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Android P

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Re: Android P

#151

Post by taneq »

Lunatic666 wrote: post #143
taneq wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And this is a perfect example of the bait-and-switch: Location now goes through Google's location services, so you're not saying "FindMyKeysApp may use my GPS location", you're saying "FindMyKeysApp AND GOOGLE may use my GPS location." For most apps (unless I'm wrong?) there's no way to let the app use my location without it going through Google's location services and sending data back to the Borg Cube.

You could use microg, then nothing goes to Google. https://lineage.microg.org – This together with yalp gives you a good experience and keeps you private.

Yeah, I've been on LineageOS since it was CyanogenMod, haven't yet needed Google Play for my (admittedly simplistic) requirements but it's good to know that microg is coming along so nicely in case I get stuck.

Re: Android P

#152

Post by igravious »

“Android P Beta is available today on Google Pixel. And thanks to work on Project Treble, an effort we introduced last year to make OS upgrades easier for partners, a number of our partners are making Android P Beta available today on their own devices, including Sony Xperia XZ2, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Nokia 7 Plus, Oppo R15 Pro, Vivo X21, OnePlus 6, and Essential PH‑1.”

Yay! Project Treble is paying off already :) Personally hoping to see Huawei bringing its recent flagships to P-land very soon, fingers crossed. Has Google finally cut off a few heads from the fragmentation hydra? Time will tell but this is a positive indicator!

Re: Android P

#153

Post by ohazi »

Am I the only one who doesn't want a phone that arbitrarily changes behavior in opaque and uncontrollable ways? Machine learning is fine for hard tasks like voice recognition, but it really shouldn't be used for things that would otherwise be a few checkboxes. I know the trend nowadays is to assume that users are irredeemably stupid, but this? Seriously?

You can keep this update. I don't want it.

Re: Android P

#154

Post by blisterpeanuts »

ohazi wrote: post #153

Am I the only one who doesn't want a phone that arbitrarily changes behavior in opaque and uncontrollable ways? Machine learning is fine for hard tasks like voice recognition, but it really shouldn't be used for things that would otherwise be a few checkboxes. I know the trend nowadays is to assume that users are irredeemably stupid, but this? Seriously? You can keep this update. I don't want it.

No, you're not the only one. It's so easy to search for the answer to almost any question about your phone (how do I keep the screen from blanking? How do I set a timer? How do I install a widget (and what's a widget)? Etc. My wife tends to ask me these types of questions and I keep telling her that probably 20 million other people have asked the exact same question so google it. She's finally getting it. I think people can learn over time, and it's probably better to let them have a learning curve and become mini-experts in using their phones, without adding some kind of behind-the-scenes shifting of behavior that will perversely make things even more complex and confusing.

Re: Android P

#156

Post by chrononaut »

ams6110 wrote: post #104
JoshTriplett wrote: post #5

While I appreciate the concept of learning things like "common next steps" to make a device more usable, going by the history of devices like Google Home or the Google Assistant, I also wonder how much of this is going to depend on "give us all your usage history" settings and simply stop working with those settings disabled. The Google Assistant is already unusable without a pile of search history settings enabled;…

I don't appreciate it, and hope it can be optionally disabled. I don't find it makes the device more usable. One example, YouTube suggestions. I watched a "Family Guy" clip, didn't upvote it or comment or anything and suddenly I have 10 channels of Family Guy content "recommended" as if I'm suddenly YouTube's biggest Family Guy addict because I watched one two-minute video. I don't want my phone anticipating what I w…

Perhaps this is nonsense and anecdotal but what's concerning for me is not that they're simply wrong and are showing me irrelevant material, but it's that they can become a feedback loop of dissonance and can be reflection of a shift in viewing habits or pollution by what YouTube thinks is a similar demographic to you, but are quite different. When these recommendations are combined with a pseudo-trusted body (in most people's mind) that can be manipulated, it becomes quite a fruitful environment for propaganda.

Re: Android P

#157

Post by refulgentis »

BugsJustFindMe wrote: post #108
talldan wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can already disable SMS, phone and location permissions (and others) for each app in the previous version of Android (Oreo). I'm sure this has it too.

> You can already disable SMS, phone and location permissions (and others) for each app This doesn't address the comment you replied to in any way. Surely you see that there's a gap in reasoning between "I want to be able to add my location, just not have my location always broadcast to them" and "you can disable location entirely". Your suggestion specifically violates the "I want to be able to add my location" part…

Bwah? The permissions model is the same on Android and iOS, if you opt into permissions, you have to "manually switch between white/black lists to opt them out"

Re: Android P

#158

Post by ocdtrekkie »

ohazi wrote: post #153

Am I the only one who doesn't want a phone that arbitrarily changes behavior in opaque and uncontrollable ways? Machine learning is fine for hard tasks like voice recognition, but it really shouldn't be used for things that would otherwise be a few checkboxes. I know the trend nowadays is to assume that users are irredeemably stupid, but this? Seriously? You can keep this update. I don't want it.

The problem is: Your phone will not get security updates if you don't accept the latest Android release. So your choice, really, is to either accept the update or get a phone running a different OS.

Re: Android P

#159

Post by ocdtrekkie »

dyarosla wrote: post #146
dvcrn wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope some of these things make it into iOS at some point too! Especially the greyscale stuff sounds great

Apple is known to shamelessly copy features that work and are consumer friendly- I have no doubt that they'll be keeping a close eye on how consumers respond to these updates.

This is ironic given that Android P lifted iPhone X navigation and is adding support for notches, also lifted from the iPhone X.

Re: Android P

#160

Post by kuschku »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #128
kuschku wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you please tell me how I am supposed to disable this app? https://i.k8r.eu/q-NmHw Or this? https://i.k8r.eu/3K7idw I can’t even disable this Google bloatware on a stock phone (Nexus 5X)

You can't disable the only launcher on your phone. Just install another launcher, set that launcher as your default, and the end result is exactly what you would want (no Google launcher running). This is not possible at all on iOS. Also, you've once again conflated "stock" with Google phone. If you use more precise terminology, you won't be so confused.

I have a different launcher installed, and in use. I backported the changes Google did in their launcher to Launcher3, built that, installed it, and am using it.

Yet I can still not disable these Google apps.

EDIT: Screenshot https://i.k8r.eu/4ZLdMA

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