“Google and Apple are locked in a conspiracy to oust the real villain of the era, the Dumb Pipe,” Steve Gillmor writes for TechCruchIT.
“Apple is conspiring with Google to force the FCC to ‘force’ Apple to, regrettably, open the door to VoIP and the Universal Inbox,” Gillmor writes. “Why did Apple let Google in in the first place, with YouTube, Gmail, and Maps? Because the alliance served Apple incredibly well in bringing an intuitive composite interface to the exciting new world of a real Web-aware phone. But the deal served a much larger purpose, to prod AT&T and by extension the rest of the carriers to move to flat data pricing and support for alternatives to the blockades erected against Flash, tethering, SMS, and other revenue safe zones ‘respected’ by Apple’s political design structures.”
Gillmor writes, “In each case, Apple could sit back and wait for the market to get noisy about the restrictions, let Google carry the ball forward against the carriers, and then eventually cave in to the “realities” of the marketplace. If anyone noticed that it might appear to be in both Google’s and Apple’s best interest to squeeze the carriers into compliance, then all that would need to be done to avoid the appearance of a counter-cartel would be to resign a board seat or two, make a lot of noise for the benefit of an FCC who is desperate to have any role before VoIP demolishes their seat at the table, and tease the digerati avant-garde with cool services to the point where they can’t live without their 2010 fix.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Like we always say, data’s data and carriers charging separate and extra amounts for some data (SMS, for example) is absurd and a scam.
Cast your vote regarding Gillmor’s theory in our current MacDailyNews Poll (upper left-hand side of site).
I refuse to pay extra att for text which is part of data. Screw you AT&T;. I am hoping Apple’s iPhone goes on the Verizon network…please Apple make this happen. I know Verizon charges the same but at least the network is superior.
I hope it’s true, and I hope they’re able to pull it off without penalties from the Feds.
Hmmm… My iPhone automatically capitalized “Feds.” Is that a proper noun in this context? I didn’t think so.
I absolutely agree with MDN’s take, especially concerning SMS. Carriers charging something like $.20/message or $30/month for unlimited texts, when each text is merely a few bytes of data is reprehensible. If the FCC weren’t in these guys’ back pockets, they’d have done something about those charges years ago. Let’s hope Apple et al can use the market to force carriers to treat all data (voice calls included) in the same manner.
Actually it should be “data are data”…. Damn my English degree
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MacDailyNews, what about Wild? Imaginative? Incredible? Ingenious? Preposterous? Why just go with True/False/Unsure?
Don’t get me wrong, flat data rates are nice and would be very welcome. But a Google/Apple conspiracy? Get real!
I also refuse to pay for texting. Had at&t;turn it off. That’s $5-10 less on my iBill. I can always send a email instead. I think this guy is a conspiracy nutjob, he makes a good point of connecting some dots but I don’t think Apple was in collusion from the inception on this being the end game. However, I do think it wouldn’t matter at all to Apple if VoIP was handled as just straight data as well as texting, etc… They’d just sell more iPhones as more people snagged a Skype account.
Whether true or not, it’s an interesting theory.
@ TheConfuzed1,
“My iPhone automatically capitalized “Feds.”
I always capitalize it so that is correct.
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Oh, my god, someone let the cat out of the bag! Of course, Apple and Google are conspiring against the cellphone cartel, just like they conspired against MS.
Common idealist goals do nit make for – Conspiracy
sorry for typos:
Common idealistic goals do not constitute conspiracy.
“Flash, tethering, SMS, and other revenue safe zones”
One of these things is not like the others
One of these things just doesn’t belong
MDN MW “certain”, as in “I’m certain that I don’t want my iPhone contaminated by Flash”.
‘Data is Data’ because the word no longer connotes a plural – its meaning has changed.
data is a singular noun,overwhelmingly common usage makes it so.
Technically though, its ‘data are data’.
Sheep is sheep or sheep are sheep?
You can’t back a U-Haul up to the Golden Corral restaurant and expect to be charged the same.
There are realities.
Derek in Milan:
Good to know you attend your grammar classes there in Milan.
See if you can get into a plain talk, street talk or “whats the big deal”course next
The carriers are the scum of the industry. I don’t own an iphone because ATT’s plan is over priced for what u get.
I’m not sure Apple is truly THAT smart. If they are though, then I applaud their heroic effort.
Every business aims to have unique features that they can charge a lot for. The problem with the phone carriers is that you are locked into their service so have to agree to their fees for extras.
Once VoIP becomes the standard for both land and wireless phones the carriers will simply become conduits. They do not like that idea and are trying to gouge for as long as they can.
Apple’s software based solutions will make it very easy for them to integrate with any system provided they have access. They made an interesting point in their case to the FCC that the Google VoIP system did not integrate well with the standard iPhone system. Makes sense to me that you should only need one app to place or receive a call or at least one app does not interfere with the other.
Who writes this koolaid material? Are Apple fanboy so blind to the anti-competitive nature of Apple that they are willing to believe dumb conspiracy theories about how their champions (Apple, and Google) are out to save them from the evil clutches of corporate America??
Wake up fanboys, Apple and Google are corporate America – and seemingly, part of its most negative aspects.
It’s a BS theory. If Apple wanted to blow the doors open they could simply release Google Voice and other similar apps only for use on their non-cellular iPods (& include a mic) where it would not “alter the experience” of their precious iPhone at all or violate contractual agreements. The writer is guilty of rationalizing Apple as some sort of moral force on their side. They’re not. They’re simply making profit wherever they can and kissing up to the status quo, like any other big company.
Another unrealistic, unsupported, intended to be incendiary, but not really funny anymore, piece of hit whoring trash. Let’s all jump on the accuse and abuse Apple bandwagon and hope someone is listening. This kind of thing belongs in the National Enquirerer or perhaps the NY Daily News. Why does anyone even bother writing this? What’s even more disturbing is that it completely skews the real issue of carrier price gouging.
Sorry I send text about at least 500 a month. I need it.
Well, for now, I’ll remain neutral on any “Net Neutrality”
Sort of what this seems connected with
And too much double-new-speak involved so far, imho
My jury still out until I see more evidence of who’s screwing who …
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Now – to use one of those “features” we all love about OSX Leopard
That famous – Select/Highlight then Right Click™
data |ˈdatə; ˈdātə|
noun [treated as sing. or pl. ]
Not sure, but think the parts that say “sing” or “pl” means “data” is Singular OR Plural
Damn Dictionaries – get on one side of fence or the other …
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BC
Pls verizons network superior ha had verizons for years you wanna know what network is superior the one that let’s me have service in my apt in Brooklyn. I wanted to sue verizons for those false ads omg he lives in a dead zone not with verizon. I called and complained they asked me if I had something on my roof that might be interfering ha AT&T;not much better but starting yesterday I have been able to have a convo in my living room but when I got up to walk got that damn call failed. I still gotta keep a house phone in fear that I won’t get a bunch of calls cuz ofthe cell service in ridgewood bklyn
America’s educational system at its finest. Jeesh.
It’s all them hippie, nazi, fascists in that there Caliphornia trying to kill off my AT&T stocks and make soshialists outta them internets tubes. Them libtards is tryin to steel our netwerks again.