Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

theverge.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 352 posts

Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

#121

Post by Y-bar »

someonehere wrote: post #109
Someone1234 wrote: post #44

A lot of Apple's previous attempts at "web apps" have been pretty half-arsed. Including Apple Music currently. Let's see if this is any different. I'm currently using Signal on Windows/Android/iOS and apart from two annoyances it is fine. - No gif support on Windows (Android/iOS only) - Cannot add a second phone but can add a tablet. As soon as it detects a SIM card slot (with or without SIM in it) it only allows you…

You want half assed? FaceTime when it was announced by Steve Jobs, he himself up on stage said it would be open source. The developers in the front rows looked at each other and said, “did we say it would be open sourced?” It’s still not open sourced to this day.

You are correct that the idea to make it open source was a spur of the moment that took the developers by surprise. But the reason why it never happens can be spelled VirnetX

Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

#123

Post by reaperducer »

nso wrote: post #25
dannyw wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WhatsApp: Owned by a company that makes money invading your privacy. Duo: owned by a company that makes money invading your privacy.

I had to get upper management involved once when trying to buy an Airport Express, because they wouldn't allow me to make a purchase at the Apple store without leaving my name and contact details.

they wouldn't allow me to make a purchase at the Apple store without leaving my name and contact details

Was this recent? I was able to buy a new Mac just a few weeks ago without giving any information.

Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

#124

Post by bilal4hmed »

skinnymuch wrote: post #114
bilal4hmed wrote: post #5

Its only 1 way which means an Apple user can send a link to a non ios user to join in. I as an Android user cant do that. Cross platform like whatsapp, duo or signal still win here

From Duo wiki: “ In August 2020, it was reported that Google was planning to eventually replace Google Duo with Google Meet, but would continue to support Duo and "invest in building new features" in the long term.[2]” I don’t know exactly what that means. Seems like not much and Duo is still a priority. But all the deprecating and switching of Google products makes them a non win for me. It’s hard for me to get frie…

yeah who knows, that news came around the time Soltero joined Google and had all the communications apps under him. So far he has done a good job of consolidating Googles messaging platforms and Google Workspace.

Duo is huge in India and I use it a lot with family, so I can vouch that the call video and audio quality is amazing.

Switching apps ( like the whatsapp to signal ) is always painful though.

Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

#125

Post by nxc18 »

aj7 wrote: post #79

But not iMessage, so I still can't send a simple text message from a decent app from my Win 10 computer.

Seeing as Microsoft had a major lead with Skype, MSN/Live messenger, Xbox chat/parties, and Lync/Skype for Business among others, and was also in the phone space before Apple, it is kind of amazing messaging isn’t a far superior experience on Windows.

I remember in the windows 8 era they were pushing a unified SMS/Skype metro app.

Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

#127

Post by tolbish »

ftio wrote: post #67
atatatat wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facetime is for users who think videocalls are called "Facetime"

So, tens of millions of people. Seems like a reasonable strategy for attracting non-iOS users to the iOS ecosystem by enabling their massive user base to exert social pressure.

Or they could attract those users by making a better product?

Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

#128

Post by 542458 »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #97
threatofrain wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's productive to equate the green/blue color thing with the accessibility or parity of experience between web apps and native apps. The green/blue distinction is very meaningful. It tells you whether your chats are encrypted, which is not a default to SMS technology. In fact it would be more honest or accurate for Apple to display a padlock to inform you that you're secure; instead we have colors.

Also, international SMS/MMS incurs additional costs, so blue in iMessages lets me know it will not cost me anything, whereas green might be depending on the number to which I am sending SMS/MMS. Also, MMS is terrible.

Heck, domestic SMS costs money for lots of people!

Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

#129

Post by lotsofpulp »

542458 wrote: post #128
lotsofpulp wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, international SMS/MMS incurs additional costs, so blue in iMessages lets me know it will not cost me anything, whereas green might be depending on the number to which I am sending SMS/MMS. Also, MMS is terrible.

Heck, domestic SMS costs money for lots of people!

That would be amazing to me in the US, I assumed everyone had unlimited SMS/MMS/within the US phone calls. I have not shopped for mobile plans in over a decade though.

Re: FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

#130

Post by nso »

kstrauser wrote: post #33
nso wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had to get upper management involved once when trying to buy an Airport Express, because they wouldn't allow me to make a purchase at the Apple store without leaving my name and contact details.

It's ethically OK to lie in these situations. You think I gave Radio Shack my real PII whenever I wanted to buy a battery?

I shouldn't have to lie. They didn't accept my "No.", nor that my full legal name was "Donald Fauntleroy Duck", until the case got escalated.
Post reply on HN