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Facebook Taking On Apple?
oDDmON oUT writes "Techcrunch has a piece about Facebook's Project Spartan, which aims to deliver app store functionality through the use of HTML5 in the iOS Safari browser. Given Facebook's shifting sands privacy stances, as well as their track record with their "trusted partners", I don't think I'd be alone in wondering if this wouldn't put a great big stake in the heart of the assertion that iOS is the most secure operating system in existence today."
I can hear the sound of Jeff Bezos calling Mark Zucherberg now.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
what does a rumored product have to do with being secure "today"?
Like anyone can even know that
Good! Please do keep everyone in check. I don't like either of your companies, but at least strive to keep each other (relatively) honest.
It's always confirmation bias!
how is creating a web site for a particular browser considered as 'taking over' that particular browser?
and how is this related to the security of any OS?
(and how would iOS be a most secure OS among all OSs around? like, seriously? and how would this statement be relevant anyway?)
This is one of a series of "Facebook-taking-on-X" trial balloons, where X is a well-known, highly-capitalized company with a real business model. The last wave had X = Google, which made no sense at all because Google's search rocks, while Facebook can barely tie its shoes with its own search (try searching comments on your own Wall if you don't believe me).
The legions of Cloud fanboys will be all over this, because Facebook can't really create apps in the same way that the iTunes store can, so of course it means transient operation. (Ignore slow download times and bad performance because everything has to run on a scripting engine.) Techcrunch isn't much on actual analysis, but they sure do a great job as a press release outlet.
Dog is my co-pilot.
"I don't think I'd be alone in wondering if this wouldn't put a great big stake in the heart of the assertion that iOS is the most secure operating system in existence today."
Uh-huh. I wonder if that assertion was sponsored by Steve.
I read the article, but I don't really understand why this is 'taking on Apple'. Yeah, it's trying to undermine the app store via Facebook apps, but if that were a huge tactic against Apple, surely it would be working already? (Surely Facebook is accessible and usable with apps as-is without this 'Project Spartan'? In which case if HTML5 apps via Facebook were what people wanted, surely they would already have a big stake in the iOS audience?)
Maybe I'm daft, but what does Facebook making an App Store have to do with the security of iOS?
The real story: Facebook is developing web pages (using HTML 5) that will work inside the Safari browser on iOS devices. Just like on a PC/Mac desktop, the 'new' web pages will allow the using of Facebook apps (like farmville) inside iOS. Ok, I guess you can spin it either way: (a) Facebook improving itself to work the same on iOS as on desktops. (TRUE) (b) Facebook will have 'apps' working on the phone without being downloaded by the app store. (HALF TRUE - only apps that can be run within a browser within the HTML 5 specs, with the shortcomings of 3G data speeds and limited bandwidth, and can't use features of the phone not available through the browser like the camera).
A couple of the bullet point reasons in the article on why iOs is more secure:
-- patches can be rolled out quickly
-- iOs isn't as big a target as other OS's
Idiocy. Don't cite this cretinous article.
I can hook up a locked iPhone to a PC with DiskAid and suck the contacts, photos, and everything else of importance out without knowing the key.
as it supports Apple's goal of HTML5 over Flash.
How will facebook installing webapps on ios (or any os) will be a stake in the heart of iOS being secure??? if there is a security problem in safari, that would be a security issue in itself. And also there is already such service available (openAppMkt)
"There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people."--Howard Zinn
I don't understand how this news has anything to do with challenging the purported security of iOS. The article is suggesting that Facebook simply wants more control over the apps and data. There's no indication that they think iOS is insecure. BUt hey, if they think they can get adequate performance (for games) out of HTML5, more power to them.
I don't think I'd be alone in wondering if this wouldn't put a great big stake in the heart of the assertion that iOS is the most secure operating system in existence today.
Why? Can you access photos or the phone's contact list from HTML5?
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
in the heart of the assertion that iOS is the most secure operating system in existence today.
In compared to what ? .. Windows ? Just about anything is "more secure than Windows". On top of that "in the heart of assertion my gentoo box is more secure than either one of those" -Just sayin.
Anyways only good news of this is, is enough companies start backing html5 hopefully make that bug ridden flash go away which in turn, would be a benefit for everyone.
Sorry. I just need to point out that calling it Project Spartan is a little close to the super soldier program that made the Master Chief in Halo. www.awkwardengineer.com
Yeah, because Apple just hates it when you develop web apps for iOS, and is doing everything it can to prevent developers from using HTML5 to mimic native iOS features.
Apple has kept their "cool" factor. Facebook is quickly loosing it. Just think of the difference:
Person A uses facebook for 2 hours a day.
Person B uses their apple product for 2 hours a day.
Which person would you rather hang out with?
How does a web site relate the the security of an OS? Absurd.
...is that the vast majority of them are written for flash. It remains to be seen if an iOS store will get developers to redo them all.
Alert the master chief!
Apple: "Flash sucks. Apps are superior. Make it HTML5 if you got a problem."
Facebook: "We've just released a superior HTML5 version."
FB gets ad revenue and has games with corresponding revenue in HTML5 version and Apple gets no cut
Apple: "HTML5 sucks. Apps are superior."
Fanboys: "HTML sucks now! Apps are superior!"
Lather, rinse, repeat. How much you wanna bet this happens within a year or two?
with pretty good software. Internet companies like Facebook and Google have to run their software on something . Google continues to dabble in hardware, but has never been successful.
To us geeks, we often arrogantly think secure means that the weakest link in the security chain is the device we have, but that we geeks would never in a million years give out sensitive information to a computer program we don't trust. Real security to the lay people includes protecting us from ourselves. Humans are the weakest link and malicious people exploit that all the time. We think "well that person is just dumb, they need to become more educated." Really? So that surgeon who just saved your life with quadruple bypass surgery is dumb because he tapped "ok" to a prompt that stole his password with some clever language and sleight of hand? Judge not...
What's going to happen is not that the OS is less secure technically, but I have a feeling that Facebook will design in some very open ended and shitty protocols which allow programmers to design apps that ask for lots of personal information, just like Facebook does now. Apple's native apps have strict controls as to what they ask for, and Safari can't exactly access the address book and download all your contacts to a random server, but I'm sure a clever hacker will exploit the "wetware" of someone and just see if they can grab a few thousand logins/passwords from those who are not stupid, but simply ignorant. This is the lesson we are learning with the likes of MacDefender. Hackers are switching focus from IE exploits to social engineering and we need to start learning even faster.
"All great wisdom is contained in .signature files"
So they just rambling in one long incredibly unbroken string of mashed stories, moving from topic to topic so that no one could have a coherent discussion. It is really quite hypnotic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He02Z5YdZbg
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
That article that claimed iOS was the most secure was pretty much ripped to shreds when it was posted here. So don't go around quoting it as fact.
Unplug your network cable, disable your wife, and turn off your 3G/4G embedded WWAN. You're welcome. Personal responsibility folks. Learn it, live it.
Or not? I would love to see Steve Jobs rip Facebook a new one! ;)
Explain to me again how Facebook creating a site that will encourage more people to write additional software for Apple's platform is "taking on" Apple?
Giving people a stronger reason to use Apple's products is only going to help them sell more iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches... and anybody who's even glanced at Apple's earnings statements in the past 5 years knows that the vast majority of their revenues (and profits) come from hardware sales.
So, Apple gets more hardware sales - their high margin, high profit business, at the *possible* expense of slightly lower app sales - their low margin, low profit business; Facebook is able to serve up more ads and gather more data about its users to resell because all the apps will be tied into their storefront. Seems like a win-win if they can make it work and attract useful applications.
I wouldn't exactly call a system which can be rooted by simply accessing a website "secure".
Now add a shitload of Facebook users to the mix who will open any URL which pops up on their message wall and you simply have yet another promising attack vector.
My iPad2 is an unstable piece of crap and yet I'm not hearing an outcry. If it were a MS product, folks would be screaming bloody murder..... F'ing Apple.
The actual article is more along the lines of "We're going to port all our crappy but popular apps like Farmville from Flash to JavaScript to get onto the iPhone."
Its the apps that are not. ( not that the average Joe would understand tho ) But this is an interesting way to submarine your competition.. write bad apps and blame them..
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Wow. I'm underwhelmed. This is a non-story.