Skyhook filings detail Google's tight control of Android platform

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  • Reply 21 of 56
    rufworkrufwork Posts: 130member
    Give me a break. You can install apps from the net on Android phones without rooting them. They're nothing close to iOS' closedness. I'm not saying that's a better policy than Apple's, but it's not a pot-kettle situation like it sounds like in the post.
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  • Reply 22 of 56
    prof. peabodyprof. peabody Posts: 2,860member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GalaxyTab View Post


    Google's closed source components aren't open and are subject to Google approval for certification?



    Say it ain't so!



    http://source.android.com/ <--------- This is the open bit here.



    While we're talking about Google and evil ...



    ... they've been secretly data mining your contacts also.



    Ryan Tate from Gawker media recently discovered that they added a feature in (enabled by default with no announcement to the user), where they mine your contact information to figure out what social networks you belong to. Then they suggest you suck the contacts and other data from Facebook, Twitter etc. into your Google account so Google can exploit the extra data for their advertisers.



    http://gawker.com/5800868/how-google...how-to-stop-it



    You have to dig through the settings to even find it let alone turn it off.
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  • Reply 23 of 56
    ochymingochyming Posts: 474member
    : This surprises anyone?

    : It is a confirmation.

    ( droid user ): It is a good thing!

    : Who's been railing bunkers that it's not, it is NOT a good thing?

    : Not for Apple, ( the Droid meant ).
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  • Reply 24 of 56
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rufwork View Post


    Give me a break. You can install apps from the net on Android phones without rooting them. They're nothing close to iOS' closedness. I'm not saying that's a better policy than Apple's, but it's not a pot-kettle situation like it sounds like in the post.



    This is nothing to do with installing apps but the hypocrisy that Google is showing by claiming they are 'open' and do 'no evil thing'. Business is business, nothing is free and open. Stop portraying that you're good.
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  • Reply 25 of 56
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bullhead View Post


    Boy you sure show them by using Microsoft BING. Too bad BING is terrible



    Try DuckduckGo.com - pretty funky. It's an upstart start up that won't entirely replace google but it's ok for everyday basic search
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  • Reply 26 of 56
    matrix07matrix07 Posts: 1,993member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rufwork View Post


    Give me a break. You can install apps from the net on Android phones without rooting them. They're nothing close to iOS' closedness. I'm not saying that's a better policy than Apple's, but it's not a pot-kettle situation like it sounds like in the post.



    How it got anything to do with Apple? Apple didn't claim to be open. They also didn't claim to be no evil.



    I really hope someone comes up with a search just as good. I'll cease using Google services now if I can.
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  • Reply 27 of 56
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,413member
    Google's aggressive tactics are resulting in a lot of dust-ups lately, it would seem. Look at the most recent one: in trouble for hosting illegal drug ads -- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/te....html?_r=1&hpw
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  • Reply 28 of 56
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    About time that Google brought law enforcement to the Wild West. This is a good thing.



    Ah, I was wondering what your response would be. So now proprietary, closed, walled-garden, curated is GOOD? I thought Google said it was fighting for everyone who wants to be open and free? I'd love to see the Fandroids dig themselves out of this one.



    How's the source code looking for Honeycomb? Ice Cream Sandwich? Out yet? Oh, wait... You'll have to get past some Google "tests" to get them, perhaps. Maybe you'll have to go to the Googleplex and do some "testing" ala Portal... Move a few cubes around, solve puzzles with a GoogleGun (copied from a Portal gun just like they copied iOS) and when you pass then you'll get access to some source code.
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  • Reply 29 of 56
    vvswarupvvswarup Posts: 338member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Splash-reverse View Post


    This is nothing to do with installing apps but the hypocrisy that Google is showing by claiming they are 'open' and do 'no evil thing'. Business is business, nothing is free and open. Stop portraying that you're good.



    Couldn't have put it any better.
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  • Reply 30 of 56
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,722member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nvidia2008 View Post


    Ah, I was wondering what your response would be. So now proprietary, closed, walled-garden, curated is GOOD? I thought Google said it was fighting for everyone who wants to be open and free? I'd love to see the Fandroids dig themselves out of this one.



    How's the source code looking for Honeycomb? Ice Cream Sandwich? Out yet? Oh, wait... You'll have to get past some Google "tests" to get them, perhaps. Maybe you'll have to go to the Googleplex and do some "testing" ala Portal... Move a few cubes around, solve puzzles with a GoogleGun (copied from a Portal gun just like they copied iOS) and when you pass then you'll get access to some source code.



    I've never stated Android was "open", a term interpreted differently by different people for different purposes anyway. Without some control over the developement, you'd have a system like Linux. A great OS with little urgency to push features or a clear leader in organizing it's development. Why would you think it's a bad thing to exert some control?Closing it as completely as Apple does with iOS would obviously be the wrong move since there's several manufacturers involved. but some control is absolutely necessary IMO.



    Of course the article is just based on claims made by an aggrieved party and their lawyers. I'm certain no one here considers a claim by someone to be the same as proof (unless it fits their views). Afterall, Casey Anthony's lawyers are said to readying a claim that it was Casey's Dad that's the real killer of her daughter.



    I guess it must be true if a lawyer said it.
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  • Reply 31 of 56
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,722member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Prof. Peabody View Post


    While we're talking about Google and evil ...



    ... they've been secretly data mining your contacts also.



    Ryan Tate from Gawker media recently discovered that they added a feature in (enabled by default with no announcement to the user), where they mine your contact information to figure out what social networks you belong to. Then they suggest you suck the contacts and other data from Facebook, Twitter etc. into your Google account so Google can exploit the extra data for their advertisers.



    http://gawker.com/5800868/how-google...how-to-stop-it



    You have to dig through the settings to even find it let alone turn it off.



    And the initial source for this could well be the paid smear campaign by Facebook. http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/12/f...-smear-google/



    FWIW, there's a lawsuit filed (thread here somewhere) that claims Apple allows the same contact mining to occur without notifying users. And Apple has no setting to turn that off AFAIK.
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  • Reply 32 of 56
    futuristicfuturistic Posts: 599member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by matrix07 View Post


    How it got anything to do with Apple? Apple didn't claim to be open. They also didn't claim to be no evil.



    More than that, Apple's "walled garden" is designed to protect customers, the Apple brand, and the overall user experience. That's been clear from the get-go. It may seem elitist to the Fandroids, but the App Store is basically a "gated community". Apple has taken on the responsibility of making sure that everyone who enters and hangs out is safe (in the various ways that "safety" has meaning in this context: free of viruses, malware, salacious content, etc.).
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  • Reply 33 of 56
    prof. peabodyprof. peabody Posts: 2,860member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    And the initial source for this could well be the paid smear campaign by Facebook. http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/12/f...-smear-google/



    FWIW, there's a lawsuit filed (thread here somewhere) that claims Apple allows the same contact mining to occur without notifying users. And Apple has no setting to turn that off AFAIK.



    Total BS.



    This has nothing to do with Facebook at all and Apple is not doing anything of the sort. The reason Goggle is doing this is because the information gleaned is part of their core purpose in that it's trade is advertising. Apple has iAd on iOS but it has no need for the information in the first place and it has specific policies in place against doing this sort of thing.



    Talk about smear campaign's ... your doing pretty well with yours.
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  • Reply 34 of 56
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,722member
    I'm not taking all these claims about "Google does that" or "Apple does that" as fact. Unfortunately some here do.



    The point I'm attempting to make is that there's lots of things accepted as fact, or unsupported claims used to attack competitors. Because someone in a blog or lawsuit makes a claim doesn't mean you should blindly accept it as proof.



    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...formation.html





    There was a post just yesterday from a tech blog similar to your link that claims as fact the new iMac's have a proprietary harddrive connector. Was that true too?

    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...olt_imacs.html



    Or how about reports that the DoJ is investigating Apple for several violations of US law regarding attempts to influence media company dealings with Google and Amazon by using threats of retaliation thru iTunes promotions. Because it's reported does that make Apple guilty?



    http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/conte...6a894f7a55e1bd



    http://www.edibleapple.com/doj-inves...itrust-issues/



    For some members here the issue of whether something is ethical, legal or fair revolves around who the accused is.



    I would like to think you aren't one of those Professor.
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  • Reply 35 of 56
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,413member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    I'm not taking all these claims about "Google does that" or "Apple does that" as fact. Unfortunately some here do.



    The point I'm attempting to make is that there's lots of things accepted as fact, or unsupported claims used to attack competitors. Because someone in a blog or lawsuit makes a claim doesn't mean you should blindly accept it as proof.



    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...formation.html





    There was a post just yesterday from a tech blog similar to your link that claims as fact the new iMac's have a proprietary harddrive connector. Was that true too?

    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...olt_imacs.html



    Or how about reports that the DoJ is investigating Apple for several violations of US law regarding attempts to influence media company dealings with Google and Amazon by using threats of retaliation thru iTunes promotions. Because it's reported does that make Apple guilty?



    http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/conte...6a894f7a55e1bd



    http://www.edibleapple.com/doj-inves...itrust-issues/



    For some members here the issue of whether something is ethical, legal or fair revolves around who the accused is.



    I would like to think you aren't one of those Professor.



    Hey Gatorguy, please do us a favor: go away.



    Your consistent, passive-aggressive anti-Apple BS is way past its sell-by date.



    At this point, it has become simply tiresome.
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  • Reply 36 of 56
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,722member
    Perhaps you could point out where I'm posting "anti-Apple". It doesn't happen for a reason. I'm not. Apple's a great company and innovator. The FUD some Apple fans post here doesn't come from them.



    I consider myself more pro-truth, or perhaps fair to all. I just call's 'em as I see's 'em.



    EDIT: Anantksundaram, be sure to let me know when you've finished going thru my 450+ posts attempting to find "anti-Apple" ones.
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  • Reply 37 of 56
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 7,053member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    ... I consider myself more pro-truth, or perhaps fair to all. I just call's 'em as I see's 'em. ...



    ... in a kind of of Fox News sort of way.
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  • Reply 38 of 56
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,722member




    Thanks for lightening the conversation Anonymouse. Yeah, I guess a lot of us probably think we're fair and balanced.



    There's days my employees would swear I'm certifiably unbalanced.
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  • Reply 39 of 56
    bigpicsbigpics Posts: 1,397member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Perhaps you could point out where I'm posting "anti-Apple". It doesn't happen for a reason. I'm not. Apple's a great company and innovator. The FUD some Apple fans post here doesn't come from them.



    I consider myself more pro-truth, or perhaps fair to all. I just call's 'em as I see's 'em.



    EDIT: Anantksundaram, be sure to let me know when you've finished going thru my 450+ posts attempting to find "anti-Apple" ones.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


    ... in a kind of of Fox News sort of way.



    I've been around this joint long enough to start to learn something about the regulars and find Gatorguy's takes usually refreshing whether I agree or not.



    And I've followed Apple since the Apple I. One of the most if not the most fascinating, compelling business and tech stories - no, make that sagas - ever.



    A company that's actually changed the world, made history, and all personalized by an amazing, driven personality who's never stopped pushing his chosen envelopes - through being fired by his own company, being brought back to resurrect it, which he accomplished in a Phoenix-like fashion even while fighting horribly debilitating illnesses - sometimes making many of us gnash our teeth - but nonetheless unleashing revolutions that will keep playing out for decades. Including decisions I would never have made, keeping policies I would've changed long ago, etc., but the last time I checked I was neither the founder nor CEO of the world's second most valuable company.



    On the other hand, while I love my own Apple products, I've never gotten the religious fervor of much of the community. More people need to get a life beyond their rooting interest, and the posters who strive for some degree of objectivity are almost all better reads than those whose sole purpose is bash anything non-Apple.



    Taking Cupertino to task when there's a reason to or pointing out things other companies are doing right (sometimes better than the Big A) is not "passive-aggressive" - it's part of the search for the best solutions for users. Many but not all of which turn out to be Apple's for me. Hell, I even argue with myself about some of these things.



    PS: If you want passive-aggressive, or aggressively passive-aggressive or passively aggressive-aggressive or just plain aggressive, there are a number here and I can also refer you to the (now departed? re-named?) Teckstud.
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  • Reply 40 of 56
    caliminiuscaliminius Posts: 944member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anonymouse View Post


    ... in a kind of of Fox News sort of way.



    Yeah, um, you've got absolutely no room to talk...
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