cropr

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cropr
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  • EU Apple Pay antitrust action is complete, after NFC opened to competitors

    I am not looking for more apps asking for access to my financial information. Given how uninformed my own bank is on any technical issues, I would hardly trust them with NFC. I trust Apple and I like the convenience of Apple Pay. Consumers will vote of course but the banks and other vendors will need to buy the votes as they won't win on security or convenience imo.

    For me it is exactly the opposite.  

    I have a very close relationship with my local bank manager who lives just around the corner and who is easily accesible whenever I need him.   I am getting a personalized service and the bank itself has won several awards with its outstanding app proving its deep knowledge of the tech world.  (see https://newsroom.kbc.com/kbc-mobile-est-elue-pour-la-troisieme-fois-daffilee-meilleure-app-bancaire-mobile-de-belgique-par-le-bureau-detudes-international-independant-sia-partners#)

    I do not trust Apple for my financials:  it is a foereign company, the nearest Apple Store is 2 hours driving and I don't get a presonalized service, and it does not support Android (which half of my family is using).   On top of that I don't like vertical integration: Apple is great for its hardware, but I don't want to be locked in in the Apple ecosystem for something like my financials, Apple has no business with my bank account details.


    muthuk_vanalingamCrossPlatformFroggerwilliamlondon
  • Apple's repair programs have more to do to satisfy New York Right to Repair law

    tundraboy said:
    avon b7 said:
    tundraboy said:
    Right to repair laws can get really dumb. I can understand its benefit when it comes to cars*, but for compact electronic devices, it just benefits a handful of people at a cost that is charged to all buyers of the device.  The worst effect of such a law is when it starts to interfere with product design, forcing the company to make design compromises that sacrifice cost, quality, and performance.

    *And even with cars, nobody insists that the electronic modules be repairable down to the level that is demanded of iPhones.  When a volume control knob on your car stereo breaks, are auto manufacturers required to make that replaceable, or is just offering a replacement stereo good enough?  I've had that happen to me and a replacement knob is not available, the only solution offered is to replace the whole unit.  An electronic device should be repairable to the same standard as that car stereo, not to the standard applied to the whole car.
    The opposite argument applies too because the goals don't have to coincide. 

    Cost? At what price?  ;)
    Design? What sacrifices against what benefits? 
    Performance? What performance metrics?

    Companies should be designing for repair.

    If they think their products truly last (and are built to last) why do companies like Apple offer such poor warranties out of the gate?

    Often requiring external legislation to set minimum warranty periods. The Answer is that 'price' or 'cost' falls squarely on the consumer (both in and out of warranty). 'In warranty' via Applecare or similar systems and 'out of warranty' through poor design decisions that actually impede or dissuade repair due to complexity and/or price and parts availability (lack of, that is to say). 

    Tradeoffs abound in any situation but things need to be re-thought to put the paying consumer centre stage. 

    If you think IP68 protection is necessary - then back it up under warranty. Simple. Don't say 'you should be fine if it ever happens but your on your own if it fails'. The point here is that it almost always does not happen. I think I've only ever known of two cases of water immersion personally. 

    IP68 ratings are questionable design choices at best. Water resistance is a better solution along with things like nano coatings which have been around for years. 

    User replaceable batteries should not require a special suitcase full of tools and instructions.

    Thickness you say? Take a look at this folding phone (it will be released next week) and imagine how 'thick' things would be if applied to some like an iPhone:

    https://www.fonearena.com/blog/427645/honor-magic-v3-launch-date-magic-vs3-magicpad-2-magicbook-art-14.html

    Performance is moot. Some would argue that a repairable phone 'performs' better because it can last longer between upgrades. 

    And parts pairing should be authorised by the owner, not limited to Apple. 

    The only reasonable way to reach these goals is through 'right to repair' legislation and that is what we are seeing. 

    The EU directive is already making waves and surely being taken into consideration by manufacturers. Expect a lot of handwringing (and fines) if DMA compliance is anything to go by. Especially as the EU approach is actually part of a bigger initiative. 




    Looks like your beef is not really about repairability but Apple's design choices not being the ones you would have made.  Battery replaceability, water proofing, thickness -- you laid out your preference about these things.  Unfortunately companies cannot cater to all consumers' preferences; Apple chose features that it deemed would appeal to the most number of potential customers.

    Now the usual consumer response to a product that he doesn't like is to buy something else.  Your response is to demand that government pass a law that forces a company to deliver what you want.

    I on the other hand believe that aside from safety considerations, governments should not be in the product design business.

    Do you know that the EU parliament recently approved a directive that by 2027 all new smartphones on the EU market must have user replaceable batteries, meaning it should not require specialized tools like a heat gun or non standard screw drivers. Only off the shelve tools or tools that will be shipped with the smartphone will be allowed to replace the battery.  And this will definitely impact the design of all smartphones
    muthuk_vanalingamwilliamlondonVictorMortimerAlex1N
  • Large US developers are avoiding third-party App Store alternate payment plans

    Question: why would developers complain about Apple handling the payment processing if they can't negotiate a better rate than 3% themselves? The reality for credit card processing fees is that online transactions are ALWAYS going to have higher cost than physical transactions with a card. That's how the banks have set it up. 
    This depends where you are living.   In the US this might be the case, but in Europe this is no difference between online transactions and physical transactions fees.   
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Browser developers gripe about Apple promoting them in the EU

    The EU is terrible.

    They regulate everything out to oblivion. 

    Really bad =/

    The EU has only major 2 principles for the economy:  open up competition if big companies abuse their market power and impose standardization if the industry fails to do so.   The DMA is an example of the former, the USB-C charger is an example of the latter.     I think both principles have their merits.

    If you are a EU citizen and you do not like these principles, there are EU elections next month.  
    If you are not a EU citizen and you do not like these principles, stop whining, you are not involved.
    avon b7sphericmuthuk_vanalingam
  • EU questions whether Apple has changed anything after its $1.95 billion fine

    rob53 said:
    As I've said many times before, people have plenty of choices on what products they want to buy. If you don't like Apple's way of doing things go with an Android platform or demand a company in the EU to build a new platform. Just because Apple's platform is the one many people want to use doesn't mean the EU has any right to tell Apple what to do. If you don't like what Apple is doing, find another platform. It's just like wine. If you don't want to pay for wine made in the EU, then grow your own, which the USA has done. 
    As I've said many times before, the current issue is not about users having choice, it is about  the ant-competitive laws that are applicable in the EU.  These laws are one of the cornerstones of EU, going back to the founding of the EU.   The anti-competitve laws are mainly there to protect smaller companies from the power abuse of larger companies.

    And the ant-steering rule that Apple was imposing in its App Store guidelines to tthe app developers, is without discussion (even Apple acknowledges it now) a schoolbook example of anti-competitive behaviour.

    It remains a big question mark whether the 27% cut rule Apple is using now iso. the anti-steering rule, will not be considered as anti-competitive.

    In case you wonder, the EU anti-competitive laws are applied evenly strictly to large EU companies.  AB Inbev, the Belgian brewer who owns Budweiser, got also a huge fine for anti-competitive behaviour.   If Apple want to do business in the EU, it must comply to these EU laws.

    sphericmuthuk_vanalingamgatorguy