There's 2 processors in there. The main one that parses everything and answers. And a small one that only listens for "hey Google" before turning the rest on to save power.

Google probably decided not to mute the other one so it could remind you it was muted and you didn't scream "HEY GOOGLE" got ten minutes before throwing it across the room.

[–] LavaPlanet@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Maybe you can explain to me why my chromecast connects to my speakers and headphones when it's entirely powered off? Because I don't have as positive a view of it as you do. Maybe it's not as nefarious as I'm thinking it is?

[–] Neato@ttrpg.network 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)

"Powered off" means what in this context? I don't have a chromecast but I don't think you can turn off a chromecast. From my searching there is no "off" function. It stays on in standby waiting for the TV to come back on.

But even if there's a way to turn it off via software or Home app, it would need to still be accessible wirelessly in that state because otherwise there'd be no way to turn it back on. Even in a software "off" state either wifi or bluetooth would need to be on so you could turn it back on.

[–] LavaPlanet@lemmy.world 3 points 6 months ago

Like how you turn off your TV, and it will still respond to the remote the next time you press the power button and turn it on. It's literally exactly the same thing. It has a power button, it's Bluetooth controlled (so is my telly and the telly remote) but when in power off, same as you would power off a playstation or computer (but that's a hard press button, not a remote) the headphones or speakers you Bluetooth connect, connect to it. I would assume it's the Bluetooth connectivity, is receptive to everything, but it's just sus because it's Google and it essentially always therefore has its ears open, because everything that connects to it has a microphone. Even its own remote.

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