Privacy @lemmy.world Cossty @lemmy.world 2w ago

Why do NOTHING's earbuds need my browser history?

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.

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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.
- 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?
- “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
  
  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.
- 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
- 100% KZ with Bluetooth...best cheap amazing headphones I've ever owned. They're my daily drivers
- 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.
  
  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.
  
  Bluetooth ear hooks are also available
  
  You can get a behind the ear adapter. I don't have a cable.
- Are there any good BT adapters that you know of? And do they have ANC?
  
  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.
  
  $20 ANC is gonna be difficult (or impossible), maybe a used pair?
Because they want to check if there's Nothing in your history!
Because nothing is sacred to them.
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...
Isn’t spez a part of nothing?
- I just checked. Yes, spez is investor of nothing. Another reason to avoid this company.
  
  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
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.
- 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
Throw this garbage away.
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
- I didn't think of that. The app seems to work fine without internet access. Thanks for the advice.
- 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.
  
  There is.
Testing the app or any other service from the same company before purchasing their stuff gives you a rough idea about the business behind
Don't worry about it. It's Nothing
Nothing buds reportedly work with, gadget bridge. May be worth a try
- I wish I knew about this app sooner. I would pick something based off that. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
~~NOTHING~~ EVERYTHING

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