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Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

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Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#71

Post by Osmium »

zamalek wrote: post #61
AceJohnny2 wrote: post #11

So. Why make this a separate app? Why isn't this in Hangouts?

Hangouts almost nailed it, to be honest. For the people that I know who have both Hangouts and Whatsapp, we prefer Hangouts consistently - even for just text. The problem is that Google realised the importance of IM far too late and Whatsapp is now entrenched. Google is throwing solutions at the wall to see which sticks. It honestly doesn't seem like a bad attempt. Totally would have preferred it in Hangouts, though,…

> For the people that I know who have both Hangouts and Whatsapp, we prefer Hangouts consistently - even for just text.

Speaking for myself, I've found Hangouts to be a noticeable drain on my battery (iOS), while WhatsApp seems negligible.

I'm also on a smaller screen iPhone, and with the icon bar and the timestamp placement in Hangouts, I can read far fewer messages on the screen at the same time than with WhatsApp.

Personal preference, but I also like that WhatsApp uses the iOS emoji across platforms, so I know what emoji my recipient is getting – when I use an emoji in Hangouts, they get replaced by a Google emoji, and I never know what it's going to look like until I've already sent the message.

Finally, Hangouts doesn't use end-to-end encryption, which personally makes me feel very uncomfortable (I also didn't like using WhatsApp for a long time for the same reason).

This is anecdotal, but to me it's more than WhatsApp just being entrenched – in many ways, they really do have the better product.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#73

Post by tdkl »

Waterluvian wrote: post #10

Why isn't it always end to end encryption? I'm getting really paranoid and crochety in my old age of 29, as all I see is a tool to make me the product.

Messages are also stored on Google for "processing" : http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/21/12994362/allo-privacy-mess...

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#74

Post by atdt »

putlake wrote: post #8

I'm surprised Google Duo hasn't become more popular. It's a great cross-platform video chat app. I especially like the feature where you can see the other party before you answer their call. I have taken calls because of that feature that I otherwise wouldn't have. It's better than FaceTime because it works on Android. It's better than Skype and Google Hangouts because your cellphone number is your identity; you don'…

I live in New York City and there are very few places outside the home where you can hold up your phone like a pocket mirror and speak into it without looking like an asshole.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#75

Post by disillusioned »

evincarofautumn wrote: post #60

Chat apps are like to-do apps. They’re easy to make (albeit hard to make well) and you rarely have a strong reason to choose one over another, so you’ll probably stick with whatever you (and your friends) are already using. Besides, if I take up Allo and fall in love with it, I’ll be sad when it disappears after Google stops supporting it in a few years. These features should be integrated into Hangouts, else they’re…

They'll just roll Assistant/other Allo features back into Hangouts, where all their users are. Unless they kick us all out by sunsetting Hangouts for non-Apps users.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#76

Post by bobsil1 »

4684499 wrote: post #35

From those gifs in the post, I assume it requires Google to scan every word I send. It will sense my tone to change the text style, and suggest how I should response. Well, why don't you just say it for me then? I'd love to see a bot representing me talks to my friends. And, a messaging app provides Incognito mode, lol, is there any other way to imply my conversation isn't private enough?

Your friends will have their own bots. The bot-bot conversations will have ads sold against them. The ads will be bot-clickfrauded.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#78

Post by prawn »

fma wrote: post #47

An app that writes my messages for me. Great, now I can be 1 step further removed from any contacts from my friends and family.

Inbox does this too and in my brief experience so far, it's been accurate.

I remember hearing about Amazon pre-emptively shipping goods to warehouses based on expected demand. If algorithms can anticipate our responses and our shopping, what will be left in the end?

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