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Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

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Re: Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

#161

What made me leave the iPhone ecosystem, many years ago, was when they pulled all the podcatchers off the app store because they were going to be adding podcast support to iTunes soon. Not only that but getting podcasts from iTunes at the time meant plugging your iPhone into your computer running iTunes, much less convenient than having your phone download things over WiFi. Especially since I was using Linux and didn…

When was this? Based on https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2005/06/28Apple-Takes-Podcast..., it looks like Apple added podcast support to iTunes in 2005. The iPhone wasn’t released until 2007 and the App Store didn’t exist until 2008.

Re: Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

#162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> walled garden argument A watch is now a walled garden? Does Casio have to open its OS? Either these are not general computing devices or there's no line, a fridge or microwave or a console are general computing as well -- and device makers have no rights to make a product from digital parts as well as mechanical parts without having to make it open to digital fiddling, and secure it dragging in that new threat mode…

If you gatekeep applications on your device then it's a walled garden. Simple, no?

[deleted]

Re: Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

#163
There is no way to have a fair App Store where the organization approving your app is the same organization creating apps to compete with you.

This is a fundamental, existential problem with the App Store model.

You can't compete with Apple; they simply will not let you.

Re: Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

#164
post #64

Aptly put by the author: See you in court @Apple https://twitter.com/keleftheriou/status/1437845736951992321

Does the author stand a chance against the army of ivy league lawyers of a trillion dollar megacorp? I guess it would help if he's also American (don't know where he's from) so he could fight Apple on home turf and use the jury system on his side like "Evil megacorp steals from the little guy" (does it even work like this in the US or did I watch too many movies?), but I'm more curious how a lawsuit would go if he'd…

I hope a large company comes and helps him out with this case. It will affect many companies.

Re: Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

#166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> walled garden argument A watch is now a walled garden? Does Casio have to open its OS? Either these are not general computing devices or there's no line, a fridge or microwave or a console are general computing as well -- and device makers have no rights to make a product from digital parts as well as mechanical parts without having to make it open to digital fiddling, and secure it dragging in that new threat mode…

If you gatekeep applications on your device then it's a walled garden. Simple, no?

So why has there never been a horde of torches and pitchforks outside Castle Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo yet?

And don’t squeeze out that “cOnSoLeS aReNt cOmPuTeRs” bullshit. They’re closer to computers than a goddamn wristwatch.

Re: Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

#167

Meh. The problem is FlickType requires network access during use. The App store licensing is ok with keyboards, it's not ok with keyboards that get network access. This, Apple perceives as a major privacy issue-- one for the possibility of keylogging, but also for the broader possibility of the always-on logging that the weather apps are infamous for. edit: Sorry, I didn't include the source, the Developer License Ag…

You’ll be surprised to know that Apple is quite fine with keyboards using network access. That is literally why the “Full Access” switch exists. Without it, the keyboard is fully sandboxed. It can receive input from the container app, but nothing can get out. It is surprisingly a user choice, something Apple will rarely give up on iOS. The rejection was only because the app existed on the Apple Watch, and it was only…

The rejection was because Apple never allowed keyboard apps on the watch. The idea of bringing a full keyboard to the watch isn't exactly the groundbreaking innovation many people here are acting like it is. Do people really think Apple stole the idea from this guy?

Re: Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

#168
post #108

Apple is pulling a Lotus/Excel maneuver, except at least Lotus was still allowed to run on Windows at the time.

at least Lotus was still allowed to run on Windows at the time Microsoft did not have a way to block Lotus from running on Windows at the time (other than intentionally breaking their system calls, e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10432608 ).

[deleted]

Re: Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I fully support Eleftheriou on this just for the principle, but if I were in his place I would have agreed at a very large sum from Apple (even lower from what I had in mind) just so that we could all be happy right now ;-) Seems like Apple has a very anti-competitive position, no? To me this goes all the way back to the walled garden argument. Apple sat on, what some may consider, a straw man arguing that they cou…

> walled garden argument A watch is now a walled garden? Does Casio have to open its OS? Either these are not general computing devices or there's no line, a fridge or microwave or a console are general computing as well -- and device makers have no rights to make a product from digital parts as well as mechanical parts without having to make it open to digital fiddling, and secure it dragging in that new threat mode…

I'd agree with you 100% conceptually, if not for the fact I've been personally left to improve the security on every phone and computer I've been offered by the market since my birth.

Re: Apple blocked the FlickType Watch keyboard then announced a clone of it

#170

Apple's behavior here doesn't surprise me.. there's a history of this kind of thing.. what would surprise me however is if the developer didn't see this coming after Apple made purchase offers.. were the offers insultingly small?

Just because a corporation have loads of money doesn't mean they will not lowball offers.
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