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Beware that DJI's software to control these craft is super sketchy to install and use. It doesn't exist in the Google Play Store, to avoid inspection.
by cheesemayo 3y ago
Beware that DJI's software to control these craft is super sketchy to install and use. It doesn't exist in the Google Play Store, to avoid inspection.
- JasserInicide 3y agoNot surprising from a Chinese company
- gruez 3y ago>It doesn't exist in the Google Play Store, to avoid inspection. I thought that was because the company was sanctioned by the US, and therefore google can't work with them?
- nickphx 3y agoinvestment exclusion list. DJI is not a publicly-traded company.
- hashtag-til 3y agoI don’t have any of these, but is the software some apk you download, and at that point can’t that be inspected?
- spankalee 3y agoWho inspects APKs? The Play Store has all kind of automated and manual processes to detect malware and vulnerabilities. It's why I don't enable side-loading on my phone.
- mcsniff 3y agoPlease tell me you're joking or missing the sarcasm tag. The Play Store is notorious for allowing absolute garbage apps in, regardless of the "risks" of sideloading.
- palata 3y agoThat's not incompatible. They do a lot for security, even if malware still manages to get there. One would assume that the most popular apps get more attention.
- cheesemayo 3y agoThe APK is a thin shell that downloads even more code to execute, from the internet. So, what you download and inspect isn't what's executed, and what you execute now might be different in 5 minutes.
- hashtag-til 3y agoOk understood. That was the context I was missing. Thanks
- SirMaster 3y agoBut yet it exists on the Apple App store where I am sure Apple has inspected it. I guess the Android version could be a lot different, but why?
- m463 3y agoWhy wouldn't apple let software just work as a proxy between the drone and dji? You don't need camera access, location services, etc when the drone does all of it onboard. I got a mavic early on and sent it back because you needed the app and an account to activate it and fly it, even manually.
- andersrs 3y agoI'm not sure if you're joking. Apple's business depends on them bending the rules for China.
- JoBrad 3y agoI’m not sure how that is any more true for Apple vs Google? Every tech company relies heavily on China for business.
- lrem 3y agoGoogle has famously made a stand and fussily exited China. Since then its stock underperformed competitors that didn’t.
- downWidOutaFite 3y agoGoogle is banned in China while Apple is not (because they bend their own rules to get that sweet Chinese cash).
- lovemenot 3y agoGoogle Search, Alphabet's main business, doesn't exist in China.
- ryandrake 3y agoIs there actual evidence that Apple is bending the rules for them? If true, that would be quite a scoop!
- spankalee 3y agoIs this a new thing? I had the original Mavic Mini and installed the DJI Fly App (v1.2.1 on my phone now) from the Play Store. edit: here's the listing: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dji.go.v5 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dji.go.v5 Though it doesn't show up in search from the web. edit 2: The Android download on their site is definitely an APK and not a Play Store link: https://www.dji.com/downloads/djiapp/dji-fly https://www.dji.com/downloads/djiapp/dji-fly Why in the world would they need to do this?
- bri3d 3y agoOne easy (albeit a little costly) solution here is to use the DJI Android-tablet remote (DJI RC / RC 2).
- muro 3y agoIf you use their controller, you no longer need the app on a phone (e.g. to fly in restricted locations)? That would be nice.
- Vox_Leone 3y ago>>It doesn't exist in the Google Play Store, to avoid inspection. I think the real issue is more complicated than that, but, whatever. I use their software only for administrative tasks - updates, etc. For routine use I would recommend something like Litchi.
- brindlejim 3y agoDJI is fully compliant with China's policy of civil-military fusion. Anyone flying anywhere sensitive should not use them. They're beaming back home whatever they want, and China is using both tech and data to give an asymmetric advantage to allies like Russia in the Ukraine war.
- firen777 3y agoHow do Ukrainian operators avoid exposing their own positions? Do they install custom firmware on their drone?
- dilyevsky 3y agoYes they root the device and set operator coordinates to 0,0 so they are not picked up by aeroscope, etc
- ramraj07 3y agoIts not impossible that DJI could have failsafe phone home systems in there that'll still send info back home after rooting. My guess is that the products they produced before the Ukraine war were more naive and now that they've learnt consumer drones will be used in warzones no matter what, I'll bet they have started incorporating such failsafes. Imagine being able to know where every mavic in the frontlines are and selling that info to the Russians.
- guax 3y agoYou can operate the drones without a connected device. Operator location is done by locating the radio source. It would be better to have repeaters and cable transmitter to them to avoid direct strike. Tech people are usually paranoid by the most unlikely scenarios. A soldier with an antenna can pinpoint the operator location much easier than trying to get this kind of info from china without leaks.
- brindlejim 3y agojailbreaks.
- dukeofdoom 3y agoI downloaded the apk file and installed it, but for some reason I can't fly app to work on the S20. It just says can't connect to controller.
- nickphx 3y agoHuh, they used to exist.. It's almost as if some OS SDK changed that restricted what hardware could do.. weird.
- nickphx 3y agoalso, the software will run fine w/o internet...
- sschueller 3y agoHonestly if I was as large as DJI I would avoid publishing in the play (and Apple app if it were possible) store as well and save the wasted time of the constant pointless review rejections.