koop

Herbivore2 said:

Apple has control over both the hardware and software. Google has partial control of the software. The Chinese and Amazon have forked Android. And there's nothing to stop the handset manufacturers from including software that can bypass Android's control to access the microphone directly. In such a case a hardware manufacturer might be able to monetize such a service apart from Google. 

Any handset manufacturer can do this and it does not necessarily have to run Android. This could easily be done to a basic handset, but it would need a CPU of some sophistication to turn on the microphone when desired. It is not impossible, but would be difficult to do on a basic handset. Android makes it far easier. For example, someone accesses a remote control application to change the television channel. The application could then turn on the handset's microphone and send the audio file over the web to anyone who might be interested. The programs being watched and the discussion would be of interest to a great many people including producers, network executives, advertisers, etc. A basic handset could do this, but would be limited. In many cases, it might need to continuously record and the file then searched for pertinent keywords. 

I am absolutely certain that this will be coming and that it will be feature exclusive to Android handsets. Apple has control of the entire widget and won't allow such practices. Google cannot stop it. They are at the mercy of the hardware OEMs. 

Android has some deeply flawed fundamental issues. The handset manufacturers now have the upper hand, especially Samsung who has a full working knowledge of the OS issues and can build the software functionality into their handsets allowing the app producers to access the hardware apart from Android and charge a fee in doing so. Such an arrangement could easily render Google's advertising model obsolete as the data obtained from the handset's camera and microphone directly would be far more valuable. 

Perhaps the FBI would not need to break into an iPhone. They can simply access the conversation itself directly. 

teejay2012 said:

"...the politics of this will swing and it will become sloppy and rushed," Obama said. "And it will go through Congress in ways that have not been thought through.." Got it. In other words and like a bad cop movie.. 'we can do it the easy way. Or we can do it the hard way...'

msantti said:

vision33r said:

Most folks here are too young to remember that Apple once enjoyed almost a decade lead in processing power on the RISC based PowerPc platform over Intel's x86.  It wasn't until the late 00' when AMD and Intel made significant increases in processing power at much lower prices.  A few years late Steve Jobs had no choice but to join x86 as IBM and Motorola could not compete against Intel.  It's very possible that apple will lose their custom ARM SOC to another company this decade.  Intel could compete with them directly if they wanted to.  But it seems Samsung or Qualcomm have made lots of process and have eroded the Apple processing power.  All they really need is more work with Google to optimize the platform better.

If anyone has owned the S6 Edge+ and iPhone 6S+ can  tell the Samsung device is simply amazing. It has a much higher screen resolution and usable surface than the iPhone 6S+.  The camera is amazing in low light and resolution.  The curved screen is a thing of beauty.  iPhone just looks so dated and ordinary next to it.

I do think Apple will maintain some lead over Qualcomm. Apple's semi team is good.

But Apple has degraded in design IMO. The 4/4s IMO, was the best looking iPhone. Then the 5/5s. Then the 6/6s. Then the 3G/GS. Even the original looked better than the 3G/GS.

Maybe Apple will come back around.

I ordered a SS7 Edge. Partly as I am agitated with Cook and partly out of sheer curiosity. I am on T-Mobile so I can do another upgrade by the time the iPhone 7 hits. Not commited to Samsung but am going to give the S7 a spin. I got one of their plasma TV's which I love.