Earlier quoted context omitted.
...literally all the things listed in the comment you're replying to.
But what stops Amazon from making these things? What's stopping them?
Why didn't Linux programmers just fork Windows or iOS?
Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
171–180 of 206 posts
Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
#172Earlier quoted context omitted.
The requirement that amazes me they never gone absolutely done for was that to get certified (to carry the Play Store) you must not release any Android devices which are not certified. i.e. a given manufacturer would not be able to sell Google based Android devices and separate non-Google based Android devices. It's as if being able to bundle Windows OEM licenses was reliant on not selling any models with Linux.
ugh? Huawei sell both. Not in the same market, but they sell both.
I didn't think Huawei had released a certified Android device in many years now, as I don't believe Google would be allowed to act as a supplier to them even if they wanted to.
Back around the Nexus 6P they probably got an exception as Google tried to promote more competition for what was rapidly turning into a Samsungopoly. Samsung later themselves negotiated a position where they could make other changes in ways Google didn't approve of, and that was by leveraging the threat of going all-in on Tizen.
Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
#173Earlier quoted context omitted.
> they think they had no choice And they really don't have a choice. if you don't abide by googles terms then they will not permit you to use google mobile services. That means (at the very least): - No "play" services (breaks lots of apps and 3rd party peripherals). - No app store (over 90% of apps are distributed solely through the play store. even major android players like samsung have tiny libraries in their own…
Big shout out to Google Play Integrity/Safety Net (or whatever it's currently called). Was the one thing which ended my couple of years without Google, as my banking apps started banning my phones fingerprint for being insecure. Seems like in a major part of '''Pax Americana''' is needing to use a Google or Apple fingerprint to participate in society. Makes you laugh when people whinge about China.
Don't worry, Pax China will have you giving the fingerprint to Xiaomi and Huawei instead.
Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
#174Earlier quoted context omitted.
The requirement that amazes me they never gone absolutely done for was that to get certified (to carry the Play Store) you must not release any Android devices which are not certified. i.e. a given manufacturer would not be able to sell Google based Android devices and separate non-Google based Android devices. It's as if being able to bundle Windows OEM licenses was reliant on not selling any models with Linux.
Perhaps not "absolutely done for," but there was meaningful action here that resulted in a 4.3 billion EUR fine (of which only 200 million was reversed on appeal). The action was based partially on the Anti-Fragmentation Agreements (AFAs) mentioned above: https://www.clearyantitrustwatch.com/2022/09/the-general-cou... IMO there should be mechanisms that prevent this kind of thing from ever occurring, but regulating t…
As long as it's not sold as "Android" to the mass public I don't think there is a meaningful problem. For example, if you go to the trouble of hacking the Play Store on to a Kindle Fire you do know it's your responsibility if it works or not. Google would probably tacitly approve because such activity reduces the need for the Amazon App Store.
Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
Google Cloud has also gotten a huge boost from large retailers who, understandably, don't want to run their software on Amazon owned AWS. When I asked out of curiosity why not Azure, especially given that these companies almost all use Office, Teams, Outlook, etc. several have told me it's because of Google Shopping and SEO. Though never formally stated or part of the contract it's often mentioned by Google that "The…
> And there are consistent talking point among the GCP sales reps about how they "help deliver you customers" and you "shouldn't fund a competitor". I wonder how much of it is Google asking them to do that, versus quotas and incentives that make anything else untenable. The latter is a well-known phenomenon, if your sales reps are under enough pressure, they will eventually resort to illegal tactics that make your co…
Does that matter how it started? If everyone knows this is happening for long, then Google is definitely turning a blind eye, and it is the same thing as promoting the sales tactic.
Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
#176It continues to baffle me that Google gets harassed by the courts for being a better actor in almost every area it participates. Open source Android vs. closed iOS Install apps from any source on Android vs. total restriction on iOS Switch default app for browser (and many other things!) vs. No choice but Safari tech on iOS Easy switch of search provider in Chrome vs. countless dark patterns pushing Edge and Bing on…
I've learned that to a lot of people, perfect is always the ideal enemy of good.
Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
#177I bet lots of people on /r/Android cheered when provisions like this were first added. How long did we spend complaining about dumb junk like Bixby?
Of course, users should have a choice.
Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
#178Earlier quoted context omitted.
Big shout out to Google Play Integrity/Safety Net (or whatever it's currently called). Was the one thing which ended my couple of years without Google, as my banking apps started banning my phones fingerprint for being insecure. Seems like in a major part of '''Pax Americana''' is needing to use a Google or Apple fingerprint to participate in society. Makes you laugh when people whinge about China.
Attesting that a closed source device meets arbitrary closed source standards is a necessary evil. One real world problem is that some existing systems are built relying on the integrity of the components within, i.e. BART in the bay area relies on the BART cards being honest and secure. If iPhones are to be allowed into the system, they also have to be honest and secure. The capability is being over-used and abused,…
> If iPhones are to be allowed into the system, they also have to be honest and secure.
This describes a 1:1, total-trust relationship. There are other types of systems fulfilling the requirements without needing a 1:1, total-trust relationship.
For example, the main requirements here are: The account succeeds at making requests it is allowed to make, and the account fails at making requests it is not allowed to make. Both those requirements can be fulfilled entirely server-side, and should be. Why require the client to be locked down?
Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
#179Earlier quoted context omitted.
Google Cloud has also gotten a huge boost from large retailers who, understandably, don't want to run their software on Amazon owned AWS. When I asked out of curiosity why not Azure, especially given that these companies almost all use Office, Teams, Outlook, etc. several have told me it's because of Google Shopping and SEO. Though never formally stated or part of the contract it's often mentioned by Google that "The…
> And there are consistent talking point among the GCP sales reps about how they "help deliver you customers" and you "shouldn't fund a competitor". I wonder how much of it is Google asking them to do that, versus quotas and incentives that make anything else untenable. The latter is a well-known phenomenon, if your sales reps are under enough pressure, they will eventually resort to illegal tactics that make your co…
I ran a large cloud environment for two different US based retailers.
Grocer A: They built their cloud strategy with Azure in mind. Microsoft partnered up with them early on at the C-Level and grocer was given a metric fuck-ton of free services to help build and identify the proper cloud strategy for all of their 2500-ish stores.
Luxury Goods Retailer B: Moved from a Data Center to AWS, since that's where our corporate IT partner recommended we go to. C-level leadership tried to get some fake products removed from Amazon.com, Amazon.com said no, we were given the green light to spend "...whatever needed to be spent" to get us off of AWS and over to Google Cloud as quickly as possible.
It's been my experience that the Google Cloud sales reps will always usually reach out after money raising announcements and other acquisition events just to let you know that they're there and please spend money with them. It was never "Don't fund your competitor," it was always, "we're google, our tech works, they're not going to sunset google cloud, our support sucks, use our partner."
Re: Google contract prevented Motorola from setting Perplexity as default assistant
#180Earlier quoted context omitted.
For the record, none of those are objectively "better". You and I may think they're better. Lots, lots , as in billions of people, couldn't care less: > Open source Android vs. closed iOS Almost no one outside specific tech circles cares, and even if they understood what it meant, still wouldn't care. > Install apps from any source on Android vs. total restriction on iOS That's one of the primary reasons I suggest th…
> I might agree with that, although part of me is glad that there's at least one major platform that Chrome hasn't taken over. > Five years ago, I'd have agreed. Today Chrome seems like the King of Dark Patterns because it can get away with it. It's the one single app on my Mac that makes me specially configure cmd-Q to quit it. Manifest v3. Web Integrity API. Etc., etc., etc. Google does this because they can. They…
Me too. Right now Safari is damming that river of awfulness because no one wants to break their site for iPhone users. So many of the new Chrome "features" sound like end-user nightmares that I want no part of, like:
Chrome: Our new feature lets websites write files directly to your desktop without user intervention!
Users: Yay, I can get daily newsletters right where I want them!
Safari: That's a terrible idea. Now any website can write ads or malware to your desktop.
Users: Why is Safari so outdated? Chrome's had this new feature for a week now!
a week later
Users: Why is my desktop filled with ads?
Chrome: It's a mystery unto the ages! Hey, did I tell you about our new API for allowing advertisers to watch you while you sleep?
Users: LOL, Safari is so far behind that they'll probably never even implement this.