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Say hello to Google Allo: a smarter messaging app

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

#321

Post by kodt »

mstade wrote: post #306

You know what I really need? A new messaging app, so people can complain more about me not using whatever messaging app they're using. I'm not saying that email and sms/mms don't have flaws, but at least I don't have to consider whether the recipient of my message has whatever random app is popular today. Have we seen the end of wide spread open protocols, because huge tech corporations are hell bent on controlling c…

I can see how these apps can take off with kids, who are in school and see each-other every day.. so there can be some coordination on what app to use.

But for me, I don't see how I could use anything other than email/sms and expect someone else to use it.

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

#322

Post by tim333 »

CoryG89 wrote: post #298
verytrivial wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly this: I wanted to send an annotated Google Map to someone. I started whilst on a train trip and with a series of silly screenshots (using an offline map app after having my network go up and down etc.) I got about half way done in 20 minutes. I got to my desk and restarted from scratch and got it done in about a minute. Obvious I know. My point is my strange use-case (an annotated map) was an artifact I could…

> Unless someone has (1) identified a mass need exactly the same as yours, and (2) made an app that does exactly that you are out of luck. While this may be particularly true of mobile right now , I feel the above statement is, and has always been, true of software in general. It's still early days for mobile, despite the amazing capability that's already there. It will get there eventually.

Possibly but there are fundamental limitations to having a small screen and no proper keyboard. I also annotated a map the other day on the macbook and have no great desire to do it by prodding the 4" bit of glass on my iPhone.

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

#324

Post by 7Z7 »

BEEdwards wrote: post #315
nkozyra wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two easy ways to stand out: 1. Brand 2. Money If they took this approach it would require a much more concerted marketing strategy.

Well they happen to be in the marketing business so...

Google/Alphabet are not in the marketing business. In fact they have pretty awful marketing. They are in the displaying ads business.

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

#325

Post by [deleted] »

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'…

[deleted]

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

#326

Post by tim333 »

baldfat wrote: post #286
codelitt wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People keep saying mobile is the future, however, I just can't imagine desktops leaving us anytime soon. If I'm on the go, then sure I want it on my mobile device, but 99% of the time when I'm at work I want quick and easy access either through an app or the browser on my desktop. If a service I use doesn't have a desktop app, then it likely won't receive any of my attention until I'm out of the office.

Desktop will always be around. I just think we are moving back to the 80s and 90s where only the "Super Tech" person owned them and the rest just didn't need them. Mobile has replaced a lot of the way people spend time but for my interest and needs desktop is king. I don't watch movies on my desktop (YouTube yes) but I also don't do video editing and data science on a phone.

Also "desktop" is much less stuck on desks than it was. I'm typing this from an 11" macbook air lying on the grass in a park tethered to 4G via the phone so the thing's pretty mobile although it's "desktop" from the software point of view. I think that may be where the futures headed rather than people just using ios/android.

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

#328

Post by orangecat »

netrus wrote: post #166
flukus wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It isn't. I think your an asshole if you use your phone on public transport.

How is it different from having a conversation with the person next to you? Wait, are those assholes too? Or just when you can understand one of them, but not the other? Oh the misanthropy ...

It really is more distracting to hear only one side of a conversation compared to both, e.g. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal....

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

#329

Post by snowfield »

soylentcola wrote: post #300
TuringNYC wrote: post #254

Not sure how common this is, but everyone at both school and work these days shifts seamlessly from mobile to dekstop and back. This has been one of the main reasons we tend to use WhatsApp and Slack, even for corporate communications as silly as that sounds -- because you can type long messages on it on the keyboard/desktop but also have access to it on the go. What I don't understand is -- given Allo had a blank sl…

This is exactly why so many of my friends and family use Hangouts née Gmail Chat. We can use it in the browser at work just by keeping Gmail open in a tab. No IM applications to install or concerns about whether we're running Windows, OSX, or whatever. Then the conversations follow when you log off whatever desktop or laptop you're on via the mobile app. About half of us use Android so it either comes standard or you…

I dont see how breaking out the messaging part was bad, the messenger app is far superior to the normal one and the chatheads is great. has the same benefit as hangouts, (multiplatform)
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