Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access • Hacker News Board

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#71

Post by jethro_tell » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:04 PM UTC

madeofpalk wrote: post #40

wmf wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One may wonder if the real goal was to create an antitrust case rather than a working app.

How is this a demonstration of "antitrust"? Apple does not unfairly prevent competition for messaging apps, as evidenced by a plethora of competition for messaging apps, plenty of which are far more popular on iPhone outside of the US. Apple faces the heat of this competition - it frequently adds features to iMessage to make it equal or better than it's competition. Voice notes through iMessage was a direct reaction…

Additionally, didn't they just announce that RCS would be a first class citizen in '24?

Feel free to use the open standard but don't be iMessage.

I'm a long time beeper user. It's been nice to sign up with my email, and at least be in a few of the iPhone only chats.

When I saw Eric's post the other day, my first thought was 'what an arrogant dumbass.' My guess was that they though they have an anti trust case, and my guess is that apple may have thought the same, and so they enabled 'iMessage' access to RCS.

This was so predictable, especially after the RCS announcement, that I messaged my group threads and said they'd be borked by the end of the week, please switch back to signal.

So, I think I'll ride that train until RCS is a thing and be done with beeper. I honestly think they just shot themselves in the foot.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/16/23964171/apple-iphone-rc...

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#72

Post by jejeyyy77 » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:04 PM UTC

phailhaus wrote: post #41

Crazy that the CEO even tried to create an entire company based on something that they absolutely cannot control. Was this an acquisition play?

this - basically a backdoor trick/hack

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#73

Post by malfist » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:04 PM UTC

crazysim wrote: post #34

This was the way with GAIM and Adium and stuff back in the old days. It'll be back.

Oh man this brought back memories. I had forgotten those words

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#74

Post by not2b » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:05 PM UTC

gafage wrote: post #53

trynumber9 wrote: post #47

The EU should, like they did years ago with PC operating systems, mandate a default browser selection screen. And a default messenger selection screen. And a default app store selection screen. Not that we'd get it in the US but it would help reduce Apple/Google market capture efforts.

>And a default messenger selection screen. What for? Everybody in the EU already uses whatsapp. That shows how unnecessary these selection screens are.

That's probably why Apple will get away with keeping iMessage closed (unless the US government pushes them), probably not enough European use to count as a gatekeeper.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#75

Post by gafage » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:06 PM UTC

i5-2520M wrote: post #67

gafage wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>And a default messenger selection screen. What for? Everybody in the EU already uses whatsapp. That shows how unnecessary these selection screens are.

Incorrect meme, almost no one is on whatsapp in Hungary for example. We use Messenger, Viber mainly and other social media apps that have a chat feature.

So basically you are making my own argument: we use tons of different apps. What would be the selection screen useful for?

Going further: if we download different messengers, it stands to reason we can download different browsers, therefore if safari is the most used it's because it's the one we choose.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#76

Post by wilsynet » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:06 PM UTC

mwidell wrote: post #60

phailhaus wrote: post #41

Crazy that the CEO even tried to create an entire company based on something that they absolutely cannot control. Was this an acquisition play?

I used to think like this before I saw companies like Instagram and Tiktok thrive in the app store, which they absolutely cannot control. It is often worth a shot.

Relying on the App Store to distribute your app is more than a little different than building an extension to iMessages. Apple and Google want you to use their app stores in this way. Apple does not want you to bridge iMessages to other platforms.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#77

Post by dgellow » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:06 PM UTC

madeofpalk wrote: post #62

trynumber9 wrote: post #47

The EU should, like they did years ago with PC operating systems, mandate a default browser selection screen. And a default messenger selection screen. And a default app store selection screen. Not that we'd get it in the US but it would help reduce Apple/Google market capture efforts.

'Nobody' in the EU uses iMessage, even on iPhones. Everyone here already uses Whatsapp. This demonstrates a lack of a monopoly and how competition can flourish. Honestly - and EU-regulation that Apple faces over iMessage would just be collateral damage from EU targeting Whatsapp.

WhatsApp and Telegram (varies by country)

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#78

Post by tadfisher » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:06 PM UTC

rplnt wrote: post #30

etchalon wrote: post #22

You mean the company who controls the protocol, and the clients, and the servers for a given service somehow found a way to stop a third-party from utilizing that service without permission? I am shocked at this outcome, and shall write my senator.

And IIRC it used some old OSX binaries to do so? Just terminating the access might be a lucky outcome if that's the case, considring the money involved.

pypush uses the old binary pulled from macOS. Beeper Mini uses another workaround for the device UUID/serial/etc. requirement.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#79

Post by NBJack » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:06 PM UTC

madeofpalk wrote: post #62

trynumber9 wrote: post #47

The EU should, like they did years ago with PC operating systems, mandate a default browser selection screen. And a default messenger selection screen. And a default app store selection screen. Not that we'd get it in the US but it would help reduce Apple/Google market capture efforts.

'Nobody' in the EU uses iMessage, even on iPhones. Everyone here already uses Whatsapp. This demonstrates a lack of a monopoly and how competition can flourish. Honestly - and EU-regulation that Apple faces over iMessage would just be collateral damage from EU targeting Whatsapp.

I mean, if everyone is using Whatsapp, that is effectively a monopoly. I am curious as to what the runner ups are in the EU however.

Meanwhile, wait until Mr. Zuckerberg looks for new ideas to monetize their messaging ecosystem.

Re: Apple cuts off Beeper Mini's access

#80

Post by rglullis » Fri, Dec 08, 2023, 11:07 PM UTC

trynumber9 wrote: post #47

The EU should, like they did years ago with PC operating systems, mandate a default browser selection screen. And a default messenger selection screen. And a default app store selection screen. Not that we'd get it in the US but it would help reduce Apple/Google market capture efforts.

Let's think higher than that. Let's just get rid of megacorporations: let's mandate that any company with more than amount of X employees should be broken down into smaller divisions, with a separate board and CEO, and make it that no one can be on more than one board at the same time.

Make X low enough, 250, and all of this would go away: no more corporatism, no more monopolies, no more special groups interests paying for government lobbying, no more abuse of power from a handful of companies...