![]() |
#1 |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 2,822
Karma: 12000001
Join Date: Feb 2012
Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5
|
B&N Reader spyware
Yeah, yeah, who cares? We presume that all eyes are on us anyway.
There was a flurry of interest that Kindle watches our page turns. I took a peek at the BNRV1100 4.85 Reader software. There are well over 5000 places in the code where it writes something to a cloud log. If/when/where/how that is uploaded is another question. There are tons of other analytics also. Is this just part of the 21st century and only worth a shrug? |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 | |
Connoisseur
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 72
Karma: 1000
Join Date: Aug 2021
Device: PocketBook, Kobo, Kindle
|
Quote:
Thanks for sharing your findings. I have been enjoying KOReader on the NGL4 that is offline. I believe I have to root it to prevent OTA updates. I just want access to Wikipedia, but I haven't brought it online for nearly a year and don't want to if it's going to call home just to root. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
Advert | |
|
![]() |
#3 |
Addict
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 342
Karma: 5736038
Join Date: Apr 2019
Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Clara HD, Galaxy Tab S5e, Kindle 4th Gen
|
I mean, it would be good to have a little more info than "IT WRITES TO A LOG!" before grabbing the pitchforks.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Gentleman and scholar
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 11,205
Karma: 109961877
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Space City, Texas
Device: Clara HD; Nook ST w/Glowlight, (2015) Glowlight Plus, Paperwhite 3
|
How else is B&N to sync your reading position across devices? You can always turn WiFi off. Problem solved.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 | |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 2,822
Karma: 12000001
Join Date: Feb 2012
Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5
|
Quote:
Is there somewhere where B&N has asked you whether you want this? I'm just pointing this all out that B&N has added over 100 loggings for any book related operation over previous versions. At the very least this is a performance consideration. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
Advert | |
|
![]() |
#6 | |
Gentleman and scholar
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 11,205
Karma: 109961877
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Space City, Texas
Device: Clara HD; Nook ST w/Glowlight, (2015) Glowlight Plus, Paperwhite 3
|
Quote:
Man, B&N does a lot of stupid stuff with their Nook platform. I'm no defender. But vague references to 'writing to the cloud' that have benign, user related explanations isn't going to have me lighting a torch or carrying a pitchfork. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 | |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 2,822
Karma: 12000001
Join Date: Feb 2012
Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5
|
Quote:
5800 calls to Lcom/bn/nook/cloud/iface/Log;->d I'm just pointing this out to people who might not have noticed. Of course knowing every single thing that a user does is helpful. They've done this in laboratories for years evaluating if a question is rephrased that people answer it quicker. A/B testing where you have an app behave differently for 5% of the users is also standard. If you want me to retract the word "spyware", whatever. It's still egregiously bad coding. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 2,058
Karma: 15107670
Join Date: May 2017
Device: Sage, Scribe, Boox Note 2 Plus, iPad Pros and Samsungs S6,S7,S8
|
All ereaders from all sources track us. That's how they can sync amongst all devices and provide reading stats. Everyone tracks us. facebook, tictok..... etc
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 2,822
Karma: 12000001
Join Date: Feb 2012
Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5
|
Sheesh, everybody justifies any amount of surveillance based on the need to synchronize reading position.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 |
Gentleman and scholar
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 11,205
Karma: 109961877
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Space City, Texas
Device: Clara HD; Nook ST w/Glowlight, (2015) Glowlight Plus, Paperwhite 3
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 | |
Gentleman and scholar
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 11,205
Karma: 109961877
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Space City, Texas
Device: Clara HD; Nook ST w/Glowlight, (2015) Glowlight Plus, Paperwhite 3
|
Quote:
Now I can see why it would be creepy to find out B&N is selling data on what books I buy. But I'd guess they do that already. And no need to phone home. They already have my profile and I use that to buy books. What is are they going to do with the knowledge that I read from page 65 to page 98? Maybe I just lack vision. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 | |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 2,822
Karma: 12000001
Join Date: Feb 2012
Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5
|
The point of page turns is the detail, not specifically anything.
I once borrowed "Mein Kampf" (in German) on my friend's library card. (I didn't make it very far, it's boring.) Generally, I'd trust libraries not to do anything with that. Buying it commercially I'd probably end up getting spammed with offers for high capacity magazines (and I don't mean the kind you read). My point was to make people aware of the state of things. I'm not particularly picking on B&N. Personally, I would object mostly to them wasting my bandwidth, storage and processor cycles. On Windows 11 I just got rid of "SysMain". Quote:
Remember the talking paper clip in Windows Office? That's what AI will bring us. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 |
Resident Curmudgeon
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 75,476
Karma: 134254362
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
|
True privacy does not exist. So stop trying to achieve it because you cannot.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 2,822
Karma: 12000001
Join Date: Feb 2012
Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 |
Bibliophagist
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 38,473
Karma: 152905840
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Vancouver
Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos
|
You could always emulate one friend from high school. He lives in a houseboat with power from solar panels/batteries for his limited uses. There is no WiFi, no computers or other electronic gadgets, his refrigerator is run from a propane bottle. He visits town once a week to do his grocery and other shopping. In case of emergency, someone has to visit him to deliver the message. He does have an enviable collection of physical books and will borrow library books while in town.
Not a lifestyle I could emulate but he seems happy enough and has about as minimal a footprint as can be maintained in today's world. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Spyware in firmware | vcot | Onyx Boox | 20 | 12-26-2020 11:34 PM |
Trojan spyware in calibre mac OS build | zaster | Calibre | 9 | 06-28-2019 03:38 AM |
candy.js spyware embedded in ebooks | fjtorres | News | 69 | 08-13-2015 11:52 PM |
Kindle 3 scans 2 worms and 1 spyware after using Calibre? | dancingbacon | Devices | 4 | 06-13-2011 08:05 AM |