Wasn't Yelp the one that was calling up businesses offering to remove bad reviews for the right price?
What other apps use Google's "Android Private Compute Core" and therefore don't show mic or camera usage notifications? Not trying to sound all tinfoil hat here, but seriously: can apps other than those from Google use the "Android Private Compute Core"? Even if only Google's own apps can use the "Android Private Compute Core", we can't see the source code for Google's apps as (far as I know, anyway) they are not open source. If an app is not open source, we do not really know what the app is doing in the background; we'll just have to take them at their word.
I'm not sure how other apps or android versions work. This is a flaw with the closed source software ecosystem.
Google's "Now playing" feature constantly listens to what's going on in the background to show you what songs are playing. They claim this is done with a local database of song "fingerprints". The feature does not show the microphone indicator because: "...Now Playing is protected by Android's Private Compute Core..."
I'm not saying that other, non-google, app do this to my knowledge; but the fact that this is a thing is honestly a bit scary.
Google's "Now playing" feature constantly listens to what's going on in the background to show you what songs are playing. They claim this is done with a local database of song "fingerprints". The feature does not show the microphone indicator because: "...Now Playing is protected by Android's Private Compute Core..."
I'm not saying that other, non-google, app do this to my knowledge; but the fact that this is a thing is honestly a bit scary.
Edit: screenshot of the "Now Playing" feature
OP did not specify what services they were using. I assumed if they were interested in tinkering with this sort of thing, they probably host something like Plex or jellyfin.
Honestly I'd start looking for ssf/tiny PCs being sold off by local businesses. I'd be putting some sort of Linux distro on it. I've been meaning to check out a few projects like KDE Big Screen and others. Unless there is some sort of killer Android app you can't live without.
Plus one for the gli.net router. I've got the Beryl AX and it's great. Ended up going with a wireguard VPN rather than tailscale, but either would work.
Ive been pretty happy so far with roku and blocking stuff with pihole, but every day I am more and more tempted to build a media pc...
Never knew that was Oaisis. Great movie.
"He's my partner. Now that doesnt mean we go on long walks on the beach. It means I try to keep him out of as much trouble as he gets me in."