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Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

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Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#121

Post by piyush_soni »

throwaway47861 wrote: post #113

WARNING: Meta comment. Downvote to your heart's content. I am very disappointed and disheartened by a good chunk of the HN commenters right here in this thread. I would expect Apple hating in some Android-focused outlet where people get points and badges based on how much times they repeat "iSheep" in an hour, but here?! Boys and girls around here, HN is the modern place where the more intelligent and supposedly open…

> Hence I am using a throwaway account ..

You mean the account you use to criticize and judge almost everyone on the planet [0] [1] [2] [3]? Now that's very intelligent, adult, and open-minded isn't it? :)

[0] : "I've noticed that C and C++ have pretty fanatical and very narrow-minded fanbase" : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14877927

[1] : "Because they have no lives and posting emotional responses on the internet makes them feel important" : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14855644

[2] : "The author is ... demonstrating a grumpy-old-fart-like attitude" : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14752601

[3] : "This article is of USA origin, clearly. You guys are strange -- always be like ... " : https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14653281

Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#122

Post by [deleted] »

briandear wrote: post #112
bigbugbag wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you compare anything to google, it will look as if caring for privacy. Google is the hugest ad network based on gobbling all privacy from everywhere while Apple is an overpriced hardware seller, of course it will do better on privacy than google. But this does not make apple a privacy oriented company.

Overpriced? Not if they are selling products at te price offered. If they were OVER priced, they would sell zero. If a good is above the price people are willing to pay, they will sell zero. Clearly, that is not the case. An economic nitpick to be sure but factual. They are correctly priced given their sales and profitability numbers.

[deleted]

Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#123

Post by reactor4 »

jhasse wrote: post #120
briandear wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Overpriced? Not if they are selling products at te price offered. If they were OVER priced, they would sell zero. If a good is above the price people are willing to pay, they will sell zero. Clearly, that is not the case. An economic nitpick to be sure but factual. They are correctly priced given their sales and profitability numbers.

No, you can have at least one customer even it is overpriced (e. g. if Apple sold the iPhone X for $10,000, it's very like that still at least one person buys it, it definitely would be overpriced though). It's overpriced if you could make more revenue by lowering the price.

> and profitability numbers

Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#124

Post by simonh »

piyush_soni wrote: post #114
simonh wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But in the article you link to as [0] it also says Apple had already refused to comply with an All Writs Act request in an unrelated case several months previously. It doesn’t seem that the under seal request would have made any difference to their actual decision, which they’d already made. This pretty much kills dead any suggestion that they somehow changed their mind for PR reasons, in fact they pretty clearly did…

If they were that serious about users' privacy, they would have fought with the order of giving the iCloud data too. Also I don't see a direct relation between their accessibility efforts and efforts on privacy. That way, we can link anything with anything else.

Apple isn’t a sovereign state. It’s subject to US law. Sure it can challenge those laws if there’s a realistic chance of winning, but when there isn’t and they’re faced with a court approved demand based on settled law, not so much. They’re a consumer products company not an insurgency against the US system of government. Are you really saying you can’t see that distinction?

The link with accessibility is just evidence that when Apple says they do something to benefit their users because it’s their right thing to do and not for financial gain, that they have history on that to back them up.

Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#125

Post by ekianjo »

danpalmer wrote: post #95
greggman wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple Genius just asked me for my username and password to my MacBook so he could type it into some service form for repairs. I don't think asking for that info is really compatible with "we care about privacy"

There are a lot of things that employees in the retail stores do that isn't very "Apple". I suspect that's partially from not having as strong culture fit selection in hiring, partially from lack of understanding (when it comes to security, it's a nuanced subject) and partially from the realities of being productive in a retail environment.

whats the point of having branded stores then?

Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#126

Post by crottypeter »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #107
greggman wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple Genius just asked me for my username and password to my MacBook so he could type it into some service form for repairs. I don't think asking for that info is really compatible with "we care about privacy"

It seems like they didn't want to add a backdoor to the OS just for the sake of repairs.

Yes, the front door will do fine /s

Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#127

Post by ekianjo »

schitzapplebits wrote: post #99
bigbugbag wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you compare anything to google, it will look as if caring for privacy. Google is the hugest ad network based on gobbling all privacy from everywhere while Apple is an overpriced hardware seller, of course it will do better on privacy than google. But this does not make apple a privacy oriented company.

The fact that you view it as expensive does not make it overpriced. Apple certainly has no trouble selling at their prices.

no problem selling to a minority of users worldwide. The rest simply enjoy PCs and other options and ignore Apple.

Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#128

Post by losvedir »

dmead wrote: post #14
0xbear wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That wouldn't make any sense given that DDG is thin UX veneer around Bing, and it doesn't maintain its own index.

is that true? i thought DDG predates bing?

Last time I asked that question, someone posted this interesting comparison screenshot of their search on Bing and DDG: https://imgur.com/P1akOab

Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#129

Post by chewz »

richardknop wrote: post #92
toephu2 wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you used Apple Maps recently? It's not that bad anymore. Just because they had bad press about it 5 years ago doesn't mean the product is still stuck in 2012.

From time to time I still accidentally open Apple Maps on my iPhone while searching for some place (tube station, restaurant, store) and almost immediately close it and use Google Maps. Apple Maps is still much worse, the UX is worse and it's much more difficult for me to find things on the map. Especially tube stations are much more visible on Google maps and I often use tube stations for orientation. On Apple Maps…

From my experience it depends a lot on the country. Apple Maps was for me excellent in China or Japan and terrible in Thailand for example.

Both Google and Apple buy basic maps info from third party and the quality depends a lot on the deal they get. For example it is not possible to save area offline in Google Maps for Thailand due to some legal issues I guess.

Google has much more user engagement and stars and recommendations give Google a big advantage.

Re: Apple switches from Bing to Google for Siri web search on iOS and Mac Spotlight

#130

Post by Angostura »

stephenr wrote: post #102
greggman wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the form was an official Apple form for repairs. they are going to replace my keyboard and screen. they said they needed the password to test. I asked why not just boot from a USB drive and they said they could not do that. I didn't ask why they couldnt just swap a drive for testing. they didn't offer this option I had to suggest it but basically I'll have to reformat the drive before taking it in for service.

Create a separate account for them, and make sure you have FileVault turned on so your home folder is encrypted. I've managed to get this concept across to authorised repairers who don't speak english (and I don't speak Thai).

Exactly. Or just enable the guest account. That's what I always do.
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