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posted by martyb on Sunday April 22 2018, @04:29PM   Printer-friendly
from the Uou-say-good-bye-and-I-say-Allo-Allo-Allo dept.

Google is 'pausing investment' in Allo

If you've been using Google's messaging app, Allo, it's probably a good time to start thinking about switching to something else. The app isn't getting dropped in a Google-style "Spring Cleaning," but development on the app is being "paused." Specifically, the new head of the communications group at Google, Anil Sabharwal, has made the decision to "pause investment" in Allo and move that team over to focus on Android Messages.

As we explain in our exclusive feature, the move is necessary because Google is going all in on Rich Communication Services, or RCS. The service will be branded "Chat" once carriers launch it, and Google wants to apply as many resources as possible to make sure that this time, finally, Android has a successful messaging app.

Amnesty International has criticized the move:

Responding to Google's launch of a new messaging service for Android phones, Amnesty International's Technology and Human Rights researcher Joe Westby said:

"With its baffling decision to launch a messaging service without end-to-end encryption, Google has shown utter contempt for the privacy of Android users and handed a precious gift to cybercriminals and government spies alike, allowing them easy access to the content of Android users' communications.

Following the revelations by CIA whistleblower Edward Snowden, end-to-end encryption has become recognized as an essential safeguard for protecting people's privacy when using messaging apps. With this new Chat service, Google shows a staggering failure to respect the human rights of its customers.

"Not only does this shockingly retrograde step leave Google lagging behind its closest competitors - Apple's iMessage and Facebook's WhatsApp both have end-to-end encryption in place by default - it is also a step backwards from the company's previous attempts at online messaging. Google's own app Allo has an option for end-to-end encryption but the company says it will no longer invest in it."


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  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @05:12PM (6 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 22 2018, @05:12PM (#670401)
    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   +1  
       Funny=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Funny' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   1  
  • (Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday April 22 2018, @08:15PM (5 children)

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Sunday April 22 2018, @08:15PM (#670463) Homepage

    I don't get it. Is there something about this webcomic that's supposed to be funny or witty? I think Dilbert is funny but have a lot of friends who don't "get it," and I feel like that now with this webcomic.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 23 2018, @12:41AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 23 2018, @12:41AM (#670549)

      You're at the low end of the bell curve.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 23 2018, @01:03AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 23 2018, @01:03AM (#670556)

        Why? Because he doesn't find a specific thing to be funny? Even if I understand the point of an xkcd comic, I only very rarely laugh and instead quietly agree with the point and move on.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday April 23 2018, @11:28AM (2 children)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Monday April 23 2018, @11:28AM (#670685) Journal

      It's not "funny", exactly. It's merely an observation. Despite the fact that the internet has been in wide use for decades now, the average Joe can't do the simplest of things. He won't learn how to set up an FTP server, or even how to connect to one. Instead, he relies on crappy proprietary junk that spies on him. Or, in the case in the comic, they just give up and snail mail, or sneaker net, or some other mundane "solution". It's kinda ironic that our high tech society can't figure out simple solutions to common problems.

      All of which is applicable to this thread.

      • (Score: 3, Touché) by PiMuNu on Monday April 23 2018, @01:02PM (1 child)

        by PiMuNu (3823) on Monday April 23 2018, @01:02PM (#670719)

        > He won't learn how to set up an FTP server

        Sorry, I went into rant mode...

        Not even that - it's a great big pain in the butt to set up an FTP server over domestic network. Who has x hours to spare to figure out how to poke firewall holes in whatever router they are using. What about figuring out workaround for dynamic IP allocation? Finding and installing some FTP server software? Decent client software? You just sunk *at least* 6 hours of my time. I get about 1 hour free time per day, so that is a week's work, which displaces all of the other stuff I could have been doing, like spending time with my family.

        So yeah, dropbox and let them suck up my metadata and sell it to the highest bidder.

        As a random example I spent a couple of hours trying to set up AWS to make a basic website. I didn't manage to get a functional website even using their "easy setup" stuff. I consider myself to be reasonably technically competent - e.g. I am a software guy with 10 years of experience, few software languages and 10 years experience running various linux boxes and stuff. Given a day or two, I am sure I could get something functional... but who has a day or two to dump into this stuff?

        • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 23 2018, @04:55PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 23 2018, @04:55PM (#670794)

          people should know this:
          HTTP(s) "is" ftp but with "inbetween seek and resume". also it doesn't need a "control port".
          so just installing APACHE (there's a windows version too ... aaaannnndddd the coffee again comes out the wrong hole in the head)
          and drop the file "my_first_birthday_party.mp4" into the /htdocs folder.
          methinks UPnp is an abomination but would be rather handy in this case ... so next open the firewall for the default port (hint:80)
          and do a port-fowarding.
          next, email your dynamic-changing-IP address and the "filename" if /htdocs (document root has been configured non-browsable).
          last, pray, that by the time the receiver gets the email, that your IP address hasn't changed and the info is stale and you go to prison
          because you "unauthorizedly" accessed the web-config portal of some other users internet router (which is still listening and open on port 80 to the interwebZ).
          -
          see it's that simple!
          if you want to crack some real nuts, try the above but with the "s" in http!