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FaceTime is coming to Android and Windows via the web

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

#201

Post by lurkerasdfh8 »

lurkerasdfh8 wrote: post #194
kevincox wrote: post #18

Wow. That is unexpected. I have to say that FaceTime in a browser sandbox is one of the few Apple products I would consider using. I wonder what made them take this path? I also wonder if someone could build a Matrix bridge if it is available via web, that would be fairly cool. Some questions: - Is it phone-number based IDs? Or can I pick a username or get a random ID? - Is spam going to be a problem? Previous Apple…

> I wonder what made them take this path? it was literally an email that surface on the Epic store litigation, where one Apple exec says (quote from memory) "We can't have facetime for android because that will remove the barrier for families to buy Android phones for their kids" So it will be crappy and have TONS of limitations (wouldn't be surprised it it only work with one apple device hosting) because it is only…

apple PR is running around downvoting facts :D

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

#202

Post by modernhybrid »

notsureaboutpg wrote: post #148
lotsofpulp wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my family, it was the best video calling option back in 2010-2012 or so, and there was no competition. So all the older people only know how to use Facetime, and no one is going to go through the trouble of teaching them anything else. I also have been embarrassed trying to teach Google's solutions and then Google messing with them over and over, so I won't ever try to introduce a Google service again.

Google Duo (the FaceTime competitor afaik) works fine and I have used it with all my family for a while now. There's also WhatsApp video which is pretty poor quality, imo. Duo is much clearer and higher quality.

the web interface works pretty nicely as well. I've been using google messages and duo lately and they have been working pretty flawlessly

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

#203

Post by [deleted] »

axiosgunnar wrote: post #196
kevincox wrote: post #18

Wow. That is unexpected. I have to say that FaceTime in a browser sandbox is one of the few Apple products I would consider using. I wonder what made them take this path? I also wonder if someone could build a Matrix bridge if it is available via web, that would be fairly cool. Some questions: - Is it phone-number based IDs? Or can I pick a username or get a random ID? - Is spam going to be a problem? Previous Apple…

> I wonder what made them take this path? Very simple. Video conferencing software has an anti-network effect: If just one person in a group cannot use a particular app, nobody in the group can.

[deleted]

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

#204

Post by natch »

kwanbix wrote: post #42
kevincox wrote: post #18

Wow. That is unexpected. I have to say that FaceTime in a browser sandbox is one of the few Apple products I would consider using. I wonder what made them take this path? I also wonder if someone could build a Matrix bridge if it is available via web, that would be fairly cool. Some questions: - Is it phone-number based IDs? Or can I pick a username or get a random ID? - Is spam going to be a problem? Previous Apple…

This is a honest question, so, what is so good about FaceTime? I have not used an iPhone since version 3GS, so it has been a while, but I understand it is just something similar to whatsapp video calls, google meet, or even zoom?

Privacy, and if negatives can be positives, it's not Facebook by association, not Google, and not Zoom. I won't explain why those negatives are negatives because I think it's widely known, but again it relates to privacy.

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

#205

Post by 377rurudhh »

afavour wrote: post #188
gambiting wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I honestly 100% feel like this is the main justification for all changes happening with Google products. I swear to god Google Photos changes the entire layout every year for no reason whatsoever. Whatever they change it to isn't better, just different. But the entire website has to be remodelled and your users have to learn the entire website again because.....someone on the UI team has to justify their 6 digit sala…

The transition from Google Play Music to YouTube Music has been insane. They rebuilt apps seemingly from the ground up, only without a bunch of features. Meanwhile the actual product has, at best, stood still for about two years now. Meanwhile Spotify are running rings around them.

Are they though? I'm actually curious since I don't know the numbers but wouldn't use Spotify if you paid me. I've got nothing against the app, but YouTube Premium gets me ad-free youtube everywhere including casting devices as well as a solid music streaming app. If it weren't for the value of the bundle I'd likely not care as much though.

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

#206

Post by userbinator »

cargo8 wrote: post #147
someonehere wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

TBF he said it would be an open protocol, not open-source. That being said, obviously Apple still never followed through...

Apparently it's some variant of SIP. I'm surprised that it's been a decade and no one has RE'd it all and written an open-source client (or have they all been threatened by lawyers...?)

http://blog.krisk.org/2013/09/apples-new-facetime-sip-perspe...

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1509717

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

#207

Post by userbinator »

thekyle wrote: post #64

The new SharePlay feature is actually quite cool. You wouldn't think it would be terribly difficult to share a movie or TV show on a video call, but actually due to the DRM that everyone uses it's almost impossible. Using the normal screen sharing feature of most video conferencing apps simply doesn't work and shows a black screen instead of the video. The workaround that people I know have been using during the pand…

I suspect it's more like a natural consequence of using hardware overlays for video, which can't easily be captured by reading the normal framebuffer. The DRM came later.

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

#208

Post by stevenicr »

Isn't facetime encrypted ?

and assuming it is - would doing this android or web break that or keep it solid?

Will the folks using iOs devices be warned that they are sharing audio/video with a lesser protected device?

I wouldn't mind having another secure option that everyone could use easily.

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

#209

Post by ahmedalsudani »

thekyle wrote: post #64

The new SharePlay feature is actually quite cool. You wouldn't think it would be terribly difficult to share a movie or TV show on a video call, but actually due to the DRM that everyone uses it's almost impossible. Using the normal screen sharing feature of most video conferencing apps simply doesn't work and shows a black screen instead of the video. The workaround that people I know have been using during the pand…

That would defeat the purpose of DRM. Maybe rightholders won’t be as stringent since this is apple, but typically they insist on all participants holding a license.
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