专栏作家莫博士就有关电脑和其他电子设备的常见技术问题答读者问。问：我非常吃惊地了解到，一些我经常使用的软件最近更新后能够不经过我的许可直接启动相机拍照、摄像。这是真的吗？
Q: I was surprised to see updates for some of my favorite apps say they can access my camera to take pictures or video at any time without my permission. Can they really take pictures or video from my camera?
答：我不建议你使用任何不经许可擅自启动相机的应用软件。尽管有些可能是为执行其正当功能而使用相机，例如扫描条形码或名片。但即便如此，软件也应当明确显示并让你做出选择。而那种其实根本用不上相机、却想要使用相机的软件，就不要碰了。
A: I wouldn't use any app that could trigger the camera without your knowledge or at least implied consent each time. An app might legitimately be using the camera for tasks like scanning bar codes or business cards. But even so, it should be obvious and allow you to decide what to do. And if the app is one that should never need the camera, but says it wants to do so, don't use it.
苹果公司(Apple Inc.)说，如果应用软件未就相机对其功能实现的必要性作出声明却试图使用相机，其操作系统会对该软件进行标示并拒绝运行。而谷歌(Google Inc.)的系统并不事先对软件进行检验，且软件的保密协议通常会在下载时的一个密密麻麻的页面中给出。
Apple says it flags and rejects apps that use the camera without stating that the camera is part of the app's functionality. Google doesn't curate apps in advance and apps' disclosures are generally stated all at once in a dense page at download.
问：我喜欢在夜里看电视，这让我的老婆非常不爽。有没有什么设备能连接电视，通过蓝牙把声音传到耳塞中，这样电视的主音响就能静音了？
Q: I like the TV on at night, which drives my wife crazy. Is there a device that would attach to the TV and use Bluetooth to wirelessly send the audio to a set of earbuds so the main speakers could be muted?
答：你可以买一个音频发送器，也有附带耳机的款式，不过我从没试过此类产品，所以不好说哪款最好。有一款Clear Sounds公司生产的CLS-CS-Qlink电视立体声传送器，在亚马逊(Amazon.com Inc.)上售价41美元。但注意要用这类产品，你可能还得再买一个能对接你电视音频接口的转换器。
A: You can buy these either as just a transmitter or as a set that includes headphones -- though I haven't tested any of them and can't recommend a model. One example is the Clear Sounds CLS-CS-Qlink Stereo TV Transmitter, which sells for $41 on Amazon. But be aware that with this or similar products, you may need an added-cost cable adapter to fit your TV's audio-out jacks.
Walter S. Mossberg
京公网安备 11011202003401号
