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Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

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Re: Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

#31

Post by makeitdouble »

Lorkki wrote: post #22
makeitdouble wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google services sure come with binding conditions on what they can do with android and in particular what they can't do with the search bar (get rid of it, put another search engine etc.) The EU is after them on it, but I don't remember a clear result yet: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_16_... [edit] Google was found guilty and made some promises in 2019, but I'm not sure we've seen any chan…

I switched to a new Android phone just weeks ago. Choosing the search engine was part of the onboarding wizard.

Thanks. BTW does it change what happens with the home search widget when you run voice regonition or other features that usually run the assistant ?

Come to think of it, Huawei or Xiaomi phones must come with their app storr, so the real test would be to see what defaults they have in EU ?

Re: Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

#32

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

pipes wrote: post #19

Have I got this right: the software provides search results that brings you to pages in apps?! Surely that's what the web and web search is for? I don't need to install your app I just need a web browser.

You're missing the whole picture. Branch.io was actually quite popular among a number of big app developers. A big part of what they did was deep linking into your app, and I may have the timing on this wrong but I think it was before iOS or Google had any deep linking functionality released. For example, you see this all the time on normal Android searches now, where if I have an app already installed and I search for, say, "Miami real estate", since I have the Realtor app already installed, Google's results come back and say "App installed", and when I click on the result it opens the Realtor app to Miami.

A big part of Branch's product, IIRC, was their "deep linking through install" functionality. That is, if I search for Miami vacation rentals, and I don't have the app installed, it would just open, say, the realtor.com website for Miami. But there would be a prominent "install app" suggestion, so I could then download the app from the App or Playstore. Importantly (and, again, I may be getting the timing wrong), at that time there was no way to "pass through" a desired landing page after the app was installed. Branch's links allowed that information to be passed through, so when I opened the newly installed Realtor.com it would open right to Miami. I can't remember all the tech details of how they did this but I believe it was some form of device fingerprinting.

Re: Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

#33

Post by SubiculumCode »

Inflation is caused by every part of the economy at once. It is the oil in capitalism. Not profit. Bust those Corporate Megamunching Companies that sit and profit from rent seeking. They are the inflation. Without that oil, capitalism becomes stale corrupt and not inclusive. Raise prices when you earn another dollar, because they own the store cross the street too.

But small companies get bought. Then entangled with foreign adversaries. And we are in an information skirmish with Russia and others. To deny it is to have accepted your part. So what are the security consequences of trust busting without serious reform on ownership in American companies.

Re: Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

#34

Post by dalbasal »

granzymes wrote: post #2

Interesting that Google isn’t particularly concerned about this antitrust trial. “They basically don’t feel the doj has a real case”: >The DOJ filed its complaint against Google in this case on October 20, 2020. A couple days later, another Samsung employee suggested to Chang that the lawsuit might cause Google to loosen its interpretations of its contracts with Samsung. >Chang responded: “Actually the COMPLETE oppos…

I think managing antitrust cases is a core competency for Google. They've learned that antitrust isn't scary. The worst that might happen is a fine or a court ordered policy-change.

The fines are the minor cost associated with monopolistic business practices. In this case, the practice is Google's profitable and strategic SE-OEM deals in this case. Those have been litigated before, and win or lose, it is trivially better to continue the practices and just deal with the heat when it comes.

Re: Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

#36

Post by a1o »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #32
pipes wrote: post #19

Have I got this right: the software provides search results that brings you to pages in apps?! Surely that's what the web and web search is for? I don't need to install your app I just need a web browser.

You're missing the whole picture. Branch.io was actually quite popular among a number of big app developers. A big part of what they did was deep linking into your app, and I may have the timing on this wrong but I think it was before iOS or Google had any deep linking functionality released. For example, you see this all the time on normal Android searches now, where if I have an app already installed and I search f…

I hate this on iPhone, I want the GitHub app because of the notifications and the authentication capabilities. But repositories are much easier to read in the web version, and it forces every GitHub link to go to the app. I wanted some control, like only going to the app if I touch hold something ("right click") and purposefully chose this option.

Re: Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

#37

Post by dang »

SubiculumCode wrote: post #33

Inflation is caused by every part of the economy at once. It is the oil in capitalism. Not profit. Bust those Corporate Megamunching Companies that sit and profit from rent seeking. They are the inflation. Without that oil, capitalism becomes stale corrupt and not inclusive. Raise prices when you earn another dollar, because they own the store cross the street too. But small companies get bought. Then entangled with…

Please don't take HN threads on generic ideological tangents (or any generic tangent actually) - they make discussion more repetitive and therefore less interesting.

https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...

Re: Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

#38

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

a1o wrote: post #36
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're missing the whole picture. Branch.io was actually quite popular among a number of big app developers. A big part of what they did was deep linking into your app, and I may have the timing on this wrong but I think it was before iOS or Google had any deep linking functionality released. For example, you see this all the time on normal Android searches now, where if I have an app already installed and I search f…

I hate this on iPhone, I want the GitHub app because of the notifications and the authentication capabilities. But repositories are much easier to read in the web version, and it forces every GitHub link to go to the app. I wanted some control, like only going to the app if I touch hold something ("right click") and purposefully chose this option.

Couldn't agree more. I can't remember which app it was, but I had a similar situation where I installed the app for some limited specific reason, but then all my web searches ended up opening the app when I didn't want it to.

Ironically, I ended up installing the app to "fix" my broken search experience.

Re: Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

#39

Post by SubiculumCode »

dang wrote: post #37
SubiculumCode wrote: post #33

Inflation is caused by every part of the economy at once. It is the oil in capitalism. Not profit. Bust those Corporate Megamunching Companies that sit and profit from rent seeking. They are the inflation. Without that oil, capitalism becomes stale corrupt and not inclusive. Raise prices when you earn another dollar, because they own the store cross the street too. But small companies get bought. Then entangled with…

Please don't take HN threads on generic ideological tangents (or any generic tangent actually) - they make discussion more repetitive and therefore less interesting. https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...

I was making a posed argument on why such monopolistic behaviors are a part of inflation, and that in the broader context, stories such as this underscore the trends..increased unionization..more trust bust. This made me wonder about how this could play out in the context of contemporary geopolitical events.

I do not see how it can be anything but on topic and pertinent to this industry.

Re: Google's agreement with Samsung prevented Branch from launching: testimony

#40

Post by prhbr »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #32
pipes wrote: post #19

Have I got this right: the software provides search results that brings you to pages in apps?! Surely that's what the web and web search is for? I don't need to install your app I just need a web browser.

You're missing the whole picture. Branch.io was actually quite popular among a number of big app developers. A big part of what they did was deep linking into your app, and I may have the timing on this wrong but I think it was before iOS or Google had any deep linking functionality released. For example, you see this all the time on normal Android searches now, where if I have an app already installed and I search f…

Often referred to as "deferred deep linking" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_deep_linking#Deferred_d...
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