
Moto X Feature Video Leaks - thezach
http://technow.info/2013/07/moto-x-feature-video-leaks-from-rogers/
======
cromwellian
I'm going to guess that it is a little fancier than that, because simply being
"always on" would kill the battery, the CPU would have to be constantly
running hotword detection. It needs to have some kind of extremely low-power
hotword detection for this to work. Like with Glass, some of the conspiracy
nuts in other forums are out with ideas that its recording everything and
piping it to the NSA, but that's unlikely for a device where they've hinted
battery life was a major thing they're concentrating on.

~~~
magicarp
In the case of the recent NSA spying revelations, those "conspiracy nuts"
turned out to be correct.

~~~
s_q_b
Technical feasibility is not something the NSA can wish away. They're not
magic. The fact is that keeping a microphone array active all the time would
crush battery life, especially if it was constantly recording and
transmitting.

Right now, even the FBI can remotely activate the microphone on your phone.
Doubt this will change anything in the short run.

~~~
joenathan
Who's to say the NSA wouldn't just add their own hotwords to the "extremely
low-power hotword detection"?

~~~
s_q_b
Sure, but that's a little different than listening to everything. Not to
mention trivial to detect. Just watch CPU consumption and start spouting off
trigger words.

~~~
joenathan
>Sure, but that's a little different than listening to everything.

The NSA never cared about listening to everything, that would be completely
unmanageable, flagging conversations with key phrases has always been the
course of action.

>Not to mention trivial to detect. Just watch CPU consumption and start
spouting off trigger words.

It'd also be trivial to detect that you were using a CPU usage monitor and
turn off those keywords, viruses do these sorts of things all the time to
avoid detection.

~~~
s_q_b
That's not correct. Since 2001, the NSA has been retasked to recording all
SIGINT information, and figure out what's relevant later. This was the
reasoning behind NSA Total Information Awareness (hence the name,) as well as
its successor programs including PRISM, FAIRVIEW, MARINA, BASKETBALL, etc.

Also, if you want an undectable CPU monitor, just use a temperature sensor
strapped to the processor. Temp-monitoring was even used to find TOR hidden
services.

------
ihsw
The article mentions Rogers as 'one of the most popular Canadian cellular
companies' but the term 'popular' implies Rogers is liked, however in my
limited experience they are either universally reviled or many feel
indifference towards them.

They are effectively Canada's Comcast (largest cable company) so take that as
you will.

~~~
RobAtticus
They are using 'most popular' as a synonym for 'biggest' here. Regardless it
has nothing to do with the content of the article.

------
nivla
Are we really moving to a space where always listening devices are going to be
common? If so they might be taking their first step at the wrongest possible
time (Ongoing NSA paranoia).

Everyone is throwing the Xbox One under a bus for having a always listening
device, I wonder how receptive those same people would be to this, especially
if it gets added to the core functionality of Android.

------
yakshemash
Very reassuring, after recent news about spying and whatnot, and uploading of
credentials to motorolla servers

------
rayiner
It's like Google doesn't even realize.

------
Zigurd
Well, that's totally worth doubling Google's headcount.

------
macspoofing
Are these "Moto X Features" Android 4.2.2 features?

------
macspoofing
So we don't care about battery life anymore?

~~~
NicoJuicy
Android 5.0 should have a lesser energy-consumption :-)

------
adamnemecek
What do they mean by "New Google"?

~~~
MichaelGG
Judging from the fact that the carrier's name is displayed prominently on the
status bar, and that it's only available on one carrier, I think they meant
"New Motorola".

