I just received a new Fire TV cube gen 3, because my old one is malfunctioning. I know, I hate these devices myself, but it’s the only option right now, since a new version of the Nvidia shield isn’t coming in the foreseeable future.
So, I plugged in the power chord and the HDMI cable into the cube.
When it booted up it showed a screen that it’s downloading the newest update. At first I thought this must be some typo-bug on the initial boot steps, because I haven’t even connected it to the internet yet, neither via cable nor did I go through the wifi setup.
After the update has finished, I was greeted with my real name and the cube indeed had the actual WiFi settings!
WTF?! How’s that even possible?
Did you order it using your Amazon account? I think they pre-configure them for you unless you say “this is a gift” when ordering.
yes I did order it with my Amazon account
However, as appreciative as I am for making my setup process easier, I’m also not happy with the fact, that some random dude had access to my device prior to me.
Who says he’s not part of some weird group installing miners or bots onto my device causing it to slow down over time?
You have an Amazon account, dude. Amazon already has your fucking information. ALL OF IT. Including things like card numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and your purchasing and viewing habits.
It pulled wifi settings from another Amazon device that you have, most likely.
It also downloaded your fucking information when it accessed the internet.
Do you really think there’s some fuckin’ rando sitting there doing nothing in an Amazon warehouse until the moment you order this thing, when they just plug it into a server and download your information to it?
No, it connected to your wifi and downloaded it.
Welcome to how almost every single electronic device operates.
If you’re worried about miners or bots you shouldn’t be purchasing invasive shit to plug into your home network. In fact, you shouldn’t even have a home network.
No, it connected to your wifi and downloaded it.
I know thst, but when and how did it get the wifi info.
Did they automatically flash that onto the device, sealed the box packaged it and delivered it - all within 24hrs.
From @7eter below.
“Frustration-Free Setup utilizes a network of helper devices (such as compatible Echo devices, Fire TV devices, routers, or smartphones with certain Amazon apps) that are already connected to the internet to help you set up new devices in fewer steps. When you turn on a new compatible device, helper devices in range can help it connect to your networks and/or to Alexa via wifi, Zigbee, Bluetooth, or Matter.”
In other words: your amazon devices are freely giving your wifi info to any nearby new amazon device regardless of whether you’ve signed into that new device or not.
Begs the question: What other clearly private info do they give away with 0 auth or verification?
“Freely” if you enable the setting as the user posted above.
with 0 auth or verification
The verification still needs one of the devices listed in my post to be active on your wifi to allow the setup and communication.
The auth is likely done by device to device handshake. Its just that there isn’t a human involved.
Don’t get me wrong I hate Amazon as much as anyone and would never have one of their devices in my home.
But most of the other posts in this thread are missing the technical aspect of the question.
Depending on a setting being disabled thats more than likely on by default isn’t much comfort. Most people won’t know about or look for those kinds of settings, especially with the deceptive descriptions often used for features like these.
To be clear, I don’t use these devices either; I’m just concerned for those that don’t know any better.
The verification still needs one of the devices listed in my post to be active on your wifi to allow the setup and communication.
Yes, that’s what I said; your amazon devices are giving away your wifi info to new devices. As in once you’ve allowed an amazon device onto your network, any new device can add itself to that network via your existing device without your input.
This happens before the new device has authenticated into your amazon account as it doesn’t yet have an internet connection (ie before its proven to be your device and not say a neighbours) and before you manually provide authentication for your wifi. Hence the ‘with 0 auth’.
The auth is likely done by device to device handshake. Its just that there isn’t a human involved.
A handshake between a device you own but have little control over and a device you’ve never seen before, may not have physical access too, and that could have been compromised before requesting your info. Great.
I’m not saying they’re beaming it out in plain text for all to read; just that they’ll give your info to a device you may not even be aware of let alone own or have any control over. That device may be a stock Amazon device, or it could be something more malicious.
At some point with the old device you agreed to Amazon saving used WiFi networks on your account, it asks you during setup of all Amazon internet connected devices. All Amazon has to do is connect the device serial number with your Amazon account ID, which is one of the options when you buy an Amazon device.
it’s probably automated
so much better. Instead of a human seeing it, your personal info is now a part of the amazon machine. IMHO it’s even more terrifying to know it’s automated than it would be if some kid unboxed it off the assembly line and personally typed your shit in off a piece of paper.
God I’m old.
To be fair, if you’re ordering from Amazon, your personal info was already “part of the Amazon machine.”
Oh, I know. Was more a reaction to the absurdity of the sentiment that automation was somehow less creepy.
if you got it from Amazon, they can preload your account and wifi details that you previously used with their products
This is likely part of Frustration-Free Setup.
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alright, what’s a 4k hdr alternative then, that supports hdr and dolby vision?
I’ve been using an intel NUC for like 5 years now. It does 4k no problem.
yeah, but does it do HDR? I suppose not.
I would love to use my own setup of hardware/software, but it’s simply not possible without making sacrifices
Anything that supports HDMI 2.0 or Display Port 1.4 can do HDR. My intel nuc does hdmi 2.0, that was why I bought it. So yes, it does. Stop being a naive consumerist and learn what you are actually consuming.
https://r-htpc.github.io/wiki/faq#what-is-hdr-video-and-what-do-i-need-to-take-advantage-of-it
DOLBY VISION AND HDR10+ MEDIA PASSTHROUGH IS NOT SUPPORTED ON HTPCS; If you need support for these, you’ll need a media device/non-PC, like a Nvidia Shield, Fire TV, Dune HD, etc…
I did learn a lot about my consumption, and believe me when I say, that I wish my options were broader. But it is how it is. And most of the content I watch is in HDR10+ or DV.
But yeah, everyone’s milage may vary.
Media passthrough isn’t the same as streaming from the HTPC. IF you look directly above the quote above.
For a HTPC, this means HDR support must be in the video, GPU, video interface (HDMI/DP) and ultimately your output device (typically a TV). HDR10 is supported on HTPCs under Windows, macOS Catalina, Android and (usually) libreelec/coreelec operating systems. Linux is NOT supported.
So you if you have a HDR10+ source on your IntelNUC, or whatever, you can play that over HDMI 2.0 to a compatible TV without an issue.
yes, playback might work, but it will fall back to HDR10 or even SDR, since not all metadata is passed through.
So to fully take advantage of hdr10+, dolby vision, 5.1, atmos, and what not… each device in the chain, from the source to the output, and the hdmi cable, have to fully support it.
What is the purpose of the device? I’m almost certain that there is another option, which is just a small PC running whatever software you need.
Don’t buy an information vacuum if you don’t want your data sucked up. Definitely don’t buy multiple generations of information vacuum from the same company.
Probably the same they use for setting up Kindles since ages albeit there was an option to get it iunconfigured too if you want to use it as a present.
Hmm
Two possibilities:
Is the old device still plugged in while you setup the new one? Perhaps they connected to each other. My previous Samsung phone did this with my new one without prior setup of the ‘feature’, though after I signed into my Samsung account onnthe new phone.
Or it could have come pre-loaded with data on your account…
I’m not very comfortable with either option really.
When I set up my Amazon devices there was an option for it to save my WiFi details but I always declined.
