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Terry Daktyllus
Rob Braxman Tech
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Comments by "Terry Daktyllus" (@terrydaktyllus1320) on "Is a Phone That's Off Really Off?" video.

You presumably presented your passport to Chinese officials at the border, possibly a visa too (I don't know, I've never been to China). Presumably the passport and/or visa is tied to a mobile number that can be looked up by the government - hence they were able to leave a voicemail on what is on record as your mobile number. The situation you describe above at the level you detail it is easily explained with practical reasons that don't necessarily involve surveillance or secrecy.
9
@davidbea3711 No, it creates a secondary problem because in the bag it no longer functions as the phone you purchased. You might as well not take the phone with you because when you take the phone out of the bag to use it, you are being tracked again anyway. Bags are useless gimmicks, de-Googling the phone removes tracking and lets you leave the phone on safely and constantly. A bag is no substitute for not educating yourself on how to deploy a de-Googled phone.
6
My phones are designed by me not to spy on me. I simply choose phones that can run AOSP (Android Open Source Project) ROMs and then educate myself on how to install them. That is the solution to immediately getting about 90% of your privacy back. If you do not invest time and effort to do that yourself, then you allow yourself to be spied upon.
4
@hendralastname3382 The best and (so far) only way to preserve 90% of your privacy on a mobile phone is to not have an identity that is linked to the IMEI number and phone number of a phone. An AOP-based de-Googled ROM is the only way to do that. Faraday bags are for stupid people who want to impress their friends by pretending that they understand about privacy but still carry around Google Android or Apple phones. ~ They seem to forget that a mobile phone inside a Faraday bag is no longer a mobile phone because it can't receive or make calls while in the bag - a bit like buying a new car but not taking it out of the garage when it's raining because you don't want to get it wet. They also seem to forget that when the phone is switched on, even a for a few seconds, it sends out its location to the Evil Overlords. For example, if the Evil Overlords know that at 7pm you were in your home in a suburb on the outskirts of a city (point A) before you switched your phone off, and then at 8pm you switched your phone on to make a phone call in a Starbucks in the city centre (point B), they can probably work out from the distance between point A and point B and the fact that it took you an hour to get there that you probably took a bus, train, car or walked, and they still know you like your coffee at 8 o'clock in the evening. With a Faraday bag you simply obfuscate some of your location data that can probably be guessed from algorithms anyway, whereas with a de-Googled phone, you send NO tracking data in the first place. Though saying "My phone is de-Googled" probably impresses your Starbucks friends less than "Look at my shiny Captain Kirk Faraday bag and this nice matching aluminium foil hat".
4
You're describing more of a battery quality issue as opposed to a privacy issue, though I am in no way debunking what Rob is saying here. For example, I have recently recovered a lot of 18650 cells from old laptop batteries to use in home electronics projects - when laptop batteries die, it can be just because one cell has failed, meaning that the other 5 or 8 in the battery can still be fine. My first test with deciding whether or not a battery should be kept is to recharge it to see if it charges to about 4.1 volts - if it does not, then I bin it. If it does it goes in a box with the voltage and date written on it for testing again in a couple of weeks - if the drain is more than about 0.2 volts in that time, that too is probably an indicator of a bad cell. Even beyond passing those two tests, on any remaining batteries I should probably do a capacity and drain test just to see how good or bad that is, especially if I was using the batteries in a vehicle or for a power wall. In my case, they are just for electronics workbench projects so that is less important to me. The more batteries are recharged and discharged and the older they get, their efficiency drops. You yourself said they are "old phones", therefore it might simply be the case that the batteries are also old.
4
You're simply describing a feature where the phone powers down as gracefully as possible before the battery is fully discharged in order to avoid file system corruption, especially if you have an SD or MicroSD card in the phone at the time. SD cards are particularly prone to corruption during an instant power off. There is nothing sinister about the behaviour you have described.
4
My phones are de-Googled. They can send nothing to my phones, even Google can't track their location. You describe a problem that is easily solved if you invest some time and effort in implementing that solution.
4
Then I would not enter such stores. What is the problem here? Exercise free will and choice.
4
@thisisme3238 So let me get this straight... you buy a mobile phone because it lets you make and receive calls when you are mobile (hence the name) but then wrap it in aluminium foil to stop it making or receiving calls when you are mobile? Isn't that a bit like buying a new car but taking the wheels off to store them in a safe place because you don't want the tyre rubber to wear out?
3
How did you verify this? What tests did you do? What information did you conclude was being sent out when the phone was off? Was it sending out data over the cellular network? Or wifi? Or both? Which model of phone was it? This is all extremely useful and helpful information for the rest of us to know.
2
@anonymoushuman8344 Wow! How much effort will one person go to in order to not simply learn how to purchase the right type of phone to put a de-Googled ROM onto?
2
@anonymoushuman8344 He recommends Faraday cases for the stupid people that buy Apple devices or those who are too lazy to de-Google their phones. They can do what they like, I don't associate with stupid or lazy people. He has never stated a requirement to store a de-Googled phone in a Faraday bag, such a thing would be pointless - as I have already stated. Please do not put words into my mouth and then argue against them because only you look foolish as a result. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason - listen, learn, read and digest intelligent comments properly (they are written down to allow you to re-read them if it takes a few attempts to "sink in") and then respond. You're welcome. Run along. Mind how you go.
2
@anonymoushuman8344 Please don't put words into my mouth and argue against them because then you do look foolish. I am neither arrogant or superior to anyone else, I am simply stating my opinions on the topic. We all started knowing nothing and we learn by spending time and effort to absorb new things. Many people are too lazy to do that. Let me ask you a question - in the rich Western world, why do people spend a lot of time, effort and money in learning to drive a car? And then even more money afterwards buying and maintaining a car? The answer is "Because it's an important lifestyle choice for them". Internet privacy and security is also an important lifestyle choice, as is learning to use a computer properly to be safe from malware and fraud. So why don't people invest an equivalent amount of time doing that? The answer is because they are lazy, they put too much trust in evil corporations and they don't care enough about their personal data. I've worked in cybersecurity for 15 years now, as a technical expert in telecoms, Linux and UNIX for almost 40 years. If you can't handle the fact that I know what I am talking about here, then you can ignore me completely - my work is done telling you about these things, whether or not you accept them is up to you. When your brain constructs an image of me purely from a few words that I write, then so be it - I don't have to see it. But when you then complain to me about the image your brain created, then at best you look very silly and, at worst, may even need psychotherapy to help you not allow images your brain creates to escape into the real world. The moral of this story is "Don't think you know someone well just because you read a few words that they write".
2
@jmr Only spoilt millennials resort to name-calling like "troll" when they've realised that their opponent in what was a reasonably intelligent dialogue has bested them with his better knowledge and understanding. And because their parents didn't say the word "no" to them enough when they were growing up, they get angry and frustrated and resort to name-calling. I guess mum and dad should have put you on "the naughty step" for a bit longer. At that point, the words "here we go again" ring inside my brain and I disengage from the conversation because I've better things to do with my time than arguing with someone who has revealed themselves as nothing more than a petulant brat. (It's a real shame because you made some very good arguments initially too.) So run along, mind how you go and stay away from sharp scissors. Discussion closed.
2
@metaphysicalfractionals4509 I don't expect you or want you to show humility. We are all equal here. I do not respect people who "kowtow" to others. In answer to your question, what model of phone do you have? Let's start with that first question.
2
@thisisme3238 Yes. It works in as much as it makes a mobile phone neither mobile or a phone. Well done, with your tin foil you kept some of your privacy (not very much of it) by destroying the entire "raison d'etre" of having the phone in the first place. It's all a bit like buying a new car but not taking it out of your garage because you don't want it to get wet when it rains or because you don't want to wear out the tyre rubber. I, on the other hand, use de-Googled phones. There is no identity on the phone that can be tracked, and there are no Google Play Services on the phone meaning that my location cannot be reported to Google. Therefore, I can leave the phone switched on, wherein I can take or receive calls wherever I am (the whole point of a "mobile phone", the clue is the name there) as well as send and receive a few texts and emails, or play a bit of media. For the record, Rob has talked a lot more about de-Googled phones than he has about aluminium foil. There's your sign. Mind how you go.
2
@stevejohanson4133 You can't have hidden backdoors in code that is openly scrutinised by a large number of experts - many of whom are already extremely suspicious of the authorities. Simply put. what you suggest is extremely unlikely in an Open Source ROM. Instead of making up phrases like "virtual off" that no other person uses in order to sound intelligent, why not go and read up on the topic or even sit down and LISTEN to Rob's earlier videos and learn something - exactly as I have done? You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. You're welcome. Run along. Mind how you go.
2
@resonancewaves9659 So do you want someone else to start the revolution then? And just SMS you when we're ready for you to join?
2
It would be extremely difficult to make any bit of code work on a de-Googled phone that just uses Open Source software. That is, as above, the solution to this problem and Rob has stated this on many occasions.
2
@johnlacey3857 Indeed, if you are "hard of thinking" with an inability to learn new things, or just too lazy to invest time to learn new things, then what you say is true. But I defined that in my original comment anyway and you would have noticed that yourself had you read it properly - and then you would have realised your comment above was therefore completely redundant and not made it. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.
2
@vicrattlehead6386 No. You need the sledgehammer to break your fingers before you enter the Apple Store so that it's impossible to get your wallet out of your pocket to take out a credit card to pay for their intrusive and overpriced crap in the first place.
2
@hendralastname3382 It doesn't matter too much that wifi modules and baseband modems have proprietary drivers on a de-Googled phone. Even if they are collecting location data, without Google Play Services on the phone there is no location to send that data to - and there is no identity to link that data to either. Data is useless without an identity to link to it.
2
That's because you buy the computing device, it has a Microsoft OS on it and Microsoft then lets you use it when it's convenient for them. Think of the relationship with your Microsoft abuser as being you "leasing the computer back from them" - even though you paid for it.
1
@grimalteruism8641 I don't take orders from strangers on the Internet. You run along now.
1
You just de-Google the phone. It may be the hardware is doing something when it's turned off but that's irrelevant anyway if there are no Google Play Services on the phone to send any data to. That's your solution. If you have an Apple device, you beyond help.
1
@JamesSmullins There's no need to make excuses to me, it's not my business whether you personally deGoogle a phone or not. I am just saying that your privacy is screwed until you do so. It's simply a statement of fact.
1
Yes, and then you need to do something with that info yourself. Simply being "aware" of it changes nothing if you expect everyone else but you to do it.
1
Someone with the attention span of a goldfish is not going to learn much about privacy and security.
1
@mangojango3745 I am merely providing my opinion based on my knowledge and expertise. If you have to use negative terms like "gatekeeping" because my knowledge and expertise either threaten you or make you jealous, then that is your problem to solve. Self-assertion therapy may help you not feel so threatened or jealous going forward, kindly seek specialist advice. I personally only fix computers, not personalities or brains. To learn, you have to invest time and you should be grateful to people like Rob that work hard to provide you with educational material to you free-of-charge. If all you do is respond with "I need shorter videos" then I consider that to be rude, ungrateful and the very definition of self-entitlement. You're welcome. Run along. Mind how you go.
1
@ronjeremy9302 Indeed, I mentioned that in another comment on this video - but you're right to point it out. Also don't forget car management systems, NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards, Intel Management Engine, etc.. All of these are closed sourced EPROM firmwares.
1
@stevejohanson4133 An EPROM is not storage in the sense that the OP has suggested. He is talking about media that is being "recorded to", thus implying it is "volatile" storage like a hard disk, an SSD, USB stick or Flash storage (as Rob suggested). An EPROM usually isn't erasable or writable within the device it sits - in "olden days", you put EPROM chips into a special programmer and erased the contents with UV light. Nowadays, some people use clamps to attach to the legs of the chip and use an external device, like a Raspberry Pi to do EPROM programming - it's often used to remove BIOS passwords from laptops. But the point of EPROM is it can't be altered within the device it sits, that's actually part of the entire security model of the device to protect against malware.
1
@johnlacey3857 I'm sorry to hear it. Self assertion therapy should help you get over your narcissism. You're welcome. You can thank me later. Now run along. Mind how you go. Stay away from sharp scissors.
1
@jum5238 You could also be a responsible individual of course and not leave electronic valuables in your car in the first place - as many government advertisements across the world constantly advise their citizens. A Faraday bag is no substitute for being a bit of an "irresponsible plonker".
1
@stevejohanson4133 Indeed, because at the time of world war, the first thing I am going to be worried about is my mobile phone and laptop, not food, medical supplies, shelter, something to defend myself with.... You do like your "First World Problems", don't you, Steve?
1
@stevejohanson4133 I live in a NATO country but I don't take orders from strangers on the Internet. I read your first paragraph, broke into fits of laughter and then stopped reading. Thank you for making me smile today, if nothing else. Hopefully someone else will read it and decide whether or not to take your advice. I do not need it. You're welcome. Run along. Mind how you go.
1
A bit pointless because having bought the device to function as a phone, you put it in a bag where it stops being a phone. Bags are both a useless and pointless gimmick, de-Googling a phone is the solution to the problem.
1
@ArtOfHealth I don't "feel funny being followed around" because I am not "followed around" because I have a de-Googled phone that is on all of the time with no identity on it. Duh, a mobile phone in a bag where it can't make or receive phone calls is neither "mobile" or "a phone" any more, is it. Duh! Do try to keep up. Mind how you go. Stay away from sharp scissors.
1
Bags are useful gimmicks for people that believe they are a substitute for being too lazy to learn how to purchase the right kind of phone in order to de-Google it. Putting a phone in a bag means it is no longer a phone, and therefore entirely pointless.
1
@stevejohanson4133 No battery is perfect, particularly as they get older. If the voltage on your battery is slightly less than yesterday when you last turned the phone on, it may just be leakage due to age. It does not automatically mean background applications have been draining the battery.
1
@stevejohanson4133 I just Googled the term "virtual off". Lots of entries for "virtual office" and one entry about reading file positions on an embedded device but otherwise not a phrase that appears to be in regular usage.
1
And you carry the lead box around with you? Presumably risking lead poisoning? And is that lighter than carrying around a laptop to just do your computing on a secure OS like Linux?
1
No, you need to not have an identity on your phone and stop any Bluetooth, NFC or RF data being transmitted to a third party - that is why you would use a de-Googled phone. We don't all stop using bank accounts because some people steal money from them - instead, when we give the account number to the teller in the bank branch, we communicate it quietly so the person behind us cannot hear it. Same concept.
1
No, old microphones are not "powered by sound", they never have been. A voltage is applied to them through the connecting cable (or internal battery) that allows the internal components to detect, amplify or record sound. In old microphones, sound waves vibrate a diaphragm of their own accord - but a voltage is still needed to "translate" those vibrations to electrical signals for further processing.
1
@anonymoushuman8344 If you're on a tight budget, it's completely free to put an AOSP de-Googled ROM on your phone. By the time you've carried out the above instructions, you could have installed the ROM. I personally bought a phone to take phone calls and texts on when I am moving around - sticking it in a Faraday bag is like taking the tyres off of my car and putting them in a safe place because I am worried about wear on the tyres. Sorry, I am cursed with "thinking like an engineer" which means I am "proactively lazy" and look for the easiest and quickest solution to any problem. A solution that "stops a phone being a phone" is not a solution.
1
@thisisme3238 Presumably in the shape of a hat?
1
@tomsaltner3011 Sonny, you create whatever image you like of me in that head of yours based only on what you see me write here - if I don't have to see it, I don't care about it. But when you complain to me about an image your brain created then that's when, at best, you look very silly (or "stupid", if you want me to re-use my earlier words) and, at worst, may need psychotherapy to help you control the images your brain creates into not escaping into the real world to be used on others as some kind of "weapon". Yes, I think anyone that uses an Apple device, Facebook, Microsoft products or a Google Android phone is stupid. And, consider yourself lucky because I am normally not patient enough with screaming me-me's like you to repeat what I have clearly written above already. So sue me. Now run along, mind how you go and stay away from sharp scissors. Further discussion with you is closed.
1
@metaphysicalfractionals4509 You can do nothing with iPhone and the Samsung Note9 is not supported under Lineage OS. (Google Lineage OS and check yourself with supported models.) I have a Google Pixel 4 and Moto G7, both of which I chose because they are supported by Lineage OS.
1
@jmr Like I said, de-Googling a phone costs no money and it lets you keep your phone on 24x7 without being tracked. It is the better solution, pure and simple.
1
@jmr A de-Googled phone is also useful during meetings. You make no argument here whatsoever in defence of Faraday bags.
1
@jmr Rubbish! Now you're just making stuff up because you either don't understand the technology or can't deal with the fact you are wrong. 1. Yes, the cellular network can triangulate where you are to within about 1/2 square mile accuracy because of how cell towers work. That's the same for any phone, de-Googled or not. It's something you have to live with in the modern world - in the same way every potentially crooked bank employee can access your bank account with that bank, or that proprietary and Internet-connect firmware in devices in your home can be sending out stuff too (IME on Intel PC, NVIDIA or AMD graphics card firmware, smart TV, car management system, etc. etc.) So if you're going to get into Faraday bag territory then you might want to "bag up" each one of those devices also - a Faraday bag for a car is probably going to be very expensive. 2. "Even a de-Googled phone can be tracked". Yes, as in 1. above but that is NOT what we are talking about. We are talking about losing privacy because of Google / Apple / Facebook tracking you because of data sent from your phone with your identity. And a de-Googled phone cannot be tracked by those entities. That's just a fact. 3. "Your phone operator can even initiate remote install of software through SMS messages." No, they can't. My de-Googled phone has no operator software on it to let them initiate such a thing. Think about it - if such a capability, which I accept possibly exists, fell into the hands of hackers, it would be a major issue. Therefore operators' capability to do this is very tightly guarded and very much tied to their own stock ROMS that they ship with their contract phones. Anyway, as far as you know, I may have just purchased my phones independently of any operator and don't have a contract with them. If it's not a phone they supply anyway, how can they even hope to do remote changes via SMS to it? 4. The only thing a Faraday bag does is "fragment" the data your phone sends. If you used your phone at 3pm to make a call at location A, you sent out data. If you turned off your phone until you got to location B some 20 miles away to make another call at 4pm, you were tracked there also. The fact that you moved 20 miles in an hour immediately tells the "data miner" that you didn't walk there, so the assumption is you used a car or public transport. Then the algorithms analysing that data can probably work out with a high degree of accuracy what you did in that interim hour when your phone was switched off. Me, doing the same thing with my de-Googled phone and leaving it switched on, they see nothing. I win. Ultimately, it is about "mitigating risk" by identifying vectors of security attack and privacy holes and then fixing as many as you can as easily as you can. De-Googling a mobile phone just means choosing a supported phone, learning the process of installing a new ROM on it, and then knowing you can leave it on all the time without being tracked by Google - that is 90% of your privacy issues solved on a mobile device just by doing that.
1
@metaphysicalfractionals4509 I don't help people who ask in a patronising tone. I don't consider myself a "master" either, I simply know how to do stuff with computers and phones.
1
I don't understand, where are your results proving the internal "g" ("GPS"?) system kept a log of its location? You do realise that GPS is one way, don't you? You only receive GPS information to work out your location - if a third party knows that location then it's because another mechanism has reported that GPS location data out to it - email, SMS, data over wifi, etc. etc. It's not particularly suspicious that a phone itself knows its GPS location when it's turned off - what would be of interest was if it was communicating that location data out to a third party while switched off - and you've provided no evidence of that.
1