• ChihuahuaOfDoom@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    I’m getting really tired of the word slammed, maybe writers need to pick up a thesaurus (it’s a dinosaur that knows a lot of words).

    • JIMMERZ@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      Some say the slam was so hard the shockwaves were felt on the other side of the globe.

  • Hiko0@feddit.de
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    3 months ago

    It‘s a duopoly and I doubt the US will tackle this problem. At least the EU has started doing something about it.

    • rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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      3 months ago

      US won’t tackle it because it’s a hegemon and in mercantilist terms benefits from it.

      The EU and everybody else are, in fact, interested in changing this.

      But - if nobody remembers, there was a certain TRON Project in Japan. Read up how it ended. Now, US threatening Japan with trade sanctions to preserve some oligopoly and US threatening EU with trade sanctions with the same goal are two different things, the latter is harder.

      EDIT: And I don’t want this to rub someone in a wrong way, but this is a rare case where something possibly called “states’ rights” could have made sense. If the federal government was stripped of ability to do such things.

      • Hiko0@feddit.de
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        3 months ago

        You‘re right. That‘s why we need a strong EU and multilateral partnerships to counter US and Chinese ambitions.

  • TheHottub@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    “Unprecedented” and “Slammed”

    I read those two words in any article and I’m immediately second guessing my will to read more.

  • Drusenija@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Article text if you can’t be bothered getting around the subscription popup.

    U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she’s not a fan of “green texts on iPhones” and that it’s “time to break up Apple’s smartphone monopoly,” but statistics show the tech giant doesn’t have exclusive control over the market.

    The Department of Justice announced a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Apple in March, accusing the California-based company of engineering an illegal monopoly in smartphones that boxes out competitors, stifles innovation and keeps prices artificially high.

    Warren took to social media this week, displaying her support for the suit that takes aim at how Apple allegedly molds its technology and business relationships to “extract more money from consumers, developers, content creators, artists, publishers, small businesses, and merchants, among others.”

    Warren specifically called out how people who don’t have iPhones are blocked from sending blue iMessages as messages from Androids and other devices are green. Those without iPhones also face other restrictions, the Massachusetts senator added.

    “Green texts on iPhones, they’re ruining relationships. That’s right,” Warren said in a video posted on X Thursday. “Non-iPhone users everywhere are being excluded from group texts. From sports teams chats to birthday chats to vacation plan chats, they’re getting cut out.”

    “And who’s to blame here? Apple,” she continued . “That’s just one of the dirty tactics that Apple uses to keep a stranglehold on the smartphone market. …  It’s time to break up Apple’s monopoly now.”

    Critics quickly called Warren out for spreading misinformation and for focusing on what they believe is a non-issue.

    “It would be nice if Android users could use iMessage features,” an X user responded, “but why would anyone think this sort of micromanaging of businesses is the legitimate role of the government?”

    An alert attached to Warren’s post shows context that readers added and “thought people might want to know.” It includes data from Statista highlighting how the iPhone had a 57% market share compared to Android’s 42% in North America, as of January.

    The alert, which was removed as of Friday evening, also contained information from Investopedia around how a “monopoly is exclusive control, or no close substitutes.  The current market share of iPhone v Android does not meet that definition.”

    Attorneys general from 16 states filed the lawsuit with the Department of Justice in federal court in New Jersey. Massachusetts AG Andrea Campbell did not sign onto the suit which seeks to stop Apple from undermining technologies that compete with its own apps — in areas including streaming, messaging and digital payments.

    The suit is the latest example of aggressive antitrust enforcement by an administration that has also taken on Google, Amazon and other tech giants with the stated aim of making the digital universe more fair, innovative and competitive.

    “If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement last month. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce antitrust laws that protect consumers from higher prices and fewer choices.”

    Apple has called the suit “wrong on the facts and the law” and said it “will vigorously defend against it.”

    If successful, the lawsuit would  “hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect” and would “set a dangerous precedent, empowering the government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology,” the company said in a statement last month.

    • rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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      3 months ago

      Actually that’s the case where she, being incompetent, found the right point to press.

      She literally attacks the use of network effect to preserve oligopoly. Not knowing that.

      And yeah, there is deniability for Apple in the sense that “this isn’t intentional, normies are just creating these ape social dynamics all by themselves”, but their ads etc have pretty consistent emotional messages. Yes, they do endorse it.

      And they couldn’t refrain from their usual bullshit even in the answer to this.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Blue texts are sent using proprietary encryption. Green texts are standard SMS/MMS protocol. Apple has pressed GSM to include encrypted RCS for SMS/MMS. The government is not a fan. She can be upset, but there’s no reason for Apple to give away proprietary encryption software or foot the server cost for transmission.

        • rottingleaf@lemmy.zip
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          2 months ago

          First of all proprietary encryption is BS which should be equated to obfuscation instead of encryption.

          Second, I think I’ve addressed this:

          but their ads etc have pretty consistent emotional messages. Yes, they do endorse it.

    • thehatfox@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      Thing is with the iMessage argument is nobody is forced to use it. If green bubbles really are “ruining relationships” wouldn’t Americans be installing WhatsApp or another messenger like the rest of the world?

      There are plenty of good reasons to criticise Apple’s behaviour. But I’m not convinced the popularity of iMessage is one of them.

  • Jumi@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    If I read someone getting slammed in a headline I instantly lose all interest

    • paf0@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      That’s how The Herald rolls, it has long been the most sensationalistic Boston newspaper.

  • stoy@lemmy.zip
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    3 months ago

    I didn’t know Apple was a monopoly…

    They are absolute dicks with iMessage, but they are not a monopoly.

    I am an iPhone user, and I don’t get why people look down on the green bubbles, I have several friends with Android phones, we can all send images and texts to eachother, sure the photos are reduced in size, but it’s fine.

    Just implement the new message standard, Apple and stop being dicks

  • hightrix@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    What monopoly?

    Users have choice. If they want an open system, choose android. If they want a closed system, choose Apple.

    What’s the fuckin problem. Let’s deal with real issues, not this bullshit.

  • Defaced@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Well the article title sucks, but also it’s not a monopoly so idk what she’s bitching about.

  • Jimmycakes@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    If you use slammed in your headline I already know it’s going to be the most garbage bullshit I’ve ever read. I went delve into it.