Removing the camera from a HTC Hero?

[zukini]

Dirks
The only thing I would really recommend is to find someone who has taken something like this apart to help you if you haven't done this sort of thing. As the components get so fiddly when they get this small and people who regularly fix iPods cameras and phones have developed skills to deal with these sort of components. And don’t force anything to hard.

 

[KlaymenDK]

Have you considered simply taking a drill press to the lens?

You wouldn't have to take your phone apart (arguably avoiding voiding your warranty on the rest of the device), and the 'mod' would surely be very evident (which in your case, unusually, would be a Good Thing).

 

[rizzla]

If the company doesn't want camera phones in the work place how about just recommending phones which don't have a camera. Probably not easy to find nowadays

 

[spenspuma]

Didn't you think about this before you bought the phone???? Plenty of other units out there that don't have cameras...seems a bizarre decision to make knowing you aren't allowed cameras.

 

[daveybaby]

Didn't you think about this before you bought the phone???? Plenty of other units out there that don't have cameras...seems a bizarre decision to make knowing you aren't allowed cameras.

Um. Read the first post of the thread.

 

[spenspuma]

Um. Read the first post of the thread.

Ok ....

Advice to poster.....DON'T get the Hero or any device with a camera.. you're not allowed it at your work.

Get a device with no camera.

Seems pretty obvious to me...or am I missing something?

 

[daveybaby]

Youre missing the fact that there arent any decent smartphones without cameras out there. Buying the phone you want and removing the camera seems like a reasonable option to me.

The camera on the hero is pretty dreadful anyway, so no great loss.

 

[zukini]

Seems pretty obvious to me...or am I missing something?

Yes any smart phone without a camera.
The guy wants an android phone. There isnt one with out a camera. Sure your advice is correct but that wasnt the point of him asking the question here.

 

[americonium]

I bet that if you remove the camera, put it in a 3-D scanning bed, and print out a piece of plastic in the exact shape, you could put that printed piece back into the phone, therefore, keeping it safe from crap getting into the phone. I really want to see you get your phone safely altered, and if you have access to that sort of equipment, I don't see why it couldn't be done. I'll tell you what. I should have my phone on Friday. I will try to get you a better plan than drilling it out or destroying it. I would think that if it were modular, you could take it out, store it somewhere, and later, say for a vacation, you could re-install it. Let's get this thing done properly. Like they say at Makezine, if you can't open it, you don't own it.

 

[spenspuma]

There ARE decent handheld devices that don't have cameras. Yes they aren't Android, but Android isn't the be all end all.

Buying a phone you KNOW isn't allowed at your workplace is just ludicrous. Then to top it off, people are egging the guy on by giving him ways to remove the camera and in doing so remove the warranty! It's just crazy... you blindly buy a 400 quid phone then immediately invalidate any warranty for something you knew before u bought it? What if it packs up after 2 weeks?

There are alternative devices that don't have cameras....yeah,they may not be the Hero, but due to your circumstances you may have to compromise....but invalidating a warranty on an expensive phone after a few days SHOULDN'T even be a remotely sensible option.

 

[zukini]

@spenspuma
All noted but he asked a question, we have given an answer, its his choice and this is what he wants to do. No one here is egging him on.
It’s his money and property and if he chooses to take apart his phone great. I’m not asking you to do it to yours. I’m sure he is aware he can get a phone with no features that his company would accept but he was asking about this phone. The solution to get a solid back cover was offered to him but he wants to remove the module completely.

Also the warranty is optional and if he breaks it he is aware that it will cost him to fix it.

Just because it seems crazy to you doesn’t mean he can’t and won’t do it.

There are people who buy these things just to take them apart and mod them (better camera, different sockets, bigger speaker etc) so he was asking in the right places.

 

[zukini]

One other thought. How about an anti tamper sticker over the lens. If your company stick it over the lens they can regularly and quickly check on entry and exit to see if you have tried to use the camera in the sensitive area.

 

[spenspuma]

One other thought. How about an anti tamper sticker over the lens. If your company stick it over the lens they can regularly and quickly check on entry and exit to see if you have tried to use the camera in the sensitive area.

Dear dear.....why don't you ask them to put cctv on you all day making sure you don't use the camera!

 

[TheBrit]

One other thought. How about an anti tamper sticker over the lens. If your company stick it over the lens they can regularly and quickly check on entry and exit to see if you have tried to use the camera in the sensitive area.

Then nobody has to vandalise anything. they should be OK with that IMHO.

 

[daveybaby]

@sensuma: Lighten up dude, if we wanted to be told what we we're allowed to do with our phones based on somebody else's idea of what's right we wouldve all bought iPhones.

 

[zukini]

Dear dear.....why don't you ask them to put cctv on you all day making sure you don't use the camera!

Its not my work place. I just came up with an idea that wont invalidate his warranty you should be happy.

 

[zukini]

@sensuma: Lighten up dude, if we wanted to be told what we we're allowed to do with our phones based on somebody else's idea of what's right we wouldve all bought iPhones.

No no davey an iphone has a camera!!!

 

[dirks]

I bet that if you remove the camera, put it in a 3-D scanning bed, and print out a piece of plastic in the exact shape, you could put that printed piece back into the phone, therefore, keeping it safe from crap getting into the phone. I really want to see you get your phone safely altered, and if you have access to that sort of equipment, I don't see why it couldn't be done. I'll tell you what. I should have my phone on Friday. I will try to get you a better plan than drilling it out or destroying it. I would think that if it were modular, you could take it out, store it somewhere, and later, say for a vacation, you could re-install it. Let's get this thing done properly. Like they say at Makezine, if you can't open it, you don't own it.

That's the way I am thinking of it. I don't have access to a 3-D scanning bed, but the camera module is just a simple nearly cubic element. I thought of manually cutting some foam to the right dimensions to fill the space. I haven't yet decided how to close the hole in the back cover.

Re-installing the camera for vacation is an option.

 

[dirks]

There ARE decent handheld devices that don't have cameras. Yes they aren't Android, but Android isn't the be all end all.

If such a device would exist, I would already own it. Unfortunalety every bloody smart phone has a camera. I don't expect any smart phones without camera in the near future.

I am not afraid of voiding the warranty. If my 'modded' Hero fails in the future I can still have it repaired for a reasonable amount of money. I have seen the service price list.

Life is about taking risks. No risk, no fun. This is neither rocket science nor brain surgery. It just takes a screw driver and some sensitiveness.

By the way: This is not the first device where I have removed the camera. I have already done this with an EEE PC. The financial risk was nearly the same (300

 

[spenspuma]

Not doubting the poster but, surely ALL phones are banned by your company? Seeing as 99.9% of mobile phones have cameras these days I can't see that your company would do anything other than block ban cos otherwise they are going to end up with smart 4rses trying it on.

Do people really think companies have the time and resources to get someone to check ever day to see if a person has fiddled with their anti-tamper sticker they put over a camera lens.

I'm just amazed that so many people are coming up with these ludicrous work arounds to a problem which shouldn't even be there.

If you are not allowed camera phones then dont buy a camera phone and be expecting to use it. If I was the boss I certainly wouldn't allow ANY phone because the overwhelming majority contain cameras.

 

[spenspuma]

If such a device would exist, I would already own it. Unfortunalety every bloody smart phone has a camera. I don't expect any smart phones without camera in the near future.

I am not afraid of voiding the warranty. If my 'modded' Hero fails in the future I can still have it repaired for a reasonable amount of money. I have seen the service price list.

Life is about taking risks. No risk, no fun. This is neither rocket science nor brain surgery. It just takes a screw driver and some sensitiveness.

By the way: This is not the first device where I have removed the camera. I have already done this with an EEE PC. The financial risk was nearly the same (300

 

[dirks]

Not doubting the poster but, surely ALL phones are banned by your company?

Sure: All mobile phones and all other devices containing a camera (Notebook with webcam) are not allowed. If want to take a phone inside, you have to stick to brilliant devices like the Nokia 3109 Classic

The company doesn't want to see their prototypes in the press. Forbidding cameras is highly necessary.

 

[daveybaby]

The company doesn't want to see their prototypes in the press. Forbidding cameras is highly necessary.

Yeah, but apparently they dont seem to mind as much if you, say, copy all of the blueprint files onto your phone via usb.

Eventually your company is going to have to face reality the same way mine did - if you really wanted to smuggle information out there is nothing they can reasonably do to stop you - technology is just too small and too powerful these days. Even a strip search at the door wouldnt be enough.

The only way forward is to educate your workforce in the use of such devices so that they are less likely to do stupid things by mistake, like, i dunno, leaving an unencrypted usb stick full of military secrets on the train.

 

[dirks]

Yeah, but apparently they dont seem to mind as much if you, say, copy all of the blueprint files onto your phone via usb.

Eventually your company is going to have to face reality the same way mine did - if you really wanted to smuggle information out there is nothing they can reasonably do to stop you - technology is just too small and too powerful these days. Even a strip search at the door wouldnt be enough.

I fully agree to you.

 

[spenspuma]

Don't understand how they police it? Do they check all your pens incase you have a camera pen?....tie pins? Watches? Belt buckles? Don't understand how it can work....how do you prove you haven't got a working camera on your camera-phone?