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I want hardware on/off switches for camera, microphone, wifi, bluetooth, and maybe even external speakers. These should be power switches, not switches that mak
by SiVal 13y ago
I want hardware on/off switches for camera, microphone, wifi, bluetooth, and maybe even external speakers. These should be power switches, not switches that make a polite request to firmware for the firmware to act as if the devices are off.
- pasbesoin 13y agoAlthough I haven't looked into it in detail, yet, the T430 I have at the moment has a physical switch for WiFi and Bluetooth functionality. I want the same for the built-in camera and mic. A little physical "red switch" that no amount of coding can defeat. I agree with others, here. I'm worried at least as much about the microphone as I am about the camera. I can always physically block the camera -- and control what it is pointed at. Further, I'm not comfortable with plugging in a microphone to "override" the built-in microphone. Physical design alone leaves me certain (although without proof) that this "override" is controlled by code. And a bit of experience with software that overrides such defaults to allow simultaneous input over multiple, "normally" orthogonal channels leaves me convinced that such can likely be done with the internal microphone of most devices.
- falcolas 13y agoI've found a few laptops with physical shutters for cameras; I like those. However, nothing similar for a mic yet.
- pavel_lishin 13y agoI'd pay someone $10 if I could figure out a way to make sure that my macbook never plays the "I AM NOW TURNING ON" sound.
- switz 13y agosudo nvram SystemAudioVolume=0 If this works for you, please donate the $10 to Archive.org.
- oneeyedpigeon 13y agoIf that works for me on my Mac Mini, I'll donate $10 to Archive.org too.
- oneeyedpigeon 13y agoActually, it worked even better than I expected - it still chimes, but almost inaudibly, which means it won't wake anyone up but I can still tell I've hit the power switch - so $10 duly donated. Thanks v. much.
- pavel_lishin 13y agoDidn't work. :(
- cooper12 13y agoWhen turning on the macbook, hold the mute button. While this will last through reboots, I can't guarantee it since the setting seems to reset when I boot into windows or a liveCD.
- r00fus 13y agoI never get it - probably because my default volume is 0 (which is overridden nicely when I choose an alternate output source - like BT headphones or the headphone jack).
- jahewson 13y agoIf your MacBook is muted when you shut it down hen it will not play the startup sound.
- pavel_lishin 13y agoI do not want to have to remember to mute the macbook every time I want to reboot. I'm going to try the nvram thing.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- SiVal 13y agoIn fact, I'd like these switches to be above the F-keys and to have tiny LEDs that glowed when the switch (not the device, just the power switch) was allowing power to reach the device. I still want indicators showing when the devices themselves are operating, but for security purposes, I would treat the power switch LED as a warning that the devices have power and, therefore, could be on whether they claimed to be or not.