Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo • Hacker News Board

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#401

Post by hparadiz » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:09 AM UTC

williamscales wrote: post #398

Benjamin_Dobell wrote: post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Flashing an unsigned (or potentially differently signed) bootloader burns fuses. Sure. However, other manufacturers don't just burn fuses, you specifically need to apply for permission to flash your bootloader e.g. https://www.oneplus.com/support/answer/detail/op588 Samsung at least don't require personal details for you to take control of your device. Sure, you lose access to some multimedia, but don't blame Samsung…

What does “tampered with” mean? Particularly in the context of a device you own? I would consider a device tampered with if someone besides me (the owner) did something with it, without my authorization. But anything short of that is surely just me using the device. I mean, I have physical possession after all.

Signing images and requiring that the bootloader can't flash anything else is just vendor lock in / ceding your power as an end user. It doesn't make you more secure in any way since a bad actor will figure out a way to bypass making writes to the system partition.

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#402

Post by pyuser583 » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:11 AM UTC

musicale wrote: post #351

mortehu wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On my iPhone, Safari browser history synchronization to iCloud was enabled by default.

According to Apple, Safari history and bookmarks are end-to-end encrypted and Apple cannot read them: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303 Is there any evidence that Apple is lying, and is actually decrypting them somehow and using them for advertising purposes, rather than for the "coherence" feature? I don't actually want browsing sessions to be unified across devices, so I do wish that it was turned off by def…

That’s not what your link says. The link says browsing history is end-to-end encrypted, but Bookmarks are not.

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#403

Post by AlexandrB » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:12 AM UTC

mrguyorama wrote: post #34

adam_arthur wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn’t matter if they get a better rate than market. The precise number doesn’t change the stated dynamics or situation at all. That there are app developers that get preferential treatment just demonstrates the arbitrary power Apple has over choosing winners and losers

But big companies love these kind of barriers, it prevents small competitors from being able to exist. Besides, Google takes a cut of things in their store, Epic from theirs, and if facebook made the metaverse work, you can bet your ass they'd try and take a thirty percent cut. They would never fight against that, it's literally free money.

30% is for amateurs. Meta is taking 48%: https://www.engadget.com/meta-metaverse-virtual-good-sales-c...

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#404

Post by SV_BubbleTime » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:13 AM UTC

spacemadness wrote: post #394

wvenable wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The real solution to this is improved functionality of web apps and complete migration to those Progress on that front is hampered because fruit company only allows their own browser and puts just enough effort into it to keep it relevant as a web browser.

Is it really all Apple? Sites like Reddit hammer you with “it’s better on the app!” spam so they can force you to see ads and whatever else they want you to see.

Don’t forget tracking and data collection. Apps like Reddit’s have at least two motives.

It’s bullshit and I hate it. Really hoping that the era of free money ending reigns in these tech companies to being forced to do things in the customer’s interests.

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#405

Post by AlexandrB » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:18 AM UTC

HDThoreaun wrote: post #286

veilrap wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The restricted App Store does add customer value, and that customer value is degraded if there are other App Stores available. Namely - if a user buys Apple products because they want the security/curation/whatever that comes with Apple's walled garden, that advantage is broken by forcing Apple to have other app stores on their platform because now that user cannot get all the content through their trusted source as…

No one is forcing you to use a third party App Store. Any app with enough popularity on a third party store will be cloned on the first party one.

I don't think anyone is going to be cloning Netflix or Fortnite. Not just because it's hard, but also because they'd get sued out of existence.

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#406

Post by root_axis » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:24 AM UTC

etchalon wrote: post #397

root_axis wrote: post #296

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Apple's customer base Interesting way to frame it. The customer belongs to Apple. Far be it for the customer to decide what they want or like, they belong to Apple after all, and if those corporations want access to what's Apple's, they need to pay up. You're not wrong, but imagine a world where the customer didn't actually belong to Apple and the users could decide to play Fornite or shitpost on Twitter if that wa…

I don't understand how the customer wouldn't belong to Apple. I can't go into McDonald's and order a Whopper. McDonald's owns me, so long as I'm in their store. If I want a Whopper, I have to go to Burger King. "But Burger King is farther away, and thus, McDonald's has a monopoly on that customer" is a weird argument.

That analogy makes no sense. An iPhone isn't a restaurant. If Apple is McDonalds and Google is Burger King, who does Epic, Spotify, or Twitter correspond to in the analogy?

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#407

Post by kyriakos » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:25 AM UTC

hparadiz wrote: post #165

metiscus wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have owned many Samsung android devices over the years and have always been able to install fdroid and other alternate app stores as well as "side load" applications from apk files. Is there a new thing where Samsung have removed this feature in recent (last two years or so) devices?

The bootloader in on Samsung Android devices is extremely locked down to prevent rooting. Sideloading is a basic android feature. Ability to root and sideloading are two different but similar issues on the topic of freedom.

But as an app developer Samsung doesn't claim a cut out of my sales. That's where you start to see the difference.

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#408

Post by wraptile » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:30 AM UTC

aroma_mic wrote: post #102

donmcronald wrote: post #5

I want the option to control my devices. I don’t understand the arguments that claim Apple needs to rule the device with an iron fist. What problems does it cause to make the locked down experience the default with the option for me to disable that and take control of the device after I buy it? I want to own my stuff. I want to repair it and I want complete control over it. I think that in 10 years we’ll all have car…

Same should be said for Nintendo or Sony, who assert the same control. Most of the money made is on games. Not saying you’re wrong or anything, if anything I agree, and think it should apply to all my hardware I buy.

Comparing a niche entertainment gaming device to a general computing device isn't very fair, is it?

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#409

Post by wraptile » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:33 AM UTC

veilrap wrote: post #74

adam_arthur wrote: post #2

It's pretty obvious that legislation or anti-trust action will come that opens up mobile computing platforms. Considering the whole of a large market share mobile computing OS a private market, and not subject to competitive pressures, leads to monopolistic capture similar to what utilities could achieve without regulation. Why not just move to another neighborhood if you don't like your electric bill? Well then you'…

The restricted App Store does add customer value, and that customer value is degraded if there are other App Stores available. Namely - if a user buys Apple products because they want the security/curation/whatever that comes with Apple's walled garden, that advantage is broken by forcing Apple to have other app stores on their platform because now that user cannot get all the content through their trusted source as…

> customer value is degraded if there are other App Stores available.

This doesn't compute. Does your home cooking tastes worse because restaurants exist?

Re: Spotify CEO renews attack on Apple after Musk's salvo

#410

Post by ApolloFortyNine » Thu, Dec 01, 2022, 5:34 AM UTC

metiscus wrote: post #156

saurik wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The big competitor to Apple is Samsung, and Samsung devices tend to be just as locked down as Apple devices (though the prevalence of jailbreaks has been higher, and of course you can sideload apps). Those two companies make up over 75% of smartphones in the US, and neither of their next competitors down (OnePlus and Lenovo) are Google. People talk about Android like it is the "do anything you want device marketed at…

I have owned many Samsung android devices over the years and have always been able to install fdroid and other alternate app stores as well as "side load" applications from apk files. Is there a new thing where Samsung have removed this feature in recent (last two years or so) devices?

Just desparate apple apologists equating installing your own OS to installing an app.

Would I like to have an unlocked bootloader? Sure. Is having a locked bootloader equivalent to only being allowed to install Apple approved apps? Of course not.