this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2024
245 points (98.8% liked)

Privacy

4388 readers
27 users here now

A community for Lemmy users interested in privacy

Rules:

  1. Be civil
  2. No spam posting
  3. Keep posts on-topic
  4. No trolling

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
iopq@lemmy.world
245
Why do NOTHING's earbuds need my browser history? (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 weeks ago by Cossty@lemmy.world to c/privacy@lemmy.world
53 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

My old ones broke two days ago and I needed new ones. I chose earbuds from NOTHIHG because according to reviews they are really good for the money. Now, their app is asking me to accept this privacy policy. Maybe this policy is just some general place holder for other products because they sell phones too. And they would have browser history there. Or I could use the earbuds without the app. But the default tuning on them is very bass heavy and I need to change that.

I use DNS resolver on my phone with a lot of filters, so this shit will get blocked. I think I will bite the bullet for now but this is probably the last thing I bought from this company.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 113 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (7 children)

Why is an app necessary in the first place?

(edit) AH, they went with the classic "it has bass therefore high quality" approach with a little bit of top end sprinkled on. They sure seem to use a lot of post-processing, right after claiming "just how the artist intended". Algorithmic bass boost, equalizer, noise cancellation all running on that tiny little DAC and only usable with the app.

I hate technology so much.

I know I'm a little late with the unsolicited advice, but get a pair of KZ ZSN for $20 and maybe a bluetooth adapter kit, you'll be a lot better off.

[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 23 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

An app can be very useful, I use my Bose app to update my headphones' firmware and to manage a few Bluetooth settings.

The app itself isn't the issue, the requested permissions are.

I am an IT guy and let's run through the permissions and see what makes sense...

  1. What device are you using? - Fair, this helps Nothing to develop their headphones for the devices that uses them.
  2. Device ID - purely used for marketing, can be skipped.
  3. IP adress - more marketing shit, this can be skipped.
  4. Usage information, product interaction - Fair, this helps Nothing to develop new headphones with feature people actually use.
  5. Performance, diagnostic and crash data - Fair
  6. Browsing history - Nope, the only way this could be fair is if they want data about webbased services you use, but that is not fair to get all your browsing history just to find this.
  7. Location information - What? NO!
  8. Information about interactions with our offerings - Meh, fair, tap an ad and get logged, sure.
  9. Where available, products may use GPS, IP and other tech to determine your aproximate location - What part of "NO!" don't you understand.
  10. Headphone indicator - yeah, fine.

What I truly hate about these is that they are basically an all/nothing deal, you have to press the button or mark the checkbox to set $EULA_AGREE = $true for the app to work, you can't just agree to parts of the EULA, you have to give them everything they ask for, preferably while looking lovingly into the camera of the phone so they can send the photo to their CEO.

The last part was obviously hyperbol, but that is how it feels from time to time...

[–] Rikj000@discuss.tchncs.de 41 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (4 children)

Bose headphone owner + IT guy here,
their app is filled to the brim with spyware last time I checked!

Uninstalled it immediately after de-compiling and scanning for known trackers with ClassyShark3xodus.

No regrets, the headphones work perfectly well without that stupid app!

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 18 points 2 weeks ago

"tech enthusiast" vs "IT guy" in a nutshell.

Tech enthusiast: a little privacy breach is okay, as a treat for the headphones I already paid them money for. It's not their fault their app wants to know these things. It's mostly all good.

IT guy: shoot it 417 times after you uninstall it to make sure it's truly no longer on your phone.

Side story: I forgot my good earbuds at home one day and decided I didn't want to hear tools all day, so I bought a new pair at the store I was working at that day. 2 minutes later I'm at the counter again to return them because they wanted me to download an app and wouldn't pair without it. Bought a $1 pack of earplugs instead.

[–] devfuuu@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

All the big apps are the same shit. The Sony app for wf and wh 1000xm3 have the same distopia conditions on the terms.

[–] Rikj000@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 2 weeks ago

Oh yeah I know!

Lately I aim to only install FOSS apps from F-Droid for that reason.

If no F-Droid app available / only Play Store, then I always scan them with ClassyShark3xodus against trackers.

If they're filled with trackers (very likely) and not absolutely nessecary for my daily workflow, I uninstall them immediately.

Currently about 75% of my apps come from F-Droid, and hope to only increase that percentage! :)

[–] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 weeks ago

Install on old phone

Setup equalizer

Never touch app ever again

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] DrDystopia@lemy.lol 1 points 2 weeks ago

All or nothing, I choose nothing.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] CamelCityCalamity@lemmy.world 18 points 2 weeks ago

Why buy the ZSN when you could buy the AE01, AS10, AS10 Pro, AS12, AS16, AS16 Pro, AS16 Pro X, AS24, AS24 Pro, ASF, AST, ASX, BTE, Carol, Castor, Castor Pro, x Crinacle CRN, D-Fi, Dawn, DQ6, DQS, E10, ED, EDA, ED4, ED9, EDC, EDC Pro, EDCX, EDS, EDX, EDX Lite, EDX Pro, EDX Pro X, EDX Ultra, EDXS, ESX, GP20, H10, x HBB DQ6S, Krila, Libra, Ling Long, Merga, PR1, PR1 Pro, x HBB PR2, PR3, PRX, S1, S1D, S2, SA08, SA08 Pro, Saga, SK10, SK10 Pro, SKS, Sonata, Symphony, T10, Vader, VX10, VXS, VXS Pro, XTRA, Z1, Z1 Pro, Z3, ZAR, ZAS, ZAT, ZAX, ZES, ZEX, ZEX Pro, ZNA, ZS10 Pro, ZS10 Pro 2, ZS10 Pro X, ZS12 Pro X, ZS3, ZS3E, ZS4, ZSN Pro, ZSN Pro 2, ZSN Pro X, ZST X, ZSX, ZSX Pro, ZVX, or ZVX Pro?

[–] quixotic120@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

“Get these instead” “links to out of stock headphones”

jk I’ve heard those are good. I also highly endorse returning to wired headphones. I got one set of wireless earbuds (sony xm3) and while wireless is nice the battery longevity sure isn’t. Thankfully changing the battery is easy on these but it’s a proprietary battery that’s expensive and impossible to buy through legit channels. And good luck if you have airpods or whatever, it’s technically possible but a goddamn nightmare to change that battery

For full headphones I still use my hd600s from like 2003, the marbled ones they don’t make anymore, and yet my wireless headphones that cost almost the same price 20 years later would die after 20 minutes making them useless.

The hd600s aren’t great for like doing stuff outside or moving around but I do use them wirelessly with a Bluetooth dac. The battery in that has lasted a few years because it’s not extremely tiny to fit in an iem and when it does die (I assume) it’s just a basic lipo pack or maybe an 18650 (or similar) that’s much easier and cheaper to source

Wired headphones are the way to go for sure, assuming the wire and pads are easily replaceable (which is basically always the case unless they’re so cheap they’re considered disposable). I can’t ever imagine paying hundreds for headphones that rely on a battery again unless battery technology changes significantly

[–] Jesus_666@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

That' one reason why I can respect Sony's WH-1000 series (that's the over-the-ear Bluetooth ones). They have a headphone jack so you can use them as regular headphones with a male-to-male cable. That can extend their useful life by a bit. So it's not all doom and gloom on the Bluetooth front.

I am getting rapidly disillusioned with "true wireless" earbuds, though. Far too fiddly and breaky. I had fewer issues with cable telephony than with TWS touch controls.

[–] quixotic120@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Does that power them?

and for what’s it’s worth the earbud equivalent of those is what I was referencing. at least for the xm3 variant the batteries are pretty simple to change out at least. I wish they had gone with a cell that was cheaper and easier to obtain but that’s also partially on the actual battery vendors who refuse to sell directly to consumers or even to parts distributors like mouser or digikey and will only sell in huge volumes to vendors like sony or whoever.

In the land of Bluetooth in ear headphones they’re definitely one of the most repairable models out there, but I just don’t think it’s worth bothering when a cable isn’t that big of a deal and you can still ultimately make cabled headphones wireless in a way that will usually result in headphones that last exponentially longer

[–] devfuuu@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

The cable for the audio doesn't power them. In that mode the noise cancelling also doesn't work. So it's really useful but you lose features using the cable. But I think the mic works. Although it sucks anyway.

[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

No. A bluetooth headset (or any wireless audio thing really) has to contain a bluetooth radio, a digital-analog converter, and an amplifier. The signal goes through all of that before it reaches the speaker. The aux input bypasses all of that and goes directly to the speakers, using whatever DAC is on the other end of the cable. It's purely an analog signal connection and can't power the electronics. It also means that when the battery inevitably goes cack, you can still use it with a wire.

Some expensive headphones, like the Focal Bathys, offer USB-C input, which essentially turns them into external sound cards. Excellent video, watch the entire thing.

[–] DarkThoughts@fedia.io 1 points 2 weeks ago

I HAVE to use the audio jack because the BT function went kaputt in less than a year or so. As a poor person I'm still pissed about that because I was once more trying to pay a little more for something that lives a little longer and then they just break on me faster than anything else I had. Not even sure if I should bother buying expensive replacement pads since the stock ones are getting iffy already as well.

[–] LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

Love my ZSN Pro X buds, but unfortunately the adhesive holding em together isn't fantastic. I've had to hit it with solvents on multiple occasions because it'd leaked out melting adhesive.

Let me tell you, pulling your buds out only for them to be sticky is not a fun experience xD

[–] teamevil@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

100% KZ with Bluetooth...best cheap amazing headphones I've ever owned. They're my daily drivers

[–] Cossty@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

KZ ZSN looks cool, but I am mostly listening to audiobooks while on the job, and the cable with Bluetooth adapter will get in my way a lot. But I will keep them in mind for some other use.

[–] ultranaut@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Run the cable under your clothes and it will stop getting in the way. I regularly use IEMs with a Bluetooth adapter in my pocket and its fine this way.

[–] Kernal64@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 weeks ago

People have forgotten the old ways.

[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

Bluetooth ear hooks are also available

[–] teamevil@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

You can get a behind the ear adapter. I don't have a cable.

[–] MMNT@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Are there any good BT adapters that you know of? And do they have ANC?

[–] 01011@monero.town 2 points 2 weeks ago

Get a pair of IEMs with great passive noise cancelling qualities, like etymotics.

Pair those with a qudelix 5k.

Problem solved.

[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Cheap and good ANC? Nah. I really hate saying this, but if you want good wireless with active noise cancelling, consider Apple. The new airpods are said to be the best.

Otherwise, try in-ear monitors, and try getting large silicone ear dinguses that performers use during concerts.

[–] MMNT@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Well, I never mentioned cheap, I was mainly wondering about a Bluetooth adapter that I can use for wired headphones I already have, and I was wondering if there is an option for the bt to have ANC? But I would never buy apple, as they are the one of biggest culprits of planned obsolescence.

[–] jdeath@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

$20 ANC is gonna be difficult (or impossible), maybe a used pair?

[–] MMNT@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I meant a bt adapter that can make wired headphones have ANC. I don't think I mentioned a low price though.

[–] jdeath@lemm.ee 2 points 2 weeks ago

ah yeah i got confused. it would be physically impossible for a bluetooth adapter to make headphones perform as if they have hardware that they don't have. so i thought you were referring to the $20 headphones as having ANC.

here is a great explanation of how ANC works: https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/audio-music/noise-canceling-headphone3.htm

but tldr is that you need a microphone on each ear and good circuitry to calculate the exact noise canceling frequencies to play.

[–] Th4tGuyII@fedia.io 51 points 2 weeks ago

Because they want to check if there's Nothing in your history! ...

[–] Iapar@feddit.org 36 points 2 weeks ago

Because nothing is sacred to them.

[–] frazw@lemmy.world 21 points 2 weeks ago

You answered your own question... "I chose earbuds from NOTHIHG because according to reviews they are really good for the money."

The price for them is not just the money...

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago

So they can profile you and sell that profile to other companies for profit. Same reason why every other app ~~asks for~~ demands it.

[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Isn’t spez a part of nothing?

[–] Cossty@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I just checked. Yes, spez is investor of nothing. Another reason to avoid this company.

[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I really dig their industrial design etc looks dope I just recalled seeing that on their site when i was checking them out a year or two ago

[–] murmelade@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I just bought a pair of Bose QC headphones and their app needs not only that but location turned on as well! Uninstalled that shit and never gonna buy Bose products again. They smell awful too because apparently they're too cheap to vent out the chemical additives they use.

[–] usrtrv@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

This is true for any Android app requiring Bluetooth communication, not sure about iOS. An app might be able to figure where you are at based on the Bluetooth beacons (or any wireless) devices around. Hence treating it as a location permission as well.

This has been changed starting with Android 12 where they have specific Bluetooth permissions that filter out Bluetooth beacons. But it will probably take while before apps update using the new permission

https://developer.android.com/develop/connectivity/bluetooth/bt-permissions

[–] chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Throw this garbage away.

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Is that screenshot from the app? If so, the app appears to be using the Android System Webview. So it has an Internet permission. Personally I would deny that and firewall the app.

Edit on re-read

[–] Cossty@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks ago

I didn't think of that. The app seems to work fine without internet access. Thanks for the advice.

[–] LWD@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That's a good work around for a fundamental issue with the app, but how reliable is it? I wish there was a blanket method to disable internet connectivity for an app, rather than relying on a firewall (IIRC they're pretty leaky, and I struggle to maintain anything that's always-on) or custom DNS server.

[–] Cossty@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

There is.

[–] LWD@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago

Is this stock Android? I don't have this option on mine, as far as I can tell. The closest I have is "Allow background data usage"

[–] w4tchdog@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Testing the app or any other service from the same company before purchasing their stuff gives you a rough idea about the business behind

[–] monke@lemmy.cafe 4 points 2 weeks ago

Don't worry about it. It's Nothing

[–] bitwolf@lemmy.one 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Nothing buds reportedly work with, gadget bridge. May be worth a try

[–] Cossty@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

I wish I knew about this app sooner. I would pick something based off that. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[–] NegativeLookBehind@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

~~NOTHING~~ EVERYTHING

load more comments
view more: next ›