Live data from Hacker News

Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

washingtonpost.com

191–200 of 267 posts

Re: Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

#191
post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Couple of examples: 1) iOS has had lazy permissions since the very early days e.g. when an app wants to use this microphone then ask the user right then instead of when the app is installed. This feature is still not implemented on all Android devices nor is it as seamless nor is it mandatory. 2) Apple is providing more and more frameworks e.g. CoreML which run only on the device. This means that developers don't hav…

I don't really see that as lazy. I see that as considerate/beneficial to the user. I much prefer to be asked in context what/how the app is going to use the microphone for rather than on initial install, when I might be like "why the heck does this app need to use the microphone?"

It was being used in the programming sense, not as an insult. When some code passes around a "placeholder" instead of a value and waits until it is used to bother calculating it, that is commonly described as "lazy".

Re: Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

#192
post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't really see that as lazy. I see that as considerate/beneficial to the user. I much prefer to be asked in context what/how the app is going to use the microphone for rather than on initial install, when I might be like "why the heck does this app need to use the microphone?"

It was being used in the programming sense, not as an insult. When some code passes around a "placeholder" instead of a value and waits until it is used to bother calculating it, that is commonly described as "lazy".

Got it! Thanks for the explanation and not assuming I'm a programmer, because I'm not!

Re: Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

#194
post #39
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't claim to be a fanboy, but I am a longtime user[1], and this is the primary reason I stick to them for my phone. I frankly can't imagine using Android the way I use my Iphone - the privacy invasions considered acceptable are well in to the "no go" range for me, before even getting to the malware that pass for "free apps". If I were somehow forced to use Android, I'm pretty sure I'd treat it as an adversarial dev…

Not sure how you use your iphone or what you would need from a smartphone, but I don't understand the distinction. Apps like Lyft, Yelp and Uber already know where you are so you can't use those. You're left with maps and browser. People tend to use google maps and Waze on iPhone anyway so that point is gone as well. If they use Apple maps, I am not convinced that apple doesn't store location history. So then you're…

You've reduced the problem to only GPS location which is just wrong. Fact is, Android apps targeting 5.0 or lower can still read anything on my phone - SMS, location, photos, contacts, and well, everything else. And any root or ROM based add-ons to stop them are an impractical usability nightmare, where I could just own an iPhone.

Re: Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

#195
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm one of the few in the "tech world" that isn't so much pro-privacy. Google can read my email, Apple can track my movements, my Amazon Echo can even listen in when it wants. The end result is a huge benefit to me. How is any AI supposed to know what I want, if I try to be an anonymous user? I prefer targeted ads. I prefer submitting my information to "robots" in the hopes that my user experience is tailored to what…

You are making two assumptions that aren't necessarily true. First, you're assuming that you have control over what kind of information is being collected and shared, and you're assuming it's always good for you. Here's a fairly innocent scenario: if Amazon Echo can learn everything about you, they may discover that you're crazy about Paris and you have good income. Then they can sell this info to every travel websit…

Are we imagining a future where sellers can track our every want but consumers lose the ability to shop around? Why wouldn't market forces and competition protect us from this?

Re: Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

#196
post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Couple of examples: 1) iOS has had lazy permissions since the very early days e.g. when an app wants to use this microphone then ask the user right then instead of when the app is installed. This feature is still not implemented on all Android devices nor is it as seamless nor is it mandatory. 2) Apple is providing more and more frameworks e.g. CoreML which run only on the device. This means that developers don't hav…

I don't really see that as lazy. I see that as considerate/beneficial to the user. I much prefer to be asked in context what/how the app is going to use the microphone for rather than on initial install, when I might be like "why the heck does this app need to use the microphone?"

[deleted]

Re: Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

#197
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can do similar things on Android. You can also turn off your gps in 2 seconds as well.

With the crazy malware and oparque permissions nobody really knows what's fully going on on Android though. You could turn off the gps but that's too coarse: you might want it for some apps.

But that's how permissions work on Android though. You can grant them to an app when it's requested, or not. Or you can turn it off at the system level with the bug switch in the settings shade. I have an iPad and the permissions models are basically identical at this point.

Re: Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

#198
post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are making two assumptions that aren't necessarily true. First, you're assuming that you have control over what kind of information is being collected and shared, and you're assuming it's always good for you. Here's a fairly innocent scenario: if Amazon Echo can learn everything about you, they may discover that you're crazy about Paris and you have good income. Then they can sell this info to every travel websit…

Are we imagining a future where sellers can track our every want but consumers lose the ability to shop around? Why wouldn't market forces and competition protect us from this?

To maximise profit, a corporation must find the highest possible price that customers are still willing to pay. If a company finds a way to do this separately for each customer, then the other market players need to follow, otherwise they will loose their capital (i.e. shareholders jump ship). Information asymmetry is a very devious market hazard, it makes it such that the market appeara to be working perfectly well, but from the consumer point of view it appears like fraud. Nothing you can do other than protecting your data.

Re: Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

#199
post #171
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"[1] I'm becoming less of a fan, as MacOS becomes "cloud aware" and less of a Unix workstation." How is it becoming less of a Unix workstation? It can still do all the Unixy stuff it could before.

What I mean is twofold: - They're paying much less attention to the "Unixy stuff" than they used to. Old versions of common things take forever to be updated. Compatibility has always been shit, but it is getting worse. SIP means a number of things I tend to modify, can't be, without hassle[1]. - With a workstation, I expect to be able tailor it specifically to my work requirements. This is becoming increasingly diff…

I really cannot agree with you. I still don't see anything that affects using OS X as a Unix station. It works just as well as it did before. And I've never had an issue with SIP.

Re: Apple is struggling to become an AI powerhouse

#200
post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are making two assumptions that aren't necessarily true. First, you're assuming that you have control over what kind of information is being collected and shared, and you're assuming it's always good for you. Here's a fairly innocent scenario: if Amazon Echo can learn everything about you, they may discover that you're crazy about Paris and you have good income. Then they can sell this info to every travel websit…

Are we imagining a future where sellers can track our every want but consumers lose the ability to shop around? Why wouldn't market forces and competition protect us from this?

Monopolistic behavior. Lots of products can only be bought from a couple of companies. Competition need not apply.

Even in a competitive market place they can collectively decide to overcharge the same customers.

Post reply on HN