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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

#302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google Meet is a pretty solid solution and I have never had a problem with it, been using it for years.

Do you use it in Chrome? I have tried chrome and Firefox but they both make my fans spin for one video stream and four audio streams. Zoom's native app OTOH seems to handle multiple video streams with ease. This is on macOS.

Google apps use VP9 for video, and Apple didn't expose VP9 decoding acceleration via Video Toolbox up until Big Sur (on models capable doing so, so for Intel chips Kaby Lake and newer). So if you don't run Big Sur on KBL+, it falls back to software.

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

#303
post #252

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.

Duo is pretty easy for the old folks on i-devices, in my experience. It's pretty much Google's FaceTime, and isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I think it's actually a bit nicer than FaceTime.

I thought duo was canceled. Haven’t heard of it once in all of the pandemic.

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

#305
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

On an iPhone, the barrier to using facetime is very low, its like making or receiving a video phone call than using a video conferencing app - I'd imagine more elderly or low computer/smart phone literate would can a facetime call to their grandkids than use whatsapp/zoom to do the same

Google Duo is simpler than them all... It's been a fucking decade, if these people hadn't found an alternative to and learned a video/conference app other than facetime, it's too fucking late!!!

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

#306

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.

Another reason to not give a shit about facetime, or any other proprietary video app, if it is or it isn't encrypted, guess what, I can guarantee that Apple and Daddy Govt got a back door into it, and you'll never know cause you can see their code... If it ain't open source, they are probably spying on your, or at least have the ability to!!!

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

#307
post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's suspected that this was thwarted by the VirnetX lawsuit. And Apple had to do a "design around" [2]. https://www.cnet.com/news/steve-jobs-promised-to-make-faceti... [2] https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/08/report-after-pat...

We now know this is false: https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/27/22406303/imessage-android...

That link is about iMessage, not FaceTime.

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

#308
post #263

Spare a thought for Zoom. I don't see them surviving this.

Isn't Zoom mostly for businesses? They for sure won't be switching to Facetime. Facetime is also irrelevant outside of US so I'm not so sure this announcement has much effect on anything.

Anectdata but I've attended three virtual funerals so far this year, all on Zoom. So I suspect there is plenty of brand recognition outside of business.

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

#309
post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The colours are definitely there to indicate who doesn’t have an iDevice. They predate iMessage being end-to-end encrypted, and predates Apples current privacy push. Additionally Apple senior leaders have got up on stage and joked about how people with green bubbles are second class friends. All of that together makes me think the bubble colours are primarily there to gently nudge people into getting their friends an…

>All of that together makes me think the bubble colours are primarily there to gently nudge people into getting their friends and family to buy iPhones. I don't think anyone can argue with a straight face that the color-coded messages aren't at least partially motivated by creating an in-crowd and out-crowd dichotomy, but its a stretch to say that they are there _primarily_ to get Apple users to bully their friends i…

Adding on, I think in the context of the recent internal emails uncovered during the Epic lawsuit, it's agreeable that there's an ongoing story about Apple's ulterior motives to damage the competition by artificially limiting their outreach to customers on other platforms.

But IMO the solution there wouldn't be to remove the red/blue distinction, which as noted in this thread serves as important security and feature indicator — the solution would be to compel Apple to serve their customers better by not having them caught in the crossfire in their marketplace battles with Android.

I also noted that it would be more accurate for Apple to display a padlock to display the security status of a chat, but that would actually be even more derogatory. It's basically saying "this chat is unsafe."

I really hope Apple at least announces iMessages for the web, and a native client for Android. A lot of households are multi-ecosystem.

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

#310
post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, because it just moves to SMS for the group, instead. Video conferencing has no ubiquitous fallback.

Neither does SMS for large parts of the world. Not everyone has unlimited SMS like US carriers do. And/or as soon as one participant is abroad you're talking international SMS prices. This isn't a clean fallback option.

However it's a _good enough_ fallback that has been working for many groups. Yes, it doesn't solve the issue for all possible groups. But Apple likely doesn't care yet, and probably shouldn't until there are other changes it can work on that would affect larger groups (like bringing FaceTime to the web).
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