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I suspect most people don't want it. I can imagine lots of people calling customer service "Q: why doesn't my camera work?", "A: Did you open the cover?" There

by nox101 2y ago

I suspect most people don't want it. I can imagine lots of people calling customer service "Q: why doesn't my camera work?", "A: Did you open the cover?" There's just a valid an argument to do the same for phones. How many phones ship with camera covers and how many users want them? You can get a stick on camera cover for $5 or less if you want one. I have them on my laptops but not on my phone. They came in packs of 6 so I have several left. https://www.google.com/search?q=camera+cover+laptop https://www.google.com/search?q=camera+cover+laptop

moffkalast 2y ago
I had that exact discussion with somebody recently, and it took me a few minutes to realize that their laptop had a physical camera cover that somehow disables camera permissions in windows too. So yeah, happens a ton I would imagine.
dvngnt_ 2y ago
i miss android popup cameras.
netsharc 2y ago
> I can imagine lots of people calling customer service "Q: why doesn't my camera work?", "A: Did you open the cover?" In some over-engineered world, when the camera cover is engaged the webcam video feed would be replaced by an image of the text "Slide camera cover open" (in the user's language) and an animation showing the user how to do so.
- longdustytrail 2y ago
  This doesn’t seem that wild to me. Zoom already prompts me to unmute my microphone when I cough.
- nrp 2y ago
  We have that on the most recent generation of Framework Laptop. When the hardware privacy switch is engaged, the image sensor is electrically powered off and the camera controller feeds a dummy frame with an illustration of the switch.
  - vaylian 2y ago
    Is there a video or some images of this somewhere? I would love to see a demonstration.
    - netsharc 2y ago
      I looked it up on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6AsIqAmpeQ&t=1145s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6AsIqAmpeQ&t=1145s And adding 2+2, the man being interviewed (Nirav Patel) is the same man who replied to my comment (HN user nrp), i.e. the man who actually did the overengineering. If you rewind to 17:03, he talks about the changes of what the switch does (previously: USB disconnection, now: as he described in grandparent comment).
      - nrp 2y ago
        Our engineering team did the engineering!
  - dvergeylen 2y ago
    Happy Framework customer here, I just wanted to say thank you for all your efforts on privacy.
JumpCrisscross 2y ago
It's also a moving part. Worse, a part the customer moves. Which means more opportunity for crap getting crammed in or breaking.
- II2II 2y ago
  The cover on my laptop's camera is behind the glass. I suppose there is a chance that the slider itself could get damaged, but at least they minimized the exposed surface that could be damaged. That said, I really can't comment on how durable it is. I only remove the cover about a half dozen times a year.

by nox101 2y ago

moffkalast 2y ago

I had that exact discussion with somebody recently, and it took me a few minutes to realize that their laptop had a physical camera cover that somehow disables camera permissions in windows too. So yeah, happens a ton I would imagine.

dvngnt_ 2y ago

i miss android popup cameras.

netsharc 2y ago

> I can imagine lots of people calling customer service "Q: why doesn't my camera work?", "A: Did you open the cover?" In some over-engineered world, when the camera cover is engaged the webcam video feed would be replaced by an image of the text "Slide camera cover open" (in the user's language) and an animation showing the user how to do so.

longdustytrail 2y ago
This doesn’t seem that wild to me. Zoom already prompts me to unmute my microphone when I cough.
nrp 2y ago
We have that on the most recent generation of Framework Laptop. When the hardware privacy switch is engaged, the image sensor is electrically powered off and the camera controller feeds a dummy frame with an illustration of the switch.
- vaylian 2y ago
  Is there a video or some images of this somewhere? I would love to see a demonstration.
  - netsharc 2y ago
    I looked it up on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6AsIqAmpeQ&t=1145s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6AsIqAmpeQ&t=1145s And adding 2+2, the man being interviewed (Nirav Patel) is the same man who replied to my comment (HN user nrp), i.e. the man who actually did the overengineering. If you rewind to 17:03, he talks about the changes of what the switch does (previously: USB disconnection, now: as he described in grandparent comment).
    - nrp 2y ago
      Our engineering team did the engineering!
- dvergeylen 2y ago
  Happy Framework customer here, I just wanted to say thank you for all your efforts on privacy.

JumpCrisscross 2y ago

It's also a moving part. Worse, a part the customer moves. Which means more opportunity for crap getting crammed in or breaking.

II2II 2y ago
The cover on my laptop's camera is behind the glass. I suppose there is a chance that the slider itself could get damaged, but at least they minimized the exposed surface that could be damaged. That said, I really can't comment on how durable it is. I only remove the cover about a half dozen times a year.