Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store • Hacker News Board

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#211

Post by toast0 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:25 PM UTC

542458 wrote: post #95

bhaavan wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would argue that an App Store, on mobile has helped avoid virus, and malware on phones, unlike how Windows was able to contain it. Having a trusted App Store by a company, who understands security, and has a financial backing to commit to a secure system, is beneficial all the way down.

Yeah, an App Store is in no way an artificial need. There’s a reason fortnite is on the Google Play store even when they had the option of only installing through other methods. For non-savvy users it mostly solves the “evaluating installer maliciousness” problem. For all users it enhances convenience (unified method for installing and uninstalling software) and software discovery. It is not a perfect solution to any…

In the absence of Google Play, uninstalling software would be in the same place -> settings / apps / needless tap to see all the apps / the app / uninstall. Installing would be download the apk and open it which works today, although you generally have to set a setting somewhere.

There's certainly a discovery benefit to Google Play, but anybody could build an app discovery site and make an app from that with an embedded browser, open the downloaded apks with the system intent and get the permissions prompt etc. You don't even need the special app management permission if you embrace the system tools that are already there. You would lose automatic updates without that though (but then, a lot of people in India have auto-updates off to conserve bandwidth or storage space).

Google play certainly does some small curation function, but I don't know how useful that is, and you could still have Google Play services running background scans and malware blacklists.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#212

Post by pkphilip » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:27 PM UTC

_throwaway_0093 wrote: post #187

anaganisk wrote: post #142

Modi is a pure marketing person representing JIO and PayTM period, he just wants their spyware to be pre-installed. Nothing more, now if you want proof, watch the down votes. He is the kind of PM who doesn't meet journalists, doesn't take questions. And all he does is Marketing. No execution went atleast good till now.

I have to explain this comment. Because it will look like politically charged content to outsiders. The following is a rough summary of Indian politics from my perspective: The current leadership has done some fishy marketing tactics for sure. There are swathes of fake news on whatsapp and Facebook which lure unsuspecting citizens into thinking the current leadership is some kind of savior. The local media is mostly…

You made some good points and then started making the same points that the extreme Hindutva trolls make - that the students are supporters of muslim fundamentals merely because they ask questions. What is the "long standing tradition" that you are referring to?

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#213

Post by pkphilip » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:30 PM UTC

bhaavan wrote: post #81

baybal2 wrote: post #49

India has a following issue with Android ecosystem, almost everything not owned by Google, is owned by some Chinese co. GetJar - sold to Chinese PayTM - Chinese shareholder Flipcart - Chinese shareholder Zomato, swiggy, + 10+ others online delivery/logistics apps. Some used to be reskins of Chinese apps. Some only have Indian C-levels. 20 something messengers - all except FB, and Twiter are Chinese ... I believe they…

Do you know reality, like at all? GetJar: I am hearing of this app for the first time, and I have seen and used many indian phones. Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy are Indian companies with apps completely developed in India. Walmart has a major shareholding stake in Flipkart since a few years now. PayTM is also fully developed and operated in India, but yes, it does have Alibaba backing it. However, it was not at all consi…

Whether a company is "Indian" or not is not defined by where they developed their apps - it is defined by the ownership structure. The truth is most of these companies that you have pointed out have significant percentage of their ownership in Chinese hands.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#214

Post by toast0 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:31 PM UTC

IshKebab wrote: post #161

fwn wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use them wherever I can because they allow me to block ads, analytics and other unpleasant elements like nudges, etc. But I'm far from an expert. What would be the benefit of a non-pw app?

* You can use all the device APIs, not just the ones that have been exposed as web APIs. * They're way faster and less janky. * You don't to use endless workarounds to disable typical web behaviour when you don't want it. PWAs are probably suitable for basic apps that just display information, e.g. an app for an event, or a pub or whatever. You would be insane to try and make a "real" app like Snapchat or Google Maps…

Google's Android UI toolkit is slower than Chrome building UI from HTML, sadly. So it's not a clear win for native apps (unless the native app is using HTML for UI, I guess).

That said, I don't think PWAs have a good way to get background data updates, which is unfortunate for apps that could work offline. You can't do a silent push to update data, last I checked, anyway. (Use case: I want a weather app that has current/recent data without loading when I start the app, because I often start the app in dead zones; also I want to have it background fetch the data when my location changes).

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#215

Post by powerapple » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:31 PM UTC

zapdrive wrote: post #3

Ok maybe the Indian govt can force Android phone manufacturers to pre install it's app store, how is this going to play out on iPhones? Are we going to see a ban on iPhones in India?

I would love to see India government push for an open iPhone, giving people an option to have their app store if they choose to, and leave people want to stick with Apple AppStore the same as now.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#216

Post by blntechie » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:32 PM UTC

Government run app store would just be a wedge to bring Jio app store in.

Reliance will become like one of those chaebol companies in Korea, pervasive in every Indian’s life with little to no other options.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#217

Post by ra7 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:35 PM UTC

_throwaway_0093 wrote: post #187

anaganisk wrote: post #142

Modi is a pure marketing person representing JIO and PayTM period, he just wants their spyware to be pre-installed. Nothing more, now if you want proof, watch the down votes. He is the kind of PM who doesn't meet journalists, doesn't take questions. And all he does is Marketing. No execution went atleast good till now.

I have to explain this comment. Because it will look like politically charged content to outsiders. The following is a rough summary of Indian politics from my perspective: The current leadership has done some fishy marketing tactics for sure. There are swathes of fake news on whatsapp and Facebook which lure unsuspecting citizens into thinking the current leadership is some kind of savior. The local media is mostly…

I think you’re more or less accurate about the current political situation in the country. The BJP is no good, opposition is incompetent and the faux left liberals provide enough fodder for the country to remain polarized.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#218

Post by freeone3000 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:35 PM UTC

devdas wrote: post #180

colejohnson66 wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is going to be a big mess. PayTM as a company isn’t known for respecting user privacy. Controversial opinion here, but this is part of the reason I like that Apple makes (practically) all purchases run through them. They don’t sell my information, and they have an incentive to not change that.

That is a threat to those not subject to US law.

It is more of a threat to those that are.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#219

Post by parasubvert » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:42 PM UTC

rishav_sharan wrote: post #163

Far too many optimistic voices here and that scares me. I don't see this app store being about providing alternatives. that's just a talking point. This app store is all about forcing every android sold in India to have a system installed govt driven app, which will report back to the govt on tons of private information about the device and owner. Information that Indian govt will be too incompetent to keep safe and…

If you read the subtext of the other Epic v. Apple threads, this is the point: government is somehow going to do a better job than Apple or Google.

That or government will mandate the Libertarian Wild West on our phones where anyone can install anything from any store. Mobile operators alone will balk at that.

This is a fever dream from a new generation of publishers and developers that have to learn how this worked in the past: the market evolved, the old platforms withered or became irrelevant. Consent decrees don’t fix things, at best they add a counterweight on the scale. See: Microsoft, still making money hand over fist due to the PC monopoly that no one cares about.

Re: Modi government to set up app store alternative to Google Play, Apple App Store

#220

Post by ffpip » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:43 PM UTC

reader_mode wrote: post #177

colejohnson66 wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is going to be a big mess. PayTM as a company isn’t known for respecting user privacy. Controversial opinion here, but this is part of the reason I like that Apple makes (practically) all purchases run through them. They don’t sell my information, and they have an incentive to not change that.

What exactly is the cost of having my store activity sold to someone ? 30% cut is a very real one

It's not about selling your store activity. The apps on these stores do not comply with basic guideline like having a privacy policy, not forcing users to give access to all permissions, etc.