for security reasons i'm hesitant to design a microphone into MNT Reform Next. and for a call i would rather use a clip-on or bluetooth headset mic. what's your take on this?

@mntmn would it be feasible to design a slide switch in that disconnects the mic? e.g. DPST to disconnect both lines on an electret type or VCC + DAT (with pulldowns) on a MEMS type, so it's physically disabled.

@mntmn unless it has a hardware switch, agree to no hardwired microphone.

@lina are these real USB internally though (soundcard) or use some weird audio alt mode on USB-C?

@mntmn would a module slot, like framework do, for camera/microphone/both/something else would be doable?
This would let you not just disconnect the camera/mic with a switch but physically remove them or other option like having a better camera with a light ring that doesn't fit in the edge of the screen and carry in a separate pouch

@gkrnours the camera is already a removable module

I would rather have a builtin mic. I've never used a bluetooth microphone or headphones because I've never hardware that forced me to.

@mntmn when using a laptop, I find it overwhelmingly most convenient to plug in headphones and speak to the mic in the laptop. However
1. I don't know if I'd expect the same things of the Reform as other devices, due to eg form factor.
2. I do own a bluetooth headset, and
3. Half the time I wind up plugging in an external mic anyway for sound quality…
I find the "mics are a threat" point compelling, so I don't know what I'd recommend.

@mntmn On my lenovo, the camera has a disable switch which *physically moves a piece of plastic in front of the camera*. I love it because not only is the camera disabled I can *see* it's disabled. I keep wondering what the audio equivalent of that. Yeah there's hardware disable switches, but I can't "see" a circuit failing to connect. I wonder if it could make sense for the microphone to be like… I dunno, a removable module. And then maybe it could be replaced with an ADC/audio-line-in jack.

@mntmn Pluggable laptop components sounds hard, but maybe you could do something like, you make a bluetooth microphone that's designed to be clipped on to a laptop, and you design your laptop body to have a place to clip it on. And then if you want to disable it you just physically remove it. I don't know. I am thinking out loud.

@mntmn Agreed! USB/bluetooth/analog mics are a much better option in my mind. That said, I'm an #OpenBSD user and audio/video recording is disabled at the kernel level, so it's _less_ -- though still not none! -- of an issue for me.

@mntmn yes every info i got says it's a full on usb with soundcard. doesnt do anything funky. lots of people reporting that it works with windows machines. about controls:idk there's nothing i seen online. i might buy one to test it out someday
personaly i still have the older jack modell which has a different pin layout and that doesnt work(because it's CTIA, only sound works)

@lina nice

@mntmn Add a switch? Speakers can be used as bad microphones, if we are talking security...

@mcc @mntmn I'd love that, but one thing that always pissed me off a lot is the sub-par bluetooth head-set audio quality, is there any high-res bluetooth microphone?

@ReneRebe @mntmn minute would know better than i do but what somebody told me is that a pure bluetooth microphone is capable of relatively high quality but if you need *bidirectional* audio, like a headset with earphones *and* a mic, it goes into a degraded-quality mode. I am trying to confirm this claim on Google right now and failing. (I've mostly avoided bluetooth myself.)

@mntmn I just use USB mics anyway.
Most laptop integrated mics are... not that great. 😬

@mntmn Well if it isn't there, it can't be highjacked.

On the other hand it would be nice not to have to rely on an external thing to be able to do a video conversation.

(So I guess... I'm not really helpful here...?)

@mntmn Agreed - waste of time, resources and effort. People who won't ever use it will still need to cover the added cost. Plus most people already have surveillance devices with mics, cameras and plenty of other sensors.

@mntmn , I agree on no mic. I guess most people use headset for calls anyway? Camera with kill-switch is very nice tho (saw your other post). I prefer using a headset, but I don’t want to carry around a webcam.

@reboot very interesting thread. yes, the camera is a hardware module that is an option you have to explicitly choose, and which can be physically removed.