepy more and more. And if you talk about it being pervasive, you get called paranoid.
Yeah, it’s super creepy. We’re literally harvested for data to be sold for profit. Disgusting.
Tell it to shut the fuck up (it works, that’s why my grandfather likes it)
Idk what input the device has but you may block it via your router and use it as a speaker
