Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app • Hacker News Board

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#181

Post by andmarios » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:45 AM UTC

> Google Allo makes it easier for you to respond quickly and keep the conversation going, even when you’re on the go. With Smart Reply, you can respond to messages with just a tap, so you can send a quick “yup” in response to a friend asking “Are you on your way?” Smart Reply will also suggest responses for photos. If your friend sends you a photo of their pet, you might see Smart Reply suggestions like “aww cute!” And whether you’re a “haha” or “” kind of person, Smart Reply will improve over time and adjust to your style.

So for Google instead of snowflakes we are glorified chat bots? I like it. I hope one day it can imitate me so well I can delegate all my chats to it. It will be like a mini-me!

> Have some fun. Ask your Assistant to share that funny YouTube video or play games with friends right in your group chat — for instance you can compete to guess a movie title based on a series of emojis.

Oh great, now I have a tireless assistant to help me spam my friends and make them procrastinate!

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#182

Post by sidcool » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:47 AM UTC

Mizza wrote: post #87

jotux wrote: post #72

So now google has Voice, Messenger, Hangouts, Allo, and Duo all with overlapping functionality? I wish they would just focus on making Hangouts work really well.

They still have their XMPP as well, but they never enabled SSL so it sends messages in plaintext and won't federate to modern XMPP servers/clients. What a clusterfuck of a company.

Calling Google a clusterfuck of a company is appalling. They would not do this without a strategic thought. Even Facebook has Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and FB itself. All doing pretty well.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#183

Post by sidcool » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:49 AM UTC

Waterluvian wrote: post #10

Why isn't it always end to end encryption? I'm getting really paranoid and crochety in my old age of 29, as all I see is a tool to make me the product.

For the same reason Facebook Messenger is not. Integration with bots and third party apps.

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#184

Post by wutbrodo » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:50 AM UTC

kuschku wrote: post #111

kyrra wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google shut down XMPP support because none of the other large vendors were playing along. Because of how XMPP federation work, Microsoft could reach out to Google for presence and other information about friends, but didn't need to return the favor (they were doing one way federation). So it allowed for a "better" experience using other companies XMPP networks. Edit: Source for my beliefs on the above: http://www.ucs…

Facebook did provide XMPP service until the same time that Google ended it. So that’s definitely a wrong statement.

Are you thinking of client-to-server federation? Google didn't cancel support for that (and supports it to this day: I still use pidgin here and there to connect to GChat). That's not what this conversation is about: Google's cancellation of server-to-server federation. Facebook definitely didn't support that at the time that Google cancelled it, and to my recollection, never did (though I may be wrong).

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#185

Post by sidcool » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:50 AM UTC

putlake wrote: post #8

I'm surprised Google Duo hasn't become more popular. It's a great cross-platform video chat app. I especially like the feature where you can see the other party before you answer their call. I have taken calls because of that feature that I otherwise wouldn't have. It's better than FaceTime because it works on Android. It's better than Skype and Google Hangouts because your cellphone number is your identity; you don'…

I agree, Duo is great. Even at low bandwidth

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#186

Post by drake01 » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:51 AM UTC

andmarios wrote: post #181

> Google Allo makes it easier for you to respond quickly and keep the conversation going, even when you’re on the go. With Smart Reply, you can respond to messages with just a tap, so you can send a quick “yup” in response to a friend asking “Are you on your way?” Smart Reply will also suggest responses for photos. If your friend sends you a photo of their pet, you might see Smart Reply suggestions like “aww cute!” A…

mini-me! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-Me ?

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#187

Post by spacehunt » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:52 AM UTC

Does anyone know how the app preview message notifications[1] are implemented? Is it open to us third party app developers?

[1] When a message is sent to someone without Allo installed, they'll still receive a notification and can reply directly from it https://support.google.com/allo/answer/6385770

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#188

Post by shmerl » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:56 AM UTC

wutbrodo wrote: post #184

kuschku wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook did provide XMPP service until the same time that Google ended it. So that’s definitely a wrong statement.

Are you thinking of client-to-server federation? Google didn't cancel support for that (and supports it to this day: I still use pidgin here and there to connect to GChat). That's not what this conversation is about: Google's cancellation of server-to-server federation. Facebook definitely didn't support that at the time that Google cancelled it, and to my recollection, never did (though I may be wrong).

As far as I know Google didn't cancel server to server federation, but they refused to support encryption for it, and it's as good as cancelled, because most servers made it mandatory at some point. That's what caused all my contacts who use Google to disappear. Very annoying, and it's completely Google's fault. Anyway, the reason they left it to rot is because they abandoned XMPP for "greener pa$tures".

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#189

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:59 AM UTC

sidcool wrote: post #182

Mizza wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They still have their XMPP as well, but they never enabled SSL so it sends messages in plaintext and won't federate to modern XMPP servers/clients. What a clusterfuck of a company.

Calling Google a clusterfuck of a company is appalling. They would not do this without a strategic thought. Even Facebook has Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp and FB itself. All doing pretty well.

[deleted]

Re: Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

#190

Post by silverbln » Wed, Sep 21, 2016, 7:59 AM UTC

jmolinaso wrote: post #150

Waterluvian wrote: post #10

Why isn't it always end to end encryption? I'm getting really paranoid and crochety in my old age of 29, as all I see is a tool to make me the product.

I'm back from that paranoia period, my conclusions: - In real life you have no privacy, but still you don't think about it (white pages, community hall inscriptions, driving license, medical history, ...), apart of white pages try to unsubscribe from any of them and see what happens. Internet made it just easier to track you. - your safety is based on 2 things your habits and the peers that know you and are willing t…

In real life you have no privacy Please remove all locks from your doors and give me your address so I can watch you and whole family 24/7. Privacy starts at home. It exists.

so yes, I'm a product, and it also unlocks me to easily backup and access my family photos, that I can share via chromecast, or get my mails free from non nice spam and eventually find nice new products and know that I can click without exposing myself too much. With all their services google gets to know most of your thoughts. You don't care. It's okay, I don't blame you. But please do not tell others "there is no privacy" just because you threw yours away for some services that make your life a bit more comfortable.

maybe because they are truly Not Evil

'You have to fight for your privacy or you will lose it' - Eric Schmidt. We (meaning mostly you) lost it a long time ago already. They sometimes show their evil face - you just don't remember/know/care.

delegate to Google the block of certain images/sites thanks to their advance AI This is kinda 1984 7.0 - just wait for them enabling it for everyone. Page ranks can/could decide elections already - do you really want them having so much power over everyone? Just because their search results are a bit better (read: personalised) than duckduckgo/etc. ? I sometimes really understand the need for russian/chinese firewalls. Even Canada (reminder: member of the 5 eyes) refuses to send their country-internal internet traffic through the USA even it would be cheaper and faster at the same time. It's forbidden by law.

At the end, you need to trade something because one person alone can't get everything, and trust between peers is essential. And money made that trust easy, don't trust people, trust that they want the money :) In my eyes, you trade away far more than they give you.