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."

Comments

creating a web site considered 'taking over'?

[darkeye]

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?)

Story link is wrong

[Scareduck]

The correct story link is here.

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.

Re:Story link is wrong

[camperslo]

What is it with press releases being passed off as news?

"News is what people want to keep hidden and everything else is publicity. ..." - Bill Moyers

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bill_Moyers

Eh?

[DavidR1991]

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?)

Re:Eh?

[bennomatic]

I'm totally with you. Remember when the iPhone launched and met with groans because the app development environment was HTML5 and that was it? No native SDK? What Facebook is apparently doing is doing is following guidelines that everyone else rejected four years ago. Funny thing is that Windows 7 Phone is doing the same thing. And I think WebOS isn't far off. I'm constantly amazed at how some people can see anything as bad news for Apple.

Security

[poor_boi]

Maybe I'm daft, but what does Facebook making an App Store have to do with the security of iOS?

Re:Competition!

[betterunixthanunix]

In the end, everyone will lose. Facebook will try to get as much data about iPhone users as possible; Apple will try to prevent Facebook from getting this data, and lock down iOS more and more. At the end of the day, iOS users will wind up with both less privacy and less freedom than ever before.

What a leap

[bbeagle]

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).

I doubt Apple has a problem with this

[SpiceWare]

as it supports Apple's goal of HTML5 over Flash.

stake in the heart?

[MasterOfUniverse]

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)

Apple on iOS Web Apps

[Anonymous Coward]

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.

Re:I don't follow

[gstoddart]

what does a rumored product have to do with being secure "today"?

I think the reasoning goes something like ... since we don't trust Facebook not to be dickheads, allowing them to install software on your device likely wouldn't be very secure since they might "decide" that you actually did opt-in for something you've never heard of.

Facebook does have a bit of a history of deciding that their partners should have access to your data, because it's beneficial for them. Or changing the defaults of things to be permissive because that's what they want.

Facebook, from what I've read, might not be perceived as a company one would actually want to put that much trust in. They'll hand over all of your details to Zynga in a heartbeat if it makes them a few bucks.