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Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

cnbc.com

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Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#741

Post by scarface74 »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #713
scarface74 wrote: post #592

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fortunately, we have data. Not anecdotes. I’m citing Wikipedia for conciseness. You can look up the article’s references for citations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Maps

> we have data. Where is the data that large numbers of people aren't installing Google Maps on iOS despite iOS crippling third party maps apps? Not in your link.

The data is that a majority of iOS users are in fact using Apple Maps.

Btw, you can trigger Google Maps with Siri by creating a simple shortcut and when you search for a place on google. It launches Google Maps.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#742

Post by sundvor »

twobat wrote: post #733
sundvor wrote: post #727

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm. In Chromium Edge, my new default browser, AFAIK the UO plugin will still work perfectly unlike in Chrome, meaning I rarely if ever see any ads. The closest thing to an ad in VSCode or for that matter Terminal would be .. I guess hints at ease of Azure cloud services? Never found it intrusive myself, and I do AWS.

It's hard to understand your message, but... ads in VSCode? Is that a thing now?

I was kind of trying to say I haven't seen any ads, just non-intrusive integration with other MS services, in response to the ads reply I got. Sorry that was actually rather vague and roundabout.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#743

Post by izacus »

vmurthy wrote: post #668
antisthenes wrote: post #463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We live in fast times. In a little less than a decade the perception of Google went from 'Best search on the internet' and 'Do no evil' to 'Fuck Google' and 'Delete your accounts with them'; and 'their search has gotten exponentially worse' No skin in the game from me (I only use Gmail for non-essential shopping), just an observation. Personally, I think it's great. I'm proud to stand with the vocal minority against…

> No skin in the game from me (I only use Gmail for non-essential shopping), just an observation. This is really commendable. Do you host your own E-mail/Calendar/Contacts server? if so, what's your setup like in terms of hardware and the software stack?

If you want it easy, you can buy something like a Synology NAS where you can install locally hosted Email, Contacts, Calendar, Dropbox and Photos servers with a few clicks. The software is of decent quality as well.

Obviously you pay for the convenience, but it's not a lot for self-hosted and maintained stack at home.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#744

Post by simonh »

vasili111 wrote: post #300
simonh wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think Samsung, or anyone else trying to develop their own phone OS is any kind of threat to Google. If Microsoft can't make that work with their last phone OS, which was a genuinely interesting, innovative and high quality product, nobody can.

Samsung has good hardware and very good brand for phones which Microsoft has not. I personally thing that if Samsung decides it can become much bigger threat to Android than Microsoft.

OK, but the OS isn't hardware. Being good at one really doesn't say anything about ability with the other. The only reason Apple is an exception is they've literally been bet-the-company all in on both for every single one of 43 years.

Also, at the time who had a better reputation on phone hardware than Nokia? The MS/Nokia phones were also very well reviewed for the hardware too. It didn't matter, the software platform was too late to the party. There simply wasn't, and still isn't a significant market for a third OS platform.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#745

Post by simonh »

scarface74 wrote: post #187
simonh wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think Samsung, or anyone else trying to develop their own phone OS is any kind of threat to Google. If Microsoft can't make that work with their last phone OS, which was a genuinely interesting, innovative and high quality product, nobody can.

On the other hand their are millions of “Android” phones being sold each year in China with no Google Services. Not to mention the low end Amazon Fire tablets based on Android. I think by working with a cell phone carrier in the US and bundling enough must have apps a manufacturer could get away with having a non Google certified Android phone. Especially if they could use Nokia’s Here for maps.

It's still Android though, and still picking up crumbs falling from Google's table.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#746

Post by dgacmu »

zapita wrote: post #688
dgacmu wrote: post #605

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not true. I think @ceejayoz below pointed out the situation well: they've made many attempts (waymo, for another still-unprofitable example). Just not many of them have turned into significant revenue -- particularly compared to the sustained ~24% YoY growth that Google managed for so long. That's a hard business to beat.

Waymo is an Alphabet company, not a Google business. What Google business other than Google Cloud do you consider not to not rely on data aggregation and profiling?

Google accelerated science, fiber before it was spun out into alphabet, the medical diagnostics part of Google Brain, the quantum computing group, Chromebooks, ATAP (the group that partnered with Levi's to make a jacket), ...

There are a lot. And there have been more that were cancelled. As I said: Google-the-search-and-advertising-company is one of the most successful companies of our time. It's astonishingly hard to replicate that success, which is probably why we don't see Google other units with equivalent revenue. But it's really not for lack of trying.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#747

Post by graeme »

scarface74 wrote: post #303
kungito wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a way to send voice messages without using the phone? Does any of the bigger chat apps offer the "record voice" button?

I haven’t tried any of the other chat apps. But you can send a voice message with the built in messages apps from the watch. It should work with both iMessage and SMS.

Are you thinking of the dictation option, which makes text from voice?

I don't see a way to send a voice message in my watch interface.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#748

Post by graeme »

MereInterest wrote: post #380
kccqzy wrote: post #372

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm under the impression that health data is not uploaded to iCloud or backed up by iCloud backup. What makes you think otherwise?

From https://www.apple.com/ios/health/ > Your health data stays up to date across all your devices automatically using iCloud, where it is encrypted while in transit and at rest. Apps that access HealthKit are required to have a privacy policy, so be sure to review these policies before providing apps with access to your health and fitness data. That it is uploaded and capable of being shared with apps implies that A…

They can't decrypt the health data. They can decrypt most icloud categories, but a few are only exempt.

You can also shut off icloud backup for health.

https://support.apple.com/en-il/HT209519

-------- [forgive me, for the life of me I don't easily know how to format lists on HN or even put things on newlines without double spacing]

"These features and their data are transmitted and stored in iCloud using end-to-end encryption:

Home data Health data (requires iOS 12 or later) iCloud Keychain (includes all of your saved accounts and passwords) Payment information Quicktype Keyboard learned vocabulary (requires iOS 11 or later) Screen Time Siri information Wi-Fi passwords"

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303

------

Imessages are also end to end encrypted. However, if you use icloud backup, they can be decrypted as the keys are backed up.

Re: Google Buys Fitbit for $2.1B

#749

Post by kungito »

scarface74 wrote: post #376
kungito wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah well I'm from Eastern Europe where it's more expensive, never on sale and I have less money

Out of curiosity, what is the cost of an iPhone 8 (the cheapest current iPhone) + Apple cellular watch where you live?

In a shop or used? 1788kn watch + 2452kn iphone 6s = 635$ usd. Average net salary is about 750$ usd.

I think this is the cheapest new: https://edigital.hr/apple-i-dodaci/iphone-c18325?filter%5Bse...

And watch

https://edigital.hr/apple-i-dodaci/watch-c29547?filter%5Bsea...

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