8 ms·

You know what I just realized? I couldn't tell you the last time I installed a new app on my phone. Everything there is mostly out to exploit me, or a direct

by esseph 1y ago

You know what I just realized? I couldn't tell you the last time I installed a new app on my phone. Everything there is mostly out to exploit me, or a direct security liability regardless of what app store.

macintux 1y ago
I experienced deja vu today when an upcoming festival’s website encouraged me to install a custom app for the event on my phone. Felt very 2010(ish).
TheDong 1y ago
> Everything there is mostly out to exploit me, or a direct security liability regardless of what app store. As a shining bright light of hope, I will list some apps I have installed which do not appear to me to fall into those buckets. 1. Anki - Flash cards app, I can memorize stuff. It's really good. 2. KDE Connect - Zero exploitation, open source, even sorta works 3. Peakfinder - So far this app has seemed okay. "I programmed PeakFinder during the day and danced Tango during the night" - Peakfinder's creator Also, about 70% of the apps on F-Droid https://f-droid.org/ https://f-droid.org/ are fine. This is what I miss most about android. I do think that by percentage more of the iOS apps are exploitative crap or full of ads, probably because you need to pay $100/year for the app to keep existing at all. One of tricks to get fewer exploitative apps is to avoid iPhone and never install anything that needs google play services. Also, delete any app that has an ad instantly unless it's really important.
- Groxx 1y ago
  >This is what I miss most about android. oh don't worry, Google is trying to kill that too. you won't have to miss Android soon. https://developer.android.com/developer-verification https://developer.android.com/developer-verification discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45017028 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45017028
- sebastiennight 1y ago
  > about 70% of the apps on F-Droid https://f-droid.org/ https://f-droid.org/ are fine Wait, what's wrong with the other 30%?
  - TheDong 1y ago
    There's stuff like NewPipe, which is just youtube videos so it's awful for the soul. There's also games and blockchain apps which are bad for the soul
    - sebastiennight 1y ago
      > There's stuff like NewPipe, which is just youtube videos so it's awful for the soul. You do get to pick the videos, and have none imposed to you (through ads), so unless you're saying the entire video medium is awful for the soul, I'm thinking one could pick content that they find "good" for their soul?
PlunderBunny 1y ago
I had the same realisation about game app specifically - in the early days of the App Store, I’d buy several games a year, and play dozens more free games. I can’t remember the last game I bought.
MaxikCZ 1y ago
Its really sad to search for some basic functionality like "use phone as wireless mic for PC" only to be hit with wall of in-app pirchases and ads. I understand that the main reason is keeping app on store requires paying ransom to google, which is the worst reason one could imagine.
tcoff91 1y ago
On average 90% of time spent on mobile devices is in native apps.
- esseph 1y ago
  That's.. how is that relevant?
  - tcoff91 1y ago
    This is a site mostly centered around startups and building products. I notice a common anti-mobile-app sentiment here, and the criticisms are valid, but I think that it’s important to keep in mind that for many apps having a mobile app is important to the success of your business because the vast majority of people prefer mobile apps to mobile websites. Users want apps and it’s important not to assume that the majority of users will think like HN users. Even if your app is mostly just a webview wrapping your website, being in the App Store matters.
    - esseph 1y ago
      So what you're telling me is I shouldn't talk about my abandonment of native phone apps with other people because it might prevent someone at YC for giving someone else a job for a startup? Do I have that right?
      - tcoff91 1y ago
        There’s nothing wrong with discussing moving away from native apps and their very real downsides. I was merely offering data showing that the vast majority of people do not share this sentiment, and one would be wise when launching a product to do market research and find out if the evidence shows that the business will be best served by offering users a native app.
WhereIsTheTruth 1y ago
Compile it yourself https://github.com/chatboxai/chatbox https://github.com/chatboxai/chatbox
- viraptor 1y ago
  Unfortunately GH has an older version. The latest official releases don't have the code published, contrary to the licence.

by esseph 1y ago

macintux 1y ago

I experienced deja vu today when an upcoming festival’s website encouraged me to install a custom app for the event on my phone. Felt very 2010(ish).

TheDong 1y ago

> Everything there is mostly out to exploit me, or a direct security liability regardless of what app store. As a shining bright light of hope, I will list some apps I have installed which do not appear to me to fall into those buckets. 1. Anki - Flash cards app, I can memorize stuff. It's really good. 2. KDE Connect - Zero exploitation, open source, even sorta works 3. Peakfinder - So far this app has seemed okay. "I programmed PeakFinder during the day and danced Tango during the night" - Peakfinder's creator Also, about 70% of the apps on F-Droid https://f-droid.org/ https://f-droid.org/ are fine. This is what I miss most about android. I do think that by percentage more of the iOS apps are exploitative crap or full of ads, probably because you need to pay $100/year for the app to keep existing at all. One of tricks to get fewer exploitative apps is to avoid iPhone and never install anything that needs google play services. Also, delete any app that has an ad instantly unless it's really important.

Groxx 1y ago
>This is what I miss most about android. oh don't worry, Google is trying to kill that too. you won't have to miss Android soon. https://developer.android.com/developer-verification https://developer.android.com/developer-verification discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45017028 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45017028
sebastiennight 1y ago
> about 70% of the apps on F-Droid https://f-droid.org/ https://f-droid.org/ are fine Wait, what's wrong with the other 30%?
- TheDong 1y ago
  There's stuff like NewPipe, which is just youtube videos so it's awful for the soul. There's also games and blockchain apps which are bad for the soul
  - sebastiennight 1y ago
    > There's stuff like NewPipe, which is just youtube videos so it's awful for the soul. You do get to pick the videos, and have none imposed to you (through ads), so unless you're saying the entire video medium is awful for the soul, I'm thinking one could pick content that they find "good" for their soul?

PlunderBunny 1y ago

I had the same realisation about game app specifically - in the early days of the App Store, I’d buy several games a year, and play dozens more free games. I can’t remember the last game I bought.

MaxikCZ 1y ago

Its really sad to search for some basic functionality like "use phone as wireless mic for PC" only to be hit with wall of in-app pirchases and ads. I understand that the main reason is keeping app on store requires paying ransom to google, which is the worst reason one could imagine.

tcoff91 1y ago

On average 90% of time spent on mobile devices is in native apps.

esseph 1y ago
That's.. how is that relevant?
- tcoff91 1y ago
  This is a site mostly centered around startups and building products. I notice a common anti-mobile-app sentiment here, and the criticisms are valid, but I think that it’s important to keep in mind that for many apps having a mobile app is important to the success of your business because the vast majority of people prefer mobile apps to mobile websites. Users want apps and it’s important not to assume that the majority of users will think like HN users. Even if your app is mostly just a webview wrapping your website, being in the App Store matters.
  - esseph 1y ago
    So what you're telling me is I shouldn't talk about my abandonment of native phone apps with other people because it might prevent someone at YC for giving someone else a job for a startup? Do I have that right?
    - tcoff91 1y ago
      There’s nothing wrong with discussing moving away from native apps and their very real downsides. I was merely offering data showing that the vast majority of people do not share this sentiment, and one would be wise when launching a product to do market research and find out if the evidence shows that the business will be best served by offering users a native app.

WhereIsTheTruth 1y ago

Compile it yourself https://github.com/chatboxai/chatbox https://github.com/chatboxai/chatbox

viraptor 1y ago
Unfortunately GH has an older version. The latest official releases don't have the code published, contrary to the licence.