Google Confirms Small Number of Pixel Phones Have Broken Microphones (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report on The Verge: Google says that a small number of Pixel phones have broken microphones that need to be sent back for replacement. The issue is seemingly not that widespread. Google claims the issue is present on less than 1 percent of devices -- the company also announced that it would replace defective phones last month, and it went largely unnoticed until now. Google says the primary cause for Pixels having microphone issues is a "hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec," which causes all three of the device's mics to go out at once. The issue has apparently been known about for several months now. Google says it's been "taking additional steps to reinforce the connection" since January and that phones built or refurbished since then should be fine.

Comments

Uh oh

[Motherfucking Shit]

The NSA and CIA are going to want a refund.

Re:Uh oh

[Phusion]

-sigh- came in here to make this comment. Kudos to you sir.

Re:Uh oh

[Anonymous Coward]

doesn't seem that off-topic

Why THREE mics? Front, Back, Always on

Re:Uh oh

[Anonymous Coward]

I understand an extra mike for noise cancellation reasons (don't believe it, but I can understand it). 3 can only be for in case the main mikes fail, the third can still eavesdrop on you via backdoors. Battery can't be removed, therefore it can always be turned on remotely. The world we live in has changed immensely in the last 20 years, not for the good.

News?

[Thelasko]

Why is this news. Manufacturers have defects all of the time. It's a small number of phones. Who cares!

It's not like they randomly bust into flames or anything.

Re:News?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a sign o' the times, human interest piece.

The story is not the broken microphone itself, but the fact that being on a phone you might think it somewhat important, but *no one noticed* because no one uses their phone for something as pedestrian as making a phone call any more.

Re:News?

[geek]

Why is this news. Manufacturers have defects all of the time. It's a small number of phones. Who cares!

It's not like they randomly bust into flames or anything.

The Pixel phones have been plagued by issue after issue. For a "premium" device the QA has been pretty terrible.

Re:News?

[DontBeAMoran]

For a "premium" device the QA has been pretty terrible.

Yet another proof that Google are copying Apple.

Re:News?

[DaHat]

Yup, the biggest issue being lack of availability.

Just try getting a XL 128 GB without paying a scalper $1200-$1500 for a device which is supposed to retail for $869... and this 5 months since release.

Re:News?

[Anonymous Coward]

The Pixel isn't just a premium phone, it is THE Android flagship: the one designed by Google that is supposed to showcase what the latest and greatest things about Android.

Apparently sloppiness is what is "in" for Android right now.

Re:News?

[thegarbz]

Why is this news. Manufacturers have defects all of the time.

Because a manufacturer came out early and said they will honour replacements before it became an issue. That's about as Newsworthy as it news gets.

Re:News?

[Radish03]

Indeed. I'll replace my current phone (functional, but very much showing wear and age) with a 128gb Pixel XL the second google lists them for sale again, if I'm not too slow, but unless they've really ramped up manufacturing, I'm not totally sure I'll have that chance before the 2017 model is released. The stock tracker (http://www.nowinstock.net/electronics/mobilephones/unlocked/googlepixel/) says it's been in stock something like 9 days throughout the past two months.

Re:News?

[Anonymous Coward]

The new Moto phone will be released soon with sdcard support, 32gb onboard memory, Nougat, and minimal bloat. $229. What more does anyone 'really' need?

Re: News?

[Anonymous Coward]

Didn't think I needed an amazing camera. Then I got a Pixel.

Suddenly everyone is asking me for high res copies of my photos for posters.

It really makes day to day photos look like professional wedding pictures.

The macro ability is amazing too - I got an amazing shot of the antennae of a wasp when it landed on me. Nobody seems to have reported on that.

Re:News?

[Coren22]

They could also be copying Samsung...

I do love my Google phone though.

Re:News?

[Coren22]

Yeah, I can recall the last fault in another manufacturer's phone where they kept denying the problem and deleting forum threads about the issue. Then there was the other time where everyone was told they were holding their phones wrong to cover for a manufacturing defect.

This is a feature...

[Anonymous Coward]

to prevent wire tapping. Once perfected it will be rolled out to the wider user base.

solder, huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

Must be a super fine pitch device, like .35mm, this means the paste stencil and solder paste and reflow need to be *just so* to work reliably.

Re:solder, huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

You must not know how reflow soldering works. The parts literally align themselves from surface tension.

Weird, a broken mic is why I replaced my Nexus

[wiredog]

With a Pixel. About 2 weeks ago, so hopefully it won't have this defect.

Re:Weird, a broken mic is why I replaced my Nexus

[Tx]

Hmm, my Pixel's mic seems to be a bit crap, but I don't think it's this fault. It seems to sometimes completely ignore "ok Google", but when I manually hit the mic icon, it then responds fine to voice commands, so the mic itself seems to be working ok. Maybe I need to retrain the voice model. I tried to "ok Google" the other day, and the Pixel in my hand wouldn't respond, but the Sony tablet in the next room did!

Re:Weird, a broken mic is why I replaced my Nexus

[Coren22]

According to The Fine Summary, you are in the clear as the problem was recognized and corrected in January.

Fail fail fail

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

"hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec,"

A codec is software, who knew software could have a hairline crack in the solder?

Re:Fail fail fail

[Stewie241]

I noticed that too, but assumed it meant they had a hardware codec chip. Something like: http://www.ebay.com/itm/AKM-AK...

Re:Fail fail fail

[scubamage]

A codec can be hardware or software.

Re: Fail fail fail

[Anonymous Coward]

Can somebody please mod down the parent comment? He clearly has no idea what he's talking about.

"Codec" is a portmanteau of "coder-decoder". A codec can be implemented in hardware or in software, and sometimes using both approaches.

The codecs in phones are often implemented in hardware due to tight latency tolerances, and to reduce power consumption.

I know the quality of the comments here has really dropped off, but the parent comment is particularly ignorant and idiotic.

Re:Fail fail fail

[freeze128]

Haven't you ever heard of "cracking software"?

Re:Fail fail fail

[squiggleslash]

A codec is simply something that converts audio/video/whatever from one format to another. It certainly can be hardware.

I was confused too when I first used it heard to describe on-motherboard audio systems in the 1990s, but that's a legitimate use.

Ironically, most who don't think it's suitable for hardware also are the people who use it to describe formats like H.264 or AAC. You can use a (hardware or software) codec to convert something into H.264, but H.264 isn't the actual codec, it's the format.

Re:Fail fail fail

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

A codec is simply something that converts audio/video/whatever from one format to another. It certainly can be hardware.

No. It can be implemented in hardware but it is not hardware. You can buy a codec, but you can't have a hairline crack in a piece of software.

You may as well say "My mp3 has a hairline crack in it"

Re:Fail fail fail

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

Keyword, "chip".

A codec can be implemented in hardware but it is not hardware. They may as well have said "My mp3 has a hairline crack in it".

Re:Fail fail fail

[Anonymous Coward]

My MP3 can't have a hairline crack in it, but my MP3 codec chip certainly can.

And software implemented in hardware, by definition is hardware. If software implemented in hardware wasn't hardware, then there would be no such thing as hardware, since most hardware is synthesized from VHDL or Verilog.

Re:Fail fail fail

[spire3661]

Code/decoder implementations can be hardware or software.

codec
kdek/
noun
a device or program that compresses data to enable faster transmission and decompresses received data.

Re:Fail fail fail

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

It may be a sloppy usage, or just unfamiliar to people used to dealing with the delights of 'codec packs' and getting oddball media to play back; but the term 'audio codec' appears to be what they use for the chip that handles talking to one or more mics and audio ins and outs and(possibly in addition to providing hardware accellerated processing of certain features) wraps that all up into a(fairly high speed; but conveniently low pin count and digital, I2S or similar inter-chip audio bus) for connection to the SoC.

At least in the case of the Pixel XL; the part in question is a Qualcomm WCD9335. The usual joys of actually finding Qualcomm datasheets apply; but it's referred to as a "WCD9335 audio codec" in a variety of places it is mentioned.

Given contemporary CPU power, I'm not sure if having the coding and decoding offboard is of much interest anymore; but using the offboard codec allows you to get away with supporting a wide variety of different audio capabilities(anywhere from just single mic and speaker to fancy array mics and zillions of audio ins and outs) with the same SoC implementing a relatively simple digital bus(no need to add a whole bunch of ADCs and DACs to every SoC just in case some high-end phone models want to use them); and allowing the designer to choose a codec chip based on how many mics and audio outs they need to support; whether they care about 'audiophile' DACs, etc.

Somewhat analogous to 'Intel HD Audio' on the PC side: this specifies a fairly cheap and flexible interface with some amount of standardization of how you talk to various features; but doesn't require adding ADCs and DACs to the CPU or chipset; and allows motherboard vendors to use any support chip that speaks HDA depending on their desired budget, number of audio ins and outs, interest in audio quality, etc.

They aren't the vendor used by the Pixel, to my knowledge; but take a look at Cirrus Logic's "'Codecs' page for a whole bunch of datasheets outlining the purpose and capabilities of chips referred to as 'audio codecs'.

Re:Fail fail fail

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

codec = compressor/decompressor

serdes = serializer / deserializer

modem = modulator / demodulator

Most of these terms originated in hardward and migrated to software.

Re:Fail fail fail

[Anonymous Coward]

It's shorthand for: The dedicated integrated circuit that contains a codec state machine.

The codec often reads the pulse-density modulated output of a MEMS microphone and converts it into pulse-code modulated data.

Re:Fail fail fail

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

So you are going to call the graphics card rendering OpenGL triangles software?

Re:Fail fail fail

[GuB-42]

Hardware audio codecs are integrated ADC/DACs. Their main purpose is act as a bridge between the analog and the digital part of the audio system. Usually they don't know anything about digital audio formats.
While they have the same name as software codecs, they operate on a different level. Software codecs convert a stream of bits into a different stream of bits, hardware codecs convert an electrical signal into a different electrical signal.
To make things even more confusing, things like mp3 implemented in hardware can are also called a hardware codec. However, it is generally not people mean when they are talking about audio codecs on a motherboard.

Re:Fail fail fail

[thegarbz]

A codec is software

No a codec is a description of a process (coding and decoding). The way it is implemented is entirely up to the person creating it.

Fun fact, codec was was used to describe hardware conversion of audio in both analogue and digital domains long before it was used to describe software compression, conversion, and other processes on your computer.

Re:Fail fail fail

[squiggleslash]

No. It can be implemented in hardware but it is not hardware

Yes, it can be in hardware. I'm wondering if you're one of the people (I was once too, there's no shame in it) that I'm discussing in the second half of my comment.

Codecs convert from one format to another. They can be hardware or software. They are not to be confused with the formats themselves.

Re:Fail fail fail

[Anonymous Coward]

Codec for hardware engineers is a combination of an ADC and DAC in a single chip. Most of the time it is 'encoded' as PCM.

This may sound a bit weird because PCM is hardly encoding. However it is not as easy as you think, most modern ADC converters (and modern DAC as well) are delta-sigma converters with a 1 bit output at a very high sample rate. This 1 bit output is then passed through several digital low-pass filters to convert this to 24 bit PCM.

In very special cases you can also find ADC/DACs that uses this 1 bit signal, so another chip can process this. Most of the time however the Codec will do this processing for you and you can simply get a nice PCM encoded signal into your processor.

Re:Fail fail fail

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

No a codec is a description of a process (coding and decoding). The way it is implemented is entirely up to the person creating it.

Fun fact, codec was was used to describe hardware conversion of audio in both analogue and digital domains long before it was used to describe software compression, conversion, and other processes on your computer.

I reject your reality and substitute my own! ;)

Re:Fail fail fail

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

Despite people far more knowledgeable than I correcting me, I will stick to my outmoded and almost certainly erroneous mode of thinking!

You'll not sway my thinking with your tricky, underhanded facts! lol

Re:Fail fail fail

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

So you are going to call the graphics card rendering OpenGL triangles software?

Yes, no matter how wonderfully pointy and triangular they are.

grumble grumble firmware grumble grumble

Re:Fail fail fail

[Anonymous Coward]

Codecs enCode and Decode. It is inherently a mathmatic function. That function can be implemented in either HW or SW but is not HW itself. Come on man. It's one step up the logical hierarchy. Like a dove is a bird but not all birds are doves. The codec can be implemented in various ways but it is a mathematical definition.

Reread justanotheroldguy's point because you missed what he is saying. There is the format the codex and the implementation youre conducting the codes with the implementation of the codec and saying that they are interchangeable.

Re:Fail fail fail

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

codec = compressor/decompressor
serdes = serializer / deserializer
modem = modulator / demodulator
Most of these terms originated in hardward and migrated to software.

And that's when you youngn's went off the track and sullied my ossified view of this here world, dangnabbit! ;)

Re:Fail fail fail

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

Your unassailable logic and first-hand knowledge is no match for my stubborn dismissal of the facts! ;)

grumble grumble grumble grumble

Re:Fail fail fail

[kevmeister]

First, CODEC is short for coder-decoder. Whether it is done in hardware or software, any tool which performs the function of accepting a digital stream in a specified format and outputting it in a different digital format is a CODEC. H.264 is not quite a codec, but any software or hardware that accepts a data stream in a digital format and outputs it into another is a codec and H.264 is usually called a codec because it describes a a standard for taking a raw video data stream and compressing it into well known encoding. The actual input my be any most anything as long as the decode part of the codec can understand it.

Actually, CODEC took the old, analog/digital domain term "modem" (modulator/demodulator) and moved it into the all digital domain, keeping the order the same.

Not too long ago software was too slow to implement a real-time audio codec at a reasonable price, so most people assumed hardware when you talked about a codec. By not long ago, I mean beck in the 1980s. (Yes, I'm old.)

please clarify the term?

[Anonymous Coward]

I was under the impression that the "codec" was software used to control/parse/interpret the data gained from hardware. Something to download like video codecs to play various different video files.

Does the term Codec now cover the hardware component as well?

Re:please clarify the term?

[Stewie241]

Codec is short for encode/decode. So a hardware codec would be a chip that performs encoding and decoding of an audio stream. They probably could have used a software codec and ran it on the CPU, but seemingly instead opted to use a hardware codec that would be more optimized for the particular algorithm they were using.

Re:please clarify the term?

[TechyImmigrant]

Codecs can be implemented both in hardware and software.

Codecs for high quality compressed speech codes can be computationally intensive and so may be better done in hardware.

Re:please clarify the term?

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

It does. The part in the Pixel is(I think) a Qualcomm; but they are annoying as hell to get datasheets for; so these examples are Realtek:

Here are their I2S codecs(what you'd likely find in a cellphone or similar device); and here are the Intel HDA ones; as you'd see in a PC. Unless you are doing something particularly fancy(in which case the an offboard DSP might actually be worth the trouble); the main purpose appears to be allowing you to decouple the ADCs and DACs(which aren't necessarily well suited to being fabbed on the process that makes the most sense for a SoC or PC chipset; and which can vary widely in number and quality depending on the desired features of the product, which would lead to nasty SKU proliferation) from the SoC or chipset; with just a simple, versatile, digital data link between the two chips, allowing the SoC or chipset to support a wide variety of audio configurations with just one design; and allowing the device vendor to get their choice of features and performance(anywhere from a single mic, single audio out, lousy ADC and DAC quality; up to zillions-of-peripherals-and-golden-eared-audiophile-DACs) just by attaching a different codec chip.

The most spartan designs might not need a 'codec' at all(you can get MEMs mics that speak I2S directly, with the analog support circutry integrated into the package; and you can also get audio amps/speaker/headphone drivers that speak I2S directly and have a DAC onboard, rather than accepting a low voltage analog audio input); but if you've got a mic array, a speaker, headphone/mic jack, line out, etc. a codec can bundle up all the support for the various analog interfaces and allow you to attach them all to the SoC/chipset with a single digital bus.

In this case, the fact that it's a codec soldering issue is presumably why all three mics die at once. That would be seriously unlikely if the mics themselves failed; but the codec handles all the mics, so a failure there knocks out the mics in roughly the same way that just yanking out a soundcard would.

Re:please clarify the term?

[tlhIngan]

The most spartan designs might not need a 'codec' at all(you can get MEMs mics that speak I2S directly, with the analog support circutry integrated into the package; and you can also get audio amps/speaker/headphone drivers that speak I2S directly and have a DAC onboard, rather than accepting a low voltage analog audio input); but if you've got a mic array, a speaker, headphone/mic jack, line out, etc. a codec can bundle up all the support for the various analog interfaces and allow you to attach them all to the SoC/chipset with a single digital bus.

In this case, the fact that it's a codec soldering issue is presumably why all three mics die at once. That would be seriously unlikely if the mics themselves failed; but the codec handles all the mics, so a failure there knocks out the mics in roughly the same way that just yanking out a soundcard would.

Actually, for microphones, you don't usually use analog ones hooked to a codec providing the data via I2S in modern phones.

You use "digital microphones" that output PDM coded audio directly (PDM = pulse density modulation - the higher the signal value, the closer the pulses are together). PDM has a trade name of DSD (Direct Stream Digital) as it's the format used by Soper Audio CD and "1-bit DACs". (They only output 1s and 0s, the density of 1s describes the signal level).

This lets you connect up an array of microphones (usually at least 3 on modern phones) using minimal pins and support electronics - a PDM microphone takes just 2 wires - clock (in) and data (out), and if you have an array, they can share a clock line so your 3 microphones use just 4 lines.

A crack on the clock line would easily disable all the microphones.

You'd care if it were your phone.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's a small number of phones. Who cares!

You'd probably care a lot if it were your phone that suddenly stopped working because of a busted microphone, especially if it happened when you needed to make a critical call (like to the police, firefighters or paramedics).

When somebody is paying $600 or more for a phone, it's perfectly reasonable for them to expect that something as essential as the microphone works reliably and does not break unexpectedly.

Given that phones are commonly used to make emergency calls, people with these devices should be made aware of this flaw as quickly as possible so that they can protect themselves from unexpected failures.

Downplaying this serious problem is a dumb thing to do when we consider how critical phones can be.

Re:You'd care if it were your phone.

[CannonballHead]

when you needed to make a critical call

Wait, what? You use your phone to do what? What's a "call?" Is it free in the app store?

God Hates Fags

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Sodomy/homosexuality_is_a_sin.htm

Homosexuality is a Filthy Sin!

by David J. Stewart | November 2003 | Updated February 2017

Romans 1:26-28, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”

Silencing the Christians | Lessons From The Life Of Lot | Frightening Gay Statistics | The Bible & The Homosexual | Chick-Fil-A
Violence and Homosexuality | Homosexuality and Child Sexual Abuse | Why Taylor Swift Is A Bad Role Model For Girls

Please understand that the intent of this article is NOT to condemn homosexuals; but rather, to take a Biblical stand against the sinful Homosexual Agenda, especially their threat against our children in this perverse and wicked generation. I make no apologies for preaching THE TRUTH! Yet, I want you to understand if you're a homosexual that God still loves you, and there is Christian help available for you if you desire it, and God still wants to save you from your sins and give to you eternal life. Thankfully, Jesus Came To SAVE SINNERS!

May I say, we ought not be gay-bashers (i.e., hateful toward sinners), but we should preach against the sin of homosexuality. We must hate the sin, but love the sinner! Should Christians Love Their Homosexual Neighbors? (Yes, unconditionally). Jude 1:22, “And of some have compassion, making a difference.” John 3:17 teaches that Jesus did not come into the world to CONDEMN sinners; but rather, to SAVE THEM! John 3:17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” The Holy Bible condemns all humanity, because we are all woeful sinners. We all deserve to be punished for our sins in the fires of Hell for eternity. But thanks be to God, Jesus paid our sin debt dying on the cross, was buried, and is risen! God loves you friend, whoever you may be! Micah 7:18a, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity...”

Please listen to the eye-opening and life-changing MP3 sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) titled, “SODOMY.” Also, please listen to The Sinner's Friend (MP3 by Dr. Hyles). While we intensely hate sin as Christian believers, we ought to love sinners! The Big Problem In America Is Tolerance, Not Intolerance (a great quote from Dr. Bob Jones Sr., 1883-1968). I don't hate anyone. I am a sinner saved by God's grace, and I am commanded to love everyone with God's love. Sin always fascinates, and then it assassinates! Sin always thrills, and then it kills! Please read what Evangelist John R. Rice (1895-1980) wrote about the sin of homosexuality.

All humanity are guilty, dirty, rotten, hell-deserving, sinners (Romans 3:10-23; 6:23). I heard Pastor Joel Osteen say that he doesn't preach against homosexuality because it has been exalted above other sins nowadays. What a cop out! That's exactly why we ought to take a Biblical stand against the sin of homosexuality! Sodomites are forcing their perverse deathstyle upon American society and our precious children. The homosexual activist movement and organized pedophiles are linked together by a common goal: To gain access to children for seduction into homosexuality. Anyone who dares to wrest the Scriptures in an attempt to justify homosexuality is pulling on the same rope as the Devil. God is a holy God! All sin is wrong! The

Google confirms 60++% adview decrease

[Anonymous Coward]

I love helping that happen via APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-7 32/64-bit https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=%22APK+Hosts+File+Engine%22+and+%22start64%22&btnG=Google+Search&gbv=1/

Ads & malware rob speed/security/privacy

Hosts add speed (via hardcodes/adblocks), security (vs. bad sites/malware/poisoned dns), reliability (vs. dns down), & anonymity (vs. dns requestlogs/trackers).

Less power/cpu/ram + IO use vs. DNS/routers/addons/antivirus + less security bugs/complexity & faster vs. addons/routers/remote dns!

Avoids DNSChangers in routers/IP settings & dns redirects (99.999% of ISP DNS != patched vs. it) + lightens DNS load & resolves faster from local system RAM!

* Via what u NATIVELY have built into the IP stack in FASTER kernelmode!

APK

P.S. - Safe https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/e01211ca36aa02e923f20adee0a3c4f5d5187dc65bdf1c997b3da3c2b0745425/analysis/1433430542/

RoHS FTW!

[TechyImmigrant]

"hairline crack in the solder connection on the audio codec"

This is what happens when you ban lead in solder.
A slight miscalibration or unaccounted for solder shadowing and the joint will form brittle then pull itself apart.

are you saying...

[ooloorie]

You can make phone calls on the Pixel Phones as well?

Re:are you saying...

[Anonymous Coward]

You can make phone calls on the Pixel Phones as well?

Apparently with this flaw, not successfully.

And Apple is confirming

[Anonymous Coward]

a large number of iPhones lack a headphone jack,

Can you hear me now?

[Anonymous Coward]

.....

They have been called Audio Codec Chips since...

[Anonymous Coward]

AC97. 'nuff said.

Google confirms 60++% adview decrease

[Anonymous Coward]

I love helping it happen via APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-7 32/64-bit https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=%22APK+Hosts+File+Engine%22+and+%22start64%22&btnG=Google+Search&gbv=1/

Ads & malware rob speed/security/privacy

Hosts add speed (via hardcodes/adblocks), security (vs. bad sites/malware/poisoned dns), reliability (vs. dns down), & anonymity (vs. dns requestlogs/trackers).

Less power/cpu/ram + IO use vs. DNS/routers/addons/antivirus + less security bugs/complexity & faster vs. addons/routers/remote dns!

Avoids DNSChangers in routers/IP settings & dns redirects (99.999% of ISP DNS != patched vs. it) + lightens DNS load & resolves faster from local system RAM!

* Via what u NATIVELY have built into the IP stack in FASTER kernelmode!

APK

P.S. - Safe https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/e01211ca36aa02e923f20adee0a3c4f5d5187dc65bdf1c997b3da3c2b0745425/analysis/1433430542/

Simple math.

[ckatko]

1% of 3,000,000 = 30,000 really pissed off customers.

If it was far less than 1%, they would have told us it was "less than .01%" or something like that.

Source for sold numbers:

http://www.pcworld.com/article...

Re:Simple math.

[TechyImmigrant]

1% is a pretty serious flaw. If it was my product I would be concerned as to whether or not it was a progressive failure and they're all going to fail in the end.

Secure Mode

[Anonymous Coward]

This would actually make a great feature, wherein there was no microphone at all and only a headset, easily disconnected when not actually in use.

Google confirms 60++% adview decrease

[Anonymous Coward]

I help it happen via APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-7 32/64-bit https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=%22APK+Hosts+File+Engine%22+and+%22start64%22&btnG=Google+Search&gbv=1/

Ads & malware rob speed/security/privacy

Hosts add speed (via hardcodes/adblocks), security (vs. bad sites/malware/poisoned dns), reliability (vs. dns down), & anonymity (vs. dns requestlogs/trackers).

Less power/cpu/ram + IO use vs. DNS/routers/addons/antivirus + less security bugs/complexity & faster vs. addons/routers/remote dns!

Avoids DNSChangers in routers/IP settings & dns redirects (99.999% of ISP DNS != patched vs. it) + lightens DNS load & resolves faster from local system RAM!

* Via what u NATIVELY have built into the IP stack in FASTER kernelmode!

APK

P.S. - Safe https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/e01211ca36aa02e923f20adee0a3c4f5d5187dc65bdf1c997b3da3c2b0745425/analysis/1433430542/

A "small" number...

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe it's just stuck at 301 while it waits for validation.