Privacy

1. Introduction
Welcome to BasedHardware's privacy policy. At BasedHardware, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This privacy policy explains how our app and wearable device, Friend, collect, use, and safeguard your data.

2. Information We Collect
When you visit our site, we collect certain information about your device, your interaction with the site, and information necessary to process your purchases. We may also collect additional information if you contact us for customer support. In this Privacy Policy, we refer to any information about an identifiable individual as “Personal Information.”

When you use our mobile app, we process the following data, which is stored on our open-sourced backend server:

I. Audio Data

  • Friend records audio data through the wearable device.
  • The recorded audio is processed using Deepgram and for transcription.

II. Transcription Data

  • Transcriptions of your audio data are generated by Deepgram and stored on our platform.
  • These transcriptions are used to extract useful information through OpenAI's Chat GPT.

III. Customer Support Information

  • The information extracted from the transcriptions is transformed into vector representations using Pinecone.
  • Only the vector representations are stored on Pinecone, while the actual transcripts are securely stored on our platform.

3. How We Use Your Information
I. Processing

  • All data processing, including audio recording, transcription, information extraction, and vector representation, is performed on our secure open-source backend.

4. Data Security and Permissions
I. Storage

  • We implement robust security measures to protect your data from unauthorized access.
  • Your data, including audio recordings, transcriptions, and vector representations, is stored securely on our open-source backend. No data is stored locally on your device.

II. Permissions
To process the data, we use the following permissions on your device:

For Android:

  • BLUETOOTH_SCAN, BLUETOOTH_CONNECT, BLUETOOTH, BLUETOOTH_ADMIN: Required for connecting with your Friend wearable device.
  • ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION: Needed to determine your location for creating memories.
  • BACKGROUND_LOCATION: Needed to tag memories with your location when the app is minimized.
  • RECORD_AUDIO: Essential for capturing audio explanations.
  • WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE: Used to access and save data on your device.
  • ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE, INTERNET: Required for internet connectivity.
  • VIBRATE, WAKE_LOCK: Used to manage device alerts and keep the app running.
  • CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE: Necessary for changing network connectivity.
  • FOREGROUND_SERVICE, FOREGROUND_SERVICE_CONNECTED_DEVICE, FOREGROUND_SERVICE_DATA_SYNC: Needed for background services related to device connections and data synchronization.
  • READ_CALENDAR, WRITE_CALENDAR: Required for accessing and modifying calendar events.

For iOS:

  • NSBluetoothAlwaysUsageDescription: Bluetooth permission is required to connect with your Friend wearable.
  • NSBluetoothPeripheralUsageDescription: Bluetooth permission is required to connect with your Friend wearable.
  • NSCalendarsFullAccessUsageDescription: Access most functions for calendar viewing and editing.
  • NSCalendarsUsageDescription: Access most functions for calendar viewing and editing.
  • NSContactsUsageDescription: Access contacts for event attendee editing.
  • NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription: When creating your memories, we use your location to determine where they were created.
  • NSLocationUsageDescription: When creating your memories, we use your location to determine where they were created.
  • NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription: When creating your memories, we use your location to determine where they were created.
  • NSMicrophoneUsageDescription: We need access to your microphone so you can share audio explanations of bugs you find.
  • NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription: We need access to your photo library to allow you to upload and share photos.
  • PermissionGroupNotification: You need to enable notifications to receive proactive feedback.

5. Third-Party Services

  • Deepgram: Used for audio transcription. Deepgram does not receive or store any of your data externally.
  • OpenAI's Chat GPT: Processes transcriptions to extract useful information.
  • Pinecone: Creates vector representations of the extracted information. Only the vector representations are stored, while the actual transcripts are securely stored on our platform.
  • Mixpanel: Used to analyze user activity. You can opt-out of data collection through their settings.
  • Firebase: We use Firebase for authentication and store your data in Firestore, which is a Google product. All code is open source and available at GitHub Repository. We will never sell your data or profit from it.

Plugins:
We also utilize plugins that may allow sending your data to external integrations. Please be cautious about the plugin developers and their data practices.

6. Your Data Rights
You can access, modify, or delete your data at any time through the Friend app settings.

7. Changes To This Privacy Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will notify you by updating the effective date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

8. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us at team@basedhardware.com.

By using the Friend app and wearable device, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this privacy policy.