Article reminded me that some people say "by accident" (me) and some say "on accident" (my cousins).
Technology
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
Our Rules
- Follow the lemmy.world rules.
- Only tech related news or articles.
- Be excellent to each other!
- Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
- Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
- Politics threads may be removed.
- No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
- Only approved bots from the list below, this includes using AI responses and summaries. To ask if your bot can be added please contact a mod.
- Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed
- Accounts 7 days and younger will have their posts automatically removed.
Approved Bots
Thats a journalist though. They should know better.
This is an better idea. I was going to shoot them with a paintball gun.
iirc, paintball marker is slightly translucent, right? So maybe like...a sticker?
Some of the cameras by me are a little high up, which is why initially I thought paintball.
I bet I could fly a drone with a trash bag over it though.
One of those spray-can extension poles would probably work pretty well.

My neighbor used to put marbles in his paintball gun
Must have been a scary ghost that disabled those spy cameras.
Why aren't they just... Removing them?
Oh. Its probably because removing them is unnecessarily complicated so they need the company to come do it for them.
If you had read the article you'd know that the cities aren't sure if they can remove them under the terms of their contracts with flock. So they're covering them while working that out.
I'm pretty sure one city did remove them and then Flock just came and put new ones up which is what lead to the trash bags.
We don't do that here bro
Why read all article when some article good enough?
What am I? Some kind of readist? A phisosopher?
READING FOR NERDS
You don't have to worry about a complicated removal if you have an angle grinder.
You'd be surprised how few worries I have when I'm brandishing an angle grinder
on a totally unrelated topic, but harbor freight is a great place to get affordable tools.
Just read the headline. Good
Trash bags just do that sometimes...
Getting the plastic bag scene from American Beauty vibes.
Do also the other thing, where you brake it apart. Same thing, but it's permanently.
Or accelerate it apart
I read the beginning of the title as "Cities are Cowering" and now I think it could easily be a part of an alternate title.
Like your the damn government... Just remove the devices, tell Flock where they can pick them up in the next two weeks otherwise they will be sold as is on open market and pay the termination fee or potential lawsuit. Cities get sued like all the time and I am confident even a moderately competent lawyer could find a cheap way out.
I'm surprised Dayton is doing even that. It's a low bar, sure, but it's also Dayton.
I 100% guarantee that "deactivated" cameras are still operational. It's just not the City getting the data.
They don't just collect video either. Audio, network traffic, Bluetooth devices, tons of electronic intelligence can still be gotten with covered cameras
seems like they should use those metallic ballon type bags.
Don't think they'll do much against the audio, but that seems like it won't be much use by itself. Though that doesn't matter, it's the principle that matters, they shouldn't be allowed to record audio like that no matter how useless it is.
figured more for wireless stuff. I was under the impression mylar acted like a faraday cage. also I imagine the crinkled reflection would be that much more annoying for the camera. I bet it would crinkle a bit to distorting noise stuff.
Heard lots of precious metals in them, wink wink, nudge, nudge, and all that then LoL
News to me. I wonder when, if ever, I will see this in real life.
You don't have any trash bags?
I've never seen anyone covering Flock cameras nor have I ever seen an average person break a minor law without severe live-ruining repercussions. I have only ever heard of rich people breaking major laws without repercussions.
You don't hear about it because they haven't been caught. Then again, we're talking about covering up a camera... 🤔
Wear a mask and clothing you have never been seen in before that you can dispose of afterward. Maybe use stilts so they'll be looking for a really tall fucker.
No, I mean I have never seen a flock camera with a bag over it.
One can also purchase aerosol can extension poles for use with spray paint.
Fun fact the panel, inverter, and battery set up in these do not have any tracking features, that's all in the internals for the camera controller. It's enough to charge any smart phone or tablet if someone you know is living outside and should have a need of that. You do not need anything more than a Philips head screwdriver for most versions, and a security bit for others, both of which you can have for pennies at any hardware store.
Some flock stuff has microphones so avoid talking during the maintenance session 😜
I wonder how safe the poles are, compared to well tested road signs that are up. Those easily break off when hit. Will you end up with a solar panel through your windshield in an accident? I feel like one good lawsuit could make Flock have to replace every one of them if a lawyer can convince 12 people that they are a physical danger.
I've seen multiple videos showing they aren't installed properly and won't break away.
Makes them more easily identifiable so they can be properly disposed of.
I guess technically they already are in a trashbag.