“Google’s battle to erode the importance of apps is intensifying,” Amir Efrati reports for The Information.
“The search giant last fall secretly acquired an ‘app streaming’ startup called Agawi whose technology allows people to access apps on their smartphone without downloading them first,” Efrati reports. “The acquisition, which hasn’t been previously reported, provides strong clues about the direction that Google is trying to move mobile software development.”
Full article (subscription required) here.
“The Information describes Google’s move to buy Agawi and integrate its technology as part of the search giant’s larger efforts to get people back to using the web, and specifically away from downloading apps in order to enjoy content,” Ingrid Lunden reports for TechCrunch. “There is a pretty clear reason why Google would want to do this. It makes the majority of its revenues from web searches and the ads that run against them.”
Lunden reports, “Efforts like Apple’s new deep-link-based search in iOS 9 poses a real threat to that business model because it provides an alternative way to find content within apps that do not use Google or the web.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Google keeps searching…
Google has no chance in changing this around.
Businesses love apps because it locks customers into their brand, customers love it because it get them closer to the brands they love.
This time, i am afraid to say, Google is right. But for a different reason than being able to serve ads.
I absolutely hate it when every company comes up with its own app.
After a while those apps are far behind wrt. well maintained web pages. These apps take unnecessary space on your iDevice, and are a chore to update and maintain. One newsreader for all newspapers should suffice.
Sorry a App, doc file, picture, video, or song file, directly on your computer, smartphone, iPad, or smartwatch will always be better than the internet or over the air transmission in terms of actual performance, and will be more secure to boot.
The war against Google: The Battle to erode the importance of Google Intensifies
One Ring To Rule Them All ….. Google
For each minute you put the ring on a little bit of your soul dies. Till eventually you turn into Gollum.
I try never to put this ring on. But when I do, (during times when a Darkrider is circling above on his Nasgul), I try to limit it to a single quick task. One day, I will reach mount doom and throw the ring into the lava and it will be gone forever.
When the Darkrider is there on his Nasgul, you should hop on your DuckDuck and Go.
Will you really throw it in though? Are you SURE?!!! 😉
Gotta read those books before I die someday. Don’t know what the hell you folks are talking about. But I sorta know the “one ring to rule them all” reference.
This has been stuck in my head since I was a teen.
Three rings for Elven Kings under the sky.
Seven for the Dwarf Lords in their halls of stone.
Nine rings for Mortal Men doomed to die.
One ring to rule them all.
One ring to find them.
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
Yes! That’s exactly what Google is after. Of course they want to limit apps and control everything via cloud services…. one ring to rule them all. That’s why I stay as far away from Go- Ogle as possible.
A good follow-up to Tolkien:
Featuring such characters as Frito and Dildo Bugger, Moxie and Pepsi Dingleberry, Tim Benzedrine and his wife Hashberry,
I have that book too.
You would have to be a complete tool to embrace all of Google services. Specially if you run your own business.
Scroogle Go-ogle. I avoid using all their “services”.
Down with big brother. >
Which one is ‘Big Brother,’ Google, or the NSA? 🖖😀⌚️
It should be obvious at this point that Google is nothing more than a Public Relation cover for the NSA. Don’t be a fool, say NO to google-anything.
They are already screwing up the only service I like: YouTube. Now every clip I watch has an ad.
I do use them for search and translate but grudgingly.
They screwed themselves when they decided to knife Apple for a bigger piece of the pie.
Hmmm. One thing I can see is you’re watching trendier YT clips than me, lolz, as most of one I’m watching come pre-roll and pop-up ad free….
Love the new company tag line: Google Keeps Searching…
This would be very vulnerable to a man-in-the-middle attack.
MacDailyNews Take: Google keeps searching…
Translation: Google keeps throwing shite at the wall to see what sticks.
Google can intensify their war against apps as much as it pleases them, but they will be fighting a losing battle in the process.
The reality may simply be another option for users/developers with lots of infrequently used apps in their online account to make use of those apps on occasion w/o the overhead of installation rather than a wholesale model change to streaming all Apps. An idea Apple may emulate in the future.
When it comes to government vs. a corporation, I feel much safer with the corporation. I can opt out. The corporation wants to make money. The government wants to grow power and it can end me anytime it likes. Big Brother is definitely the NSA.
With a corporation, you can look at their business model for reassurance about what they want to do for/to you. Even the tendrils of conglomerates can be easily traced. With government, you don’t know for sure who’s slipping the dropsy to whom. Our only recourse is to keep flushing and recycling these weak toady politicians every four or six years. Unless of course they promote a pork barrel project that we approve of, but hey.
No internet connection, no apps? Not on your life!!!
Though the premise of moving all apps to streaming is interesting, I think the reality is that it will be more a service that will compete with Amazon’s App Test-drive. Also giving the user and developer the option to download or stream the same app based on their HW resources. This would in effect allow Android devices that don’t have sufficient onboard space the use of apps in a user’s personal library that are infrequently used w/o having to install them.