Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#281

Post by knocte » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 2:55 PM UTC

scrollaway wrote: post #174

rplnt wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but I also don't trust them to not harvest data from calls by side-channels for advertising purposes.

And if they were open sourcing it, you'd say there's no way to know they're not doing that in the compiled release. Reverse Engineering is the only viable way of determining this stuff. I'd love for it to be open source but it has nothing to do with this.

>And if they were open sourcing it, you'd say there's no way >to know they're not doing that in the compiled release.

Only if they don't use deterministic builds.

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#282

Post by api » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 2:57 PM UTC

nxc18 wrote: post #190

Wow, I'm so glad they made yet another video calling app. I was almost beginning to feel like I knew how to call the people I care about. So glad I'll start hearing 'I'll call you on Duo', which will be great when I'm at my desktop computer.

Didn't you hear that desktop is dead?

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#283

Post by robertcope » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 3:02 PM UTC

buro9 wrote: post #150

I'm going to presume that this isn't available to anyone who has a Google Apps account, as that has been the trend of nearly all product launches by Google recently. https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/play/86WVa8b_... Not available to Apps accounts: * Google Family Library Sharing (Android apps sharing) * Google Play Music Family Sharing (music collection sharing) * Project Fi * Google Spaces * YouTube Re…

Yeah, as someone who has had an Apps account for a long time, it sucks that we are constantly and consistently the last ones to get access to new products. We're PAYING them, damnit.

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#284

Post by erichocean » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 3:04 PM UTC

simonh wrote: post #121

jmfayard wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google’s product strategy: Make two of everything For Google, its entire product lineup is just a big series of A/B experiments. http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/10/googles-product-stra...

I'll just wait until other users have figured out which ones are useful and which are a waste of time, let Google kill the ones that fail and iterate on the ones that don't until either everyone else adopts the same strategy as me or Google figures out what the heck they're doing. I'll set an alarm to remind myself to check back in 5 years.

For a self-identified "late adopter", you sure comment early on.

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#285

Post by robertcope » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 3:05 PM UTC

ProxCoques wrote: post #66

Video calling is a great example of something you don't need, but because you can do it, you do it. It's also impossible to refuse a video call for fear of being seen as secretive or worse when in fact you just don't care to look up somebody's nose when you talk to them. I also wonder if it's mainly nerds who care about video calling because it speaks to their otherwise rather broken social skills. "Normal people loo…

You are wrong. You are probably socially inept and assuming everyone else is, no offense. My family video calls all the time. Two year olds need the visual and family wants to see the kid.

Nobody gives a crap if you decline a call, video or not.

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#286

Post by sinaa » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 3:06 PM UTC

nojvek wrote: post #221

sinaa wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems that a main differentiating feature is also the fact that all calls are end-to-end encrypted. Perhaps as a video-calling alternative to Whatsapp? (given that neither of them are open source)

However like big brother, Google stores everything and runs machine learning algos on top. That's a big no no for privacy.

If they do indeed use end-to-end encryption, there should be nothing to store/learn for Google. Though without it being open source, there's no way to be sure. Unless maybe they start collaborating with Moxie, as Whatsapp did.

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#287

Post by vthallam » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 3:06 PM UTC

losteverything wrote: post #225

In my entire post tech life and post tech environment I have never seen anyone use, talk or desire to have a video call. (Save 1 when a patron tested FaceTime on their new iPhone.) What will make video calling desireable for the average Joe?

I like quick video calls with friends/family than long voice calls. It's intimate and always a better way of talking to someone closer.

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#288

Post by wayzel » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 3:09 PM UTC

tgb wrote: post #242

perseusprime11 wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My guess is Duo will be like Inbox competing with gmail. I am guessing here but I think Google is on to something around innovation. They are launching innovative future facing apps without the constraints of legacy systems. They will use this approach to figure out which features work and back port them into their legacy apps. Not a bad approach if it works.

That's fine for an email client, but video chat requires network effect to be useful.

The network effect is portable when the identities are preserved across products. For example, Facebook's separating out of FB Messenger was done while preserving the already built-up network effect.

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#289

Post by soyiuz » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 3:09 PM UTC

yomly wrote: post #106

tonfa wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WhatsApp is not specially an emerging market product, I think it is the most popular chat app in a bunch of European countries.

Yeah haha - the concept of people not using WhatsApp is as alien to me as people who use WhatsApp is alien to the parent comment. In the last 4/5 years, the only time I've met people not on WhatsApp were Chinese (WeChat) or Korean (Kakao) so basically. Amongst people I've just met it's pretty common to go straight to WhatsApp now when "adding" each other

I think the Russians are heavy Viber users.

Re: Google Duo, a simple 1-to-1 video calling app

#290

Post by amitheonlyone » Tue, Aug 16, 2016, 3:10 PM UTC

dzmien wrote: post #189

Why didn't they just update hangouts? I actually use hangouts for video calls with relative frequency, and I wish it was better adapted to changes in network speed like they say Duo is. I think it would be better if "Duo" was just integrated into hangouts as an update. I like hangouts because it allows me to use one app for voice, text and video.

I don't understand why they need to have different apps doing the same thing. I am on the same boat as you, using Hangouts for video calls quite frequently. Instead of releasing a new app like Duo, they should have first fixed performance issues with Hangouts and added this as an update. Then there is Allo. Google has weird thinking.