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Portables Without Cameras?
crankyspice writes "I work routinely in environments where a camera cannot physically be present (e.g., federal court), which really limits what I can carry with me. For instance, I'm a Mac guy, but there's no way to order a MacBook without a built-in webcam (which I've never used on the machines I've owned that have had one). Ditto the iPhone. I'm left with a BlackBerry 8830 and the bottom rung of the [W|L]Intel portables. Even then, when I ordered a Dell Mini 9, I had to wait more than a month because I specified no webcam when I placed the order. This is a relatively common (government, law, sensitive corporate environments) requirement; what have other Slashdotters done? Disabling the camera with a script or somesuch won't convince the $12/hour security guard that there's no camera. How can one easily find portable devices without a built-in camera?"
Disabling the camera with a script or somesuch won't convince the $12/hour security guard that there's no camera. How can one easily find portable devices without a built-in camera?
Simple, non-technical solution: just hire $10/hour security guards!
Trolling is a art,
I've just cruised through this list of netbooks over at Amazon. It returned just over 5,000 results and I can't find one without a camera. I'll keep looking but this leads me to believe that you may just need to look at a regular laptop. And the wait is probably going to exist otherwise because you are obviously looking for something that is just outside the norm for these.
This discussion from last September didn't turn up anything, except the Mini 9 - which you already mention. Though they do bring up one option that I think is the best bet; to open up the case, yank the camera and fill in the spot where it went. It can't be that hard. If some guy can fit an LCD behind the apple logo - you can get the camera out.
The phone issue I find being brought up going back to 2005 and it's probably older - this seemed to offer hope and mentions a few models but it's old and I'm not sure how stuff would have carried forward. Most stuff I find mentions Blackberry which you already have. So my guess is that there is no treasure trove of camera free devices that you have missed. You are just in a tough spot.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
The answer is simple. Break the camera device. It won't break your computer or portable. . it will break the camera.
Make it so it is obvious when you point it out.
Many high security establishments, both government and commercial, realize that they can't stop technology without serious concessions. What some do are to put a special tamper-proof tag over the camera. Then they just inspect the tag when you exit and, if tampered, confiscate the device until it can be validated.
I'm tired of not being able to bring my cell phone into the strip club... I don't wear a watch and rely on the phone for time as well as coordination. The last bachelor party we went to ran WAY over because nobody knew the time and where to meet the limo.
http://images.apple.com/server/macosx/docs/Leopard_Security_Config_2nd_Ed.pdf Page 47: You can also have an Apple Authorized Technician remove the built-in video camera hardware from your Apple computer.
The US govt bought some macbooks without cameras. I don't know if Apple removed them before selling to them, or if they had a 3rd party doing the removal process. What I DO know is they were manufactured with the cameras in them, and removed after production and packaging.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
Get an OQO. Fits in a pocket, full windows xp/vista. Mobile broadband built right in. Extended batteries for hours of use.
http://www.oqo.com/
I'm a satanic clam.
There's someone who's implanting a camera to replace a glass eye. With the singularity and associated transhumanism, this will get more complicated.
I have a similar working situation. Here, we petitioned to be allowed to bring in devices with cameras. The seriously non-technical solution we arrived at is to spray paint over the lens with the color of the case, let it dry, then superglue a piece of clear plastic over the spray paint. The judges approved of it (and did it with their own devices) and security was notified to be aware of this modification.
The only issue? Warranty. The solution? Letter from the judge and from the head of security stating why the procedure was necessary, that to their knowledge the manufacturer of the product has no alternatives without cameras, and to please perform a warranty repair on all portions of the device except the camera. Several of us have taken our devices for repairs. Dell cried like a little girl, but was finally convinced. Apple said no problem, but the camera is not covered. Sony said piss off and die. So, your mileage may vary.
Nevertheless, it works, and a curious security guard just has to pry at it to realize it is not coming off.
> Disabling the camera with a script or somesuch won't convince the $12/hour security guard that there's no camera.
It also would not convince me.
Or paint, or plastic, or whatever.
Do you really think the guys he works with are so stupid that somebody won't eventually say "hey, is that covering up a camera?" then peel it back and discover the camera there? And then the guy in question will get fired and probably face legal charges for knowingly bringing a functional camera into the place.
You're best off just getting something without a camera, really. If you absolutely have to get a device with a camera, find a technician who will physically remove the device for you. The feds do not appreciate people who think they can half-ass security measures and get away with it.
Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
The feds do not appreciate people who think they can half-ass security measures
I know! They get really threatened by people who try to outdo them at their own job.
If this signature is witty enough, maybe somebody will like me.
Hmm I don't think that only low-end laptops don't have cameras. I have an admittedly out-of-date but still relatively powerful Thinkpad T61p. No camera - security at my work prohibit them as well.
This is a silly question.
For the Mac, take it to the Apple store, and ask a tech to open the case. He can remove the camera, control board, etc, etc....
For most PC laptops, the same can be done by any retailer with a tech on site.
For the phones, it may be a little harder to get an authorized tech to open it. You may have to ask the store who is a local authorized repair tech.
If you're not worried about the warranty, do it your self. It's not very hard. If you do it carefully, you can replace the camera later, and if you have to return it for warranty work, they won't be able to tell.
In any of those cases, I recommend keeping the removed parts, should you want to replace them later.
Another option may be to "decorate" the case. Home Depot sells glue backed foil for sealing air conditioning ducts. No, not "duct tape", it's foil tape. Some have written marks, and some don't. I'd go with the unmarked ones. Carefully line the edges of your display with the foil, so it doesn't look ugly. Voila, no camera.
Or option 3.. Bust out the camera with a drill or punch, and fill the hole with a dummy plug or epoxy.
Since you're in a real security environment, I'd go with options 1 or 3. Option 2 can open you up to liability. Since the camera still exists, you're just hiding it, you could in theory uncover it, use it, and then cover it again before you leave the facility.
I used to work in a few pseudo-secure facilities. Their rules were that no recording devices of any sort were allowed on the premises. They were datacenters, so the most I could really get was a picture of what other providers were using. Really, that could prove embarrassing if say I came out of an Equinix facility, showing that the IBM enterprise eBusiness managed hosting service was just a mess of desktops and rackmount machines, badly cabled, in partially filled racks at best. Since they advertise that they have their own facilities, even knowing that they are simply a few cabinets in a cage buried in an Equinix facility would be embarrassing.
I've seen quite a few "enterprise" providers, who run on a few desktop machines jammed into a cabinet. Then again, I've seen even more "enterprise" providers with beautiful setups. It's funny, their customers never get to see the real setup, but a tech who is there to work for another company gets the full view. :)
Anyways, I used to carry cameras, my cell with a camera, or whatever I wanted in. It was a simple matter of burying it so deep in my laptop bag that the security guards wouldn't want to dig through all of it. In the same environments, they require property passes to remove equipment. If you have enough stuff moving, you can move extra stuff too. I've accidentally removed more than the pass showed. It wasn't intentional, it's just that we overlooked a piece, and noticed when we cross-checked the list later. It would have been a lot harder to walk in, and then walk out with just one piece of undocumented equipment.
I've had the same happen with the TSA. They want to search, so I tell them "Go ahead, but you have to put it back like you found it." They unzipper a few compartments, see that they're jammed with cables for various purposes (I come prepared), and then just wipe it down so they can do their attempt at detecting explosives.
On the TSA explosives testing (as I digress)... A friend was driving me to the airport to catch a flight back home. We had already arranged with another friend to go to a local shooting range. I burnt off several hundred rounds of 9mm, .45 ACP and 12 Gauge, which means I handled plenty of ammunition and the residue was all over my hands, arms, face, and clothes. I also handled my carry on (obviously). I didn't really think about i
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
I think the #1 reason its so hard to find a phone with no camera is that the carriers would rather you bought one with a camera (since they can up sell stuff to go with that camera)
I cant believe that there isn't enough demand for camera phones from consumers for manufacturers to continue to include cameras (being that cameras have a non-zero cost)
Cameras were banned at my last job. In fact I had to sign several different layers of paperwork saying I wouldn't bring in any cameras, storage devices, blah blah blah.
What was the first thing they issued me?
A cell phone with a camera in it.
Needless to say, productivity went way down.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32(King James Version)
This includes Federal court and state court.
Each court is different. You have to know your court.
First, if you are an attorney, or go to court regularly as a non-court employee (attorney's assistant, expert witness, etc), then you should have at least one non-camera phone. If you can, try getting a phone you can just pop a SIM chip into and out of easily. (Dunno how well that works in the US -- my US carrier was always Verizon, no SIMs.) Or just go Blackberry (that's what I have, and for that reason).
Second, if you have a reason for needing your laptop this should not be a problem. The prohibition against camera's is not a universal and absolute prohibition.
If you're an attorney, speak with the judge for your case. Using a Macbook/MBP as part of your trial is fine. Explain to him your situation, explain to him any added measures you will take to cover the camera (such as tape), and he will let you take it through. (If he does not, well, you're an attorney -- I shouldn't have to tell you how to fix it.)
If you're not an attorney, but are working for/helping one, then speak with the attorney who is your main contact. Explain the situation and offer multiple ways in which the court may be appeased (such as tape over the camera).
If the judge knows who has the cameras and something then gets out, there will be no problem. The full wrath of the court can be directed at you for breaching the court's trust.
If you truly think you NEED the laptop while in court for something other than the case, why? Either you work there, and then you simply need to ask your supervisor/employer for permission, or you don't and there's no reason for you to be chilling in the courthouse browsing the internets and Twittering with Ashton. (And if you're media -- seriously? No excuse for that, either.)
As for other non-judicial sensitive areas, you're on your own. If I ran a security team at a secure business location, I'd likely not even allow in mobiles to begin with. Regardless, your rights are much more limited in private situations.
Of course, you could always use the advice of some Slashdotters here. First, since Windows is a pain, either get an Apple service center to remove the camera (or get a Linux machine with no camera). Second, go Windows with no camera.
Oh, and as for the Dell Mini 9 -- if you are truly an Apple guy, and you get one of these, you better Hackintosh it. I did mine, and it's fantastic.
Good luck, and have fun.
- Pacer
FYI: A similar action can be taken for hand held devices such as an Apple iPhone.
BTW: You can still use an external camera/microphone for services such as iChat on a MacBook where the built in devices have been removed. When permitted, plugging in an external camera/microphone will temporarily restore such capability. Moreover, by physically removing such external devices when they are not in use, you can better control them. :-)
So buy your MacBook, have a Apple Certified technician remove the offending components, and if needed get a letter of volatility. Q.E.D.
chongo (was here)
There are specific guidelines in place at federal installations that cover this sort of approach. They essentially read "if the device has ever had the capacity to support a camera, it is expressly forbidden in secure locations."
512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
Since it seems you've investigated the technical side of the problem do a little leg work on the human side. Talk to one of the security guards and find out who they report to since ultimately that is who your solution must be agreeable to. Explain the situation and ask what measures would be necessary to take in a device with a disabled camera. You can look at possibly using a case, skin or just a sticker that would obscure the camera just make sure that whoever the security guards report to OKs it.
Then the next obstacle is getting the guards to understand that it has been OKd. Assuming that there is probably a small number of guards that you'll deal with get to know them and preemptively bring the subject up to them, show them the steps you've done to disable the use of the camera and let them know you've talked to their boss about it.
Be prepared for them to still balk at the idea and have equipment around that you can use if they wont let the disabled camera pass. Hopefully at this point they will ask their superior about it and he will verify that he gave his OK and next time you'll be able to take your better toys in with you.
Just keep in mind that the security guards are just trying to do their job to the best of their ability. Things that will draw their attention and almost assuredly lead to your and your disabled camera being turned away/confiscated are any attempts to sneak something past them and any attitude at all if they ask about it. And by all means never wait until discovery/discussion of the device would interrupt court proceedings as that is just a good way to piss of a judge and get yourself found in contempt.