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Microsoft YouTube App Strips Ads; Adds Download

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft appears to be sticking a finger in Google's eye with the launch of its new YouTube app for Windows Phone. The app, ReadWrite has confirmed, strips out YouTube ads when it plays back videos and allows users to easily download video by way of a prominent 'download' button."

381 comments

  1. Google will block it by laing · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Give them a day. I'll bet it stops working tomorrow.

    1. Re:Google will block it by dclozier · · Score: 5, Funny

      They just need to move to VP8 delivery only. Microsoft said it wouldn't support it - then we'll really know for sure!

    2. Re:Google will block it by DJ+Particle · · Score: 3, Funny

      Wouldn't Google have to block Win 8 completely? ;) As much as I admit they are popular features, it seems like MS is shooting themselves in the foot yet again.

    3. Re:Google will block it by gooman · · Score: 1, Insightful

      But that would be evil.

      --
      "Kittens give Morbo gas!"
    4. Re:Google will block it by ADRA · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Well, without looking into the matter, it sounds like a TOS issue here. Its either against the terms of service or not.

      --
      Bye!
    5. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I use an extension that blocks video ads [...] To Google: STOP FUCKING CHANGING YOUTUBE. LEAVE IT THE FUCK ALONE.

      Do you also bitch whine and moan that the pizza place down the street never gives you free food or that the gas station always charges you for fuel? Why is it so much less objectionable when people act all entitled to free content online? How exactly do you propose google pay for hosting your crotch fruit's latest school play video?

    6. Re:Google will block it by DogDude · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Right. The two largest software companies are going to act like a couple of petulant small time administrators have a dick measuring contest. Sure.

      You don't think that there was a bit of collaboration in creating it, maybe?

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    7. Re:Google will block it by ne0n · · Score: 1

      For the curious here's a link to a youtube fixin' chromium extension. This is the full, improved version of Youtube Options in the Chrome store. Download directly from spoi.com to get the full range of features that aren't allowed by Chrome Store's TOS. I only wish there were a reliable Firefox equivalent to de-crap Youtube and show it in naked glory as nature intended.

      Also recommended: Herp Derp for Youtube. Fun to install on a friend's chromium.

      --
      $ :(){ :|:& };:
    8. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because I am a YouTube content producer. I GIVE my hard work away to Google. They DO owe me, because without people like me putting stuff up, YouTube would be nothing.

      It reminds me of all of the e-begging that Wikipedia does, despite the fact that all of the content is contributed out of the efforts and time of the very people they are begging to.

    9. Re:Google will block it by ozmanjusri · · Score: 5, Insightful

      it seems like MS is shooting themselves in the foot yet again.

      They did that long ago when they refused to participate in other software ecosystems, and concentrated on locking competitors out by locking customers in.

      Now their locked-in market is failing, and the world is bypassing their restrictions. They don't have time to develop good, competitive software, all they can do is assault competitors with any tools they have at hand.

      It's an ugly, desperate thing we're seeing here.

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
    10. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Well, without looking into the matter, it sounds like a TOS issue here. Its either against the terms of service or not.

      I've been watching YouTube videos forever as an unregistered visitor and never seen a TOS. And seriously, you can put anything you friggin want on your website about TOS for casual visitors or web browsers, nobody gives a crap. And if you try to file legal action based on your foolish TOS you'll be laughed out of court within 10.5 nonseconds.

    11. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Okay... you put up a video... that still doesn't answer how Youtube pays the bills.

      Unless you magically pay for all the downloads that happen from your video?

      Putting up a video is one part. People watching is another part. Money to pay for the bandwidth is yet another.

      Don't act like posting a video somehow makes you immune to the costs of hosting that video nor the traffic that you'd never have otherwise.

    12. Re:Google will block it by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I've been watching YouTube videos forever as an unregistered visitor and never seen a TOS.

      So you're suggesting, based on your experiences, that the Microsoft Phone development team and their legal advisers can ignore any TOS that they choose not to read?

      Fascinating...

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
    13. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      because it worked so poorly for Apple too. they locked everyone in, a company that was about to fold, and then all hell broke loose. audio files that couldn't play on any other device are what killed the iPod's early years, and iTunes, and a phone that can only have apps that are bought through a closed store, of which the developers have to share money with Apple and can't have payments not through the store... it's just obvious that be being closed they strangled the industry. the app boom never happened, the smart phone market failed, and digital music services never took off.

    14. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I've been watching YouTube videos forever as an unregistered visitor and never seen a TOS.

      So you're suggesting, based on your experiences, that the Microsoft Phone development team and their legal advisers can ignore any TOS that they choose not to read?

      Fascinating...

      A contract does not apply unless you agree to it. There is a lot of debate in the legal community whether TOS are valid at all, and the answer seems to be "it depends". I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know whether in this particular case the TOS applies but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't.

      Microsoft's developers are not agreeing to any TOS. Even if they did agree to it they are not on the board of directors and they are not in the legal department, so they're not authorised to agree on behalf of the corporation anyway.

      With no TOS in place, that leaves the DMCA... but google doesn't use any DRM to force ads ads to appear or prevent downloads so I don't think there is any DMCA violation either.

      If google adds some DRM though, even if it's weak DRM, microsoft would be in deep shit if they bypass it.

    15. Re:Google will block it by ozmanjusri · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Apple's share of the global smartphone market fell from 23% last year to 17% share this year, the largest year-over-year decline in the iPhone's history." According to Sanford Bernstein's Toni Sacconaghi, "if Apple does not introduce a new iPhone or lower-priced phone in CQ3 [Apple's fiscal Q4], it is quite possible that iPhone's smartphone market share could drop into the single digits."

      http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/tag/toni-sacconaghi/

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
    16. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not a lawyer either but my understanding is if the employees were directed to make these decisions by someone in the company authorized to do so then they are in effect acting as agents of those people and the contract is valid and binding.

    17. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Ok, but the TOS or DMCA or anything else has nothing to do with it.

      Google provides an API with a set of rules on how to use it. Microsoft uses the API to build their app. If Google decides they don't like how the API is being used, they can block the app. There doesn't have to be any legal reason to block it, it's their API and they can do whatever they want with it.

    18. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I use adblock, so take my comment with a grain of salt... but if Google wants to put ads on videos, how is that treating their users like crap? Or unobtrusive ads in gmail? or "Sponsored" ads in search?

      How are they treating their users like crap when they simply try to make money for services rendered (Hosting a video for millions of people, without charging YOU the end all-be all video creator... )?

      Seriously... how is an advertisement treating you like crap? Considering their advertisements ARE bearable (compared to the vast majority of other advertisers out there)?

      I use Windows, Linux, Android... I used iPhone before they got surpassed by Android and considered WP8 but went Note2 because the apps aren't there for WP8 yet. I'm no Google Shill, but I seriously want to know where you think Google treats customers like crap? They make no promises they won't change their website layout (thus interfering with Ad-Blockers/Downloaders)... unless you can find it in writing somewhere?

    19. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Treating their users like crap by constantly changing shit around. Every few months they come out with a completely new layout that is always worse than the one before it. When users complain, they just ignore it. They don't give a shit. They pop-up annoying crap asking you to use your real name or asking you to switch to the new layout or telling you that it's set your language to whatever no matter how many time you dismiss them, they always, always come back.

    20. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      google hasn't done anything to stop the 3rd party software or browser addons from direct downloads of video.. hell, the download url's are in the fucking code. big deal.

    21. Re:Google will block it by MouseTheLuckyDog · · Score: 1

      Tell that to Aaron Shwartz.

    22. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > And if you try to file legal action based on your foolish TOS you'll be laughed out of court within 10.5 nonseconds.

      You must be new here. GNU's (and therefore GNU/Linux's) very foundation is based on TOS's. Legally, their TOS is a masterpiece.

    23. Re:Google will block it by Dorianny · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The drop in market share is largely due to the explosive growth in the entry level market. In the high end market apple is still king. The only thing all these financial analysts that are crying for apple to release a low-end device really care about is the next quarterly report. Apple has built a name as a premium brand and jeopardizing that image for a quick profit would only benefit the wall street players at the expense of apple's long term future.

    24. Re:Google will block it by msobkow · · Score: 1

      Maybe not the companies, but yes, their lawyers are going to have a dick-waving contest.

      --
      I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
    25. Re:Google will block it by Trogre · · Score: 1

      Wait, is that Microsoft or Apple you're talking about now? Either would fit the bill quite well.

      --
      "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
    26. Re:Google will block it by cbhacking · · Score: 1

      This is Windows Phone 8, not Win8.

      With that said, how do you propose they block it? Filter by user-agent string? Assuming Microsoft isn't already spoofing that, this approach will work right up until they add such spoofing. Where are you going to go next?

      --
      There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
    27. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Google is famous for making changes that only have overwhelming supporting data backing them up. You can be assured that, despite the vocal minority, all of these changes have ridiculous amounts of proof that they're better for the majority of users.

    28. Re:Google will block it by Cajun+Hell · · Score: 1

      Maybe, if they get noticed. These obscure little companies can fly under the radar for quite a while, sometimes.

      --
      "Believe me!" -- Donald Trump
    29. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fingerprinting is much broader than a UA string. /Posted from my hand-crank FBSD 4.0 pentium 90

    30. Re:Google will block it by Belial6 · · Score: 0

      I doubt it. No one is going to buy a Windows Phone because of the ad bypass and Windows Phone is too small of a market to matter. My guess is that Google will just ignore it.

    31. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is this thing called an API. It lets devs connect direct to resources instead of webpages.

      Also, I find it hilarious that you think companies need to be nice to each other.
      Who the hell upvoted this? Companies are dicks to each other all the time, especially when someone circumvents a money-making process!

    32. Re:Google will block it by snakeplissken · · Score: 1

      Legally, their TOS is a masterpiece.

      indeed it is, but you are not bound by it at all, you can completely ignore it if you want but then you are left with the consequences of copyright law if you do. obey copyright law and anything consistent with that is allowed. want to do something otherwise not allowed under copyright law... follow the gpl. that's the difference to TOSs, no-one says you have to agree to anything use the software, but if you do want to go beyond what the law allows by default then the conditions are already spelled out for you, break those and those conditions won't be laughed out of court.

      snake

    33. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it seems like MS is shooting themselves in the foot yet again.

      They did that long ago when they refused to participate in other software ecosystems, and concentrated on locking competitors out by locking customers in.

      Now their locked-in market is failing, and the world is bypassing their restrictions. They don't have time to develop good, competitive software, all they can do is assault competitors with any tools they have at hand.

      It's an ugly, desperate thing we're seeing here.

      Sounds like somebody's been SCROOGLED! ;)

    34. Re:Google will block it by Samantha+Wright · · Score: 2

      As a kneejerk reactionary, I am appalled by the insinuation that anyone could ever recognize a futile arms race in advance, much less choose to avoid it!

      --
      Bio questions? Ask me to start a Q&A journal. Computer analogies available for most topics!
    35. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They don't need to. The good youtube channels are informative enough in a polite way to ensure they get their ads watched. I use to block everything. I use to hate the ad supported model.

      Then I found a few channels that put out quality content. Sometimes the 2 minute ads are a bit much for a small tutorial video or something. But I started turning off my ad blockers on those pages because those guys deserve a bit of money for the effort they do. Good video editing, show formatting, and communication is time consuming. Some shows require off screen prep work etc...

      Once a channel earns your respect they probably don't have to worry about this as long as their viewers remain well informed.

      This hurts poor channels targeted at low IQ an uninformed viewers the most. This is also a bad thing for people who can't turn the option to strip ads off. Assuming that its optional. It may not be.

    36. Re:Google will block it by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      and their legal advisers can ignore any TOS that they choose not to read?

      MS perhaps is gambling that they can drag it out in court for a couple of years, enough time steal some market share from Android via ad-free Youtube viewing, and then pay a penalty later. MS is used to buying market share via cash.

    37. Re:Google will block it by smash · · Score: 1

      Pretty much. I'm sure it must be in google's terms of service somewhere that they "reserve the right to terminate service at any time for any reason", etc.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    38. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You sound exactly like my demented ex-girlfriend. I'd say something and she'd "repeat" it but her statement wasn't even close in meaning to what I said...

      How the fuck do you want me to choose not to read something that I can't fucking see?

      And who are these demented mods that mark such a demented post as "insightful"? This is very disappointing for humanity.

    39. Re:Google will block it by smash · · Score: 4, Informative

      Bottom left of their page, link: terms.

      Section 4b

      You agree not to alter or modify any part of the Service.

      Section 4j

      YouTube reserves the right to discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time.

      Section 5b

      Content is provided to you AS IS. You may access Content for your information and personal use solely as intended through the provided functionality of the Service and as permitted under these Terms of Service. You shall not download any Content unless you see a “download” or similar link displayed by YouTube on the Service for that Content. You shall not copy, reproduce, make available online or electronically transmit, publish, adapt, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, or otherwise exploit any Content for any other purposes without the prior written consent of YouTube or the respective licensors of the Content. YouTube and its licensors reserve all rights not expressly granted in and to the Service and the Content.

      I'm sure there are also other sections that could be used as justification by youtube to block MS user's access to the content without any problem at all.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    40. Re:Google will block it by smash · · Score: 2

      If that was the case, MS is dreaming. Google can turn their access off at a whim (problem solved), and MS would need to go to court and most definitely lose to try and force google to re-enable access to a free service that explicitly prohibits their behavior in the sites terms of service.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    41. Re:Google will block it by smash · · Score: 1

      And you are free to monetize that video.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    42. Re:Google will block it by Trax3001BBS · · Score: 0

      it seems like MS is shooting themselves in the foot yet again.

      It's an ugly, desperate thing we're seeing here.

      Came to post, I've nothing more definitive to add.

    43. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple can and should continue to be a premium brand. However, this implies that their market share will go down.

      Because smartphones sucked really bad when Apple introduced the iPhone, Apple grabbed huge market share and raked in huge money. Now, with Android, there is a cheaper alternative that is adequate for most people. Hastings's Law applies ("adequate and cheap tends to win against better but more expensive").

      Apple will continue to make more money per phone than any Android phone maker or Google. However, Apple's share of the market will shrink, as the non-premium-smartphone segment grows faster.

      Just as more Ford cars are sold than BMW, more Android smartphones will be sold than Apple. BMW makes money... Apple will too. But iPhone will never again be the most popular smartphone.

    44. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That doesn't make sense, seeing as how many updates were rolled-back into a half-assed attempt at compromise. Unless you made a huge typo, and by 'majority of users' you meant 'people who stand to make money at Google by fucking over users.'

    45. Re:Google will block it by FatLittleMonkey · · Score: 1

      Why?

      They've never bothered with the 5 million or so AdBlockPro users, and (eventually) allowed ABP on Chrome, so why would they worry about the twelve people who buy a Windows Phone?

      (If MS wanted to damage G, they would install an official adblocker into IE, all versions, as a "security" update. Instantly kill a third of G's ad revenue.)

      --
      Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.
    46. Re:Google will block it by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Technically M$ is not infringing copyright from Google, Google is mostly just hosting the content and providing an avenue by which people who upload that content can generate and add per view based revenue. So M$ is denying the opportunity for millions of it's potential customers to generate a revenue. So all Google needs to do is remind all those creative types that M$ is actively stealing their add revenue and leave it pretty much up to them to seek revenge in what ever way they choose, least of which will be avoiding all M$ products and getting everyone they know to avoid M$ products.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    47. Re:Google will block it by kllrnohj · · Score: 1

      You don't think that there was a bit of collaboration in creating it, maybe?

      Not a chance in hell.

    48. Re:Google will block it by amaurea · · Score: 2

      How are you supposed to use youtube if you aren't allowed to download anything? Do they mean "download and then not delete soon after"? Perhaps they define this some other place in the TOS, but as it is that clause makes it impossible to follow their TOS without completely blocking youtube.

    49. Re:Google will block it by SternisheFan · · Score: 2
      Er, Android on mobile devices is far ahead of all others.... Worldwide smart mobile device market share Quarter 1, 2013:

      Android: 59.50%

      Apple: 19.30%

      Microsoft: 18.10%

      Other: 3.10%

      (source: Canyls/ZDNet)

      http://www.zdnet.com/android-is-crushing-apple-and-microsoft-in-the-mobile-device-market-7000015206/

    50. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Naah, tech companies'd never stoop to such lows.
      *Cough* The 90s Browser Wars (IE vs Netscape) *Cough*
      *Cough* Samsung vs. Apple patent litigation *cough*
      *Cough* insert your own cough here *cough*

    51. Re:Google will block it by Threni · · Score: 1

      You're speculating that Google is going to block this, of course, but assuming they do, is it fair to equate them in the `dick measuring` slur? If Google subsidizes the bandwidth/storage costs of an operation via ads, and another commercial company makes that content available without Google getting any recompense, would it be childish/petulant etc for them to take technical/legal measures to prevent this?

    52. Re:Google will block it by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

      "Apple's share of the global smartphone market fell from 23% last year to 17% share this year, the largest year-over-year decline in the iPhone's history." According to Sanford Bernstein's Toni Sacconaghi, "if Apple does not introduce a new iPhone or lower-priced phone in CQ3 [Apple's fiscal Q4], it is quite possible that iPhone's smartphone market share could drop into the single digits."

      http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/tag/toni-sacconaghi/

      Which I suspect is due more to lack of innovation since the death of Steve Jobs, for whatever reasons, than to a lock-them-in market strategy

      --
      blindly antisocialist = antisocial
    53. Re:Google will block it by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

      Bottom left of their page, link: terms.

      Section 4b

      You agree not to alter or modify any part of the Service.

      Section 4j

      YouTube reserves the right to discontinue any aspect of the Service at any time.

      Section 5b

      Content is provided to you AS IS. You may access Content for your information and personal use solely as intended through the provided functionality of the Service and as permitted under these Terms of Service. You shall not download any Content unless you see a “download” or similar link displayed by YouTube on the Service for that Content. You shall not copy, reproduce, make available online or electronically transmit, publish, adapt, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, or otherwise exploit any Content for any other purposes without the prior written consent of YouTube or the respective licensors of the Content. YouTube and its licensors reserve all rights not expressly granted in and to the Service and the Content.

      I'm sure there are also other sections that could be used as justification by youtube to block MS user's access to the content without any problem at all.

      If I were youtube, I would wait awhile and then sue Microsoft for damages.

      --
      blindly antisocialist = antisocial
    54. Re:Google will block it by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      For what it's worth my Panasonic TV has a YouTube app that never shows adverts. I just assumed it didn't support them, rather than deliberately removing them. I have no idea if the app was provided by Google or Panasonic.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    55. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm not even close to a lawyer, but it seems to me that the only sensible thing for TOS on a publicly available service, not even requiring account creation, is to give the entity in charge of the service that the TOS are for the absolute, indisputable power to block violators of the TOS from using the service, and nothing else.

    56. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > Because smartphones sucked really bad when Apple introduced the iPhone

      Very wrong. Consumer smartphones sucked when Apple introduced the iPhone. Then it went too far the other way when PDA-focused smartphones sucked.

      Now Samsung make it all right again with the Note. Yeay!

    57. Re:Google will block it by sky770 · · Score: 1

      It's an ugly, desperate thing we're seeing here.

      Nothing new..same kind of things have been happening for quite some time.

    58. Re:Google will block it by jonbryce · · Score: 1

      There is also basic copyright law. The courts seem to consider streaming and downloading to be two completely different things for copyright purposes. If Google has authorised streaming, but not downloading of their content, then this YouTube app could be considered a tool that enables and encourages copyright infringement.

    59. Re:Google will block it by jonbryce · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The courts consider downloading and streaming to be two different things.

      Downloading means receiving the transmission from their server and recording it on non-volatile storage.

      Streaming means receiving the transmission and storing it only as required for processing to send it to the screen / speakers, and for buffering to deal with speed variations in the transmission.

    60. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you can put anything you friggin want on your website about TOS for casual visitors or web browsers, nobody gives a crap. And if you try to file legal action based on your foolish TOS you'll be laughed out of court within 10.5 nonseconds.

      Until it's a DA ramming the CFAA (Computer Fraud Abuse Act) down your throat.

      CAPTCHA: terror

    61. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's an ugly, desperate thing we're seeing here.

      Oh look.. its a google shill telling us to be good little boys and girls and lap up all the awesome advertisments that google forces down our throat..

      Yes sir ! We love advertising companies ! Yes sir ! Please snoop on all our data ! We love it !

    62. Re:Google will block it by kasperd · · Score: 1

      Wouldn't Google have to block Win 8 completely?

      More likely they'll just insert ads directly into the video stream. Sending ads as a separate video stream makes them quite easy to remove. But no doubt Google would be able to produce a new stream containing both ad and content. That won't stop downloading the video, but the downloaded version would include the ad.

      --

      Do you care about the security of your wireless mouse?
    63. Re:Google will block it by Dr_Barnowl · · Score: 2

      Maybe not collaboration between Google and Microsoft, but maybe collaboration between Microsoft and the content cartels.

      "Hey, people are downloading stuff from YouTube and saving it. We wondered if y'all at Microsoft could fix that."

      "If we give Google a reason to require obnoxious DRM on all YouTube content, it will serve both your needs, and also ours, because Google will have to spend a lot more on CPU time encrypting all that stuff."

    64. Re:Google will block it by xgerrit · · Score: 2

      They did that long ago when they refused to participate in other software ecosystems, and concentrated on locking competitors out by locking customers in.

      Now their locked-in market is failing, and the world is bypassing their restrictions. They don't have time to develop good, competitive software, all they can do is assault competitors with any tools they have at hand.

      It's an ugly, desperate thing we're seeing here.

      Wait... are you talking about Microsoft or Google here?

    65. Re:Google will block it by b1t+r0t · · Score: 1

      If I were youtube, I would wait awhile and then sue Microsoft for damages.

      Well I guess they do have to wait for there to be more than 100 Windows Phone users for there to be actual damages.

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
    66. Re:Google will block it by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Also embedding the videos on other websites removes the video ads.

    67. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      GNU's (and therefore GNU/Linux's) very foundation is based on TOS's

      No, that's not the case. The Gnu GPL is a License, which gives you further rights in addition to those that you might already have. A website's TOS adds restrictions to what you could otherwise do.

    68. Re:Google will block it by smash · · Score: 1

      It's up to google's discretion as to when they terminate your service. We all know the difference between downloading and streaming, and google will only terminate your service at their option if they consider you to have been downloading.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    69. Re:Google will block it by smash · · Score: 1

      Oh and btw.... Google won't take anyone to court over violating the terms of service. If they decide to do anything they'll likely just terminate your access. You'll have to go to court (without a leg to stand on, as per my other reply) to try and get it reinstated. Enjoy!

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    70. Re:Google will block it by Elldallan · · Score: 1

      Nah Google can just use the same bullshit arguments that the **AA's use, Since those users have access to all the content on youtube you can therefore just multiply the number of users with the amount of content on youtube to reach a suitably ridiculous level of inflicted "damage". Google probably just needs there to be 1 Windows Phone user to successfully claim damages that would put MS out of business 10 times over.

    71. Re: Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Google really needs to amend that: "Don't do evil... Unless it makes us money"

    72. Re:Google will block it by mlk · · Score: 1

      > /Posted from my hand-crank FBSD 4.0 pentium 90

      Why the fuck do you think we would give a shit?

      I could understand it as a sig, but you have it as part of your fucking message.

      --
      Wow, I should not post when knackered.
    73. Re:Google will block it by KZigurs · · Score: 3, Informative

      And? That was not the parents point. The fact that everybody and a dog are doing shitty, slow and ugly android handsets is nether news, nether surprise. In the high-end of the market Apple/Samsung seems to be about equals, in the $100 market android dominates because barely anybody else bothers with it (you can't compete with 1001 Chinese OEMs hashing out new models every week).

      Of course given that the source you cited is 'estimates' and puts Microsoft at 18% while omitting blackberry or Nokia (at low end) altogether raises some credibility questions. Quite large credibility questions.

    74. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it did kill it for me.

    75. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The GPL is not a TOS as there is no "Service" (although arguably the Atheros GPL could, just, fall into that category under certain circumstances if you squint a bit).

      The GPL (and BSDL, MIT, Apache...in fact almost all of them) are also not an EULA, as end users don't need to agree to anything at all in order to use the software: the license only applies when you distribute (not receive) software licensed under it.

    76. Re:Google will block it by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      Given the lifecycle of a TV rest assured that Panasonic not only engaged with YouTube to get them to agree to use of content, but they are also likely using some secret API which is guaranteed to live for 10 years or so.

    77. Re:Google will block it by Charliemopps · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Apples stock also got cut in half. But if you want to ignore every financial number that means anything go right ahead.

    78. Re:Google will block it by quetwo · · Score: 2

      Anybody who works for a company or organization becomes an "agent of the company" legally. The actions of that individual represent the company, whether they were authorized to do it or not. The company can choose to terminate the employment of the individual, but they still have to live with their actions.

      You agree to the TOS of the service by using the service. If you produce applications that use Youtube content, there is a click-through that you agree to that gives you the info so you can develop for it. In Youtube's case the TOS is also listed as a link on the bottom of every page. This is no different than any other service on the internet...

      This is the same in that Google has the right to not serve content to W8 phone devices if they feel like it. It wouldn't be a smart move, but its a move they could do if they feel that their content is misused. Remember, this is how Youtube makes money, and is no different than Microsoft handing out guns and ski masks in front of a gas station.

    79. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought the galaxy S3 outsold the iphone 4s and iphone 5 during the respective times. And even if it didn't, once you throw in samnsungs other high end phones, I think it can be well stated that samsung is the king of the high end right now.

    80. Re:Google will block it by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Blackberry would be in the other cathegory. Seriously. I have been to plenty of places in the world and the only place I have seen people use Blackberry devices was in North America. A lot of Nokia phones use Microsoft OSes and this seems to be split by OS rather than vendor.

    81. Re:Google will block it by roman_mir · · Score: 0

      #!/usr/bin/perl

      use strict;
      use warnings;
      ## Two arguments
      ##    $1 Youtube URL from the browser
      ##    $2 prefix to the file name of the video (optional)
      #

      ## collect the URL from the command line argument
      my $url = $ARGV[0] or die "\nError: You need to specify a YouTube URL\n\n";

      ## declare the user defined file name prefix
      my $prefix = defined($ARGV[1]) ? $ARGV[1] : "";

      ## download the html code from the youtube page
      my $html = `wget -Ncq -e "convert-links=off" --keep-session-cookies --save-cookies /dev/null --no-check-certificate "$url" -O-`  or die  "\nThere was a problem downloading the HTML file.\n\n";

      ## collect the title of the page to use as the file name
      my ($title) = $html =~ m/<title>(.+)<\/title>/si;
      $title =~ s/[^\w\d]+/_/g;
      $title =~ s/_youtube//ig;
      $title =~ s/^_//ig;
      $title = lc ($title);

      ## collect the URL of the video
      my ($download) = $html =~ /"url_encoded_fmt_stream_map"([\s\S]+?)\,/ig;

      ## clean up the url by translating unicode and removing unwanted strings
      $download =~ s/\:\ \"//;
      $download =~ s/%3A/:/g;
      $download =~ s/%2F/\//g;
      $download =~ s/%3F/\?/g;
      $download =~ s/%3D/\=/g;
      $download =~ s/%252C/%2C/g;
      $download =~ s/%26/\&/g;
      $download =~ s/sig=/signature=/g;
      $download =~ s/\\u0026/\&/g;
      $download =~ s/(type=[^&]+)//g;
      $download =~ s/(fallback_host=[^&]+)//g;
      $download =~ s/(quality=[^&]+)//g;

      ## collect the url and signature since the html page randomizes the order
      my ($signature) = $download =~ /(signature=[^&]+)/;
      my ($youtubeurl) = $download =~ /(http.+)/;
      $youtubeurl =~ s/&signature.+$//;

      ## combine the url and signature in order to use in wget
      $download = "$youtubeurl\&$signature";

      ## a bit more cleanup
      $download =~ s/&+/&/g;
      $download =~ s/&itag=\d+&signature=/&signature=/g;

      ## print the file name of the video collected from the web page title for us to see on the cli
      print "\n Download: $prefix$title.webm\n\n";

      ## Download the file using wget and background the wget process
      system("wget -Ncq -e \"convert-links=off\" --load-cookies /dev/null --tries=50 --timeout=45 --no-check-certificate \"$download\" -O $prefix$title.webm &");

      #### EOF #####

    82. Re:Google will block it by green1 · · Score: 1

      More likely due to the loss of marketting might since Steve Jobs died. They never had "innovation" as the iphone has consistently been behind other leading devices (usually by a year or more) on features.

      Apple is brilliant at marketting, but that's really about it.

    83. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Increase percent market-share by cutting out certain markets from the equation? Do you work in accounting?

    84. Re:Google will block it by Ryanrule · · Score: 1

      Um, that is EXACTLY how these companies work, because it is how the people who run them work.
      See also: nations.

    85. Re:Google will block it by quarterbuck · · Score: 1

      removing wrong mod by commenting

      --
      http://slashdot.org/submission/1062723/Cheap-mobile-data-plan?art_pos=2
    86. Re:Google will block it by Dr+Max · · Score: 1

      For apple to stay premium they need to stay ahead of the curve with features, and that's what has people scared. Has apple got what it takes to stay relevant, or are they going to keep trying to push a page of program shortcuts.

      --
      Rocket Surgeon.
    87. Re:Google will block it by ZigiSamblak · · Score: 1

      In the high end market apple is still king.

      In the States that perhaps is still the case. In the rest of the world, especially here in Europe Apple lost a lot of its "cool" factor and Samsung has a clear lead over Apple with other high end brands also doing well. I think this is totally deserved since Apple doesn't back up their premium prices with premium support, far from it.

    88. Re:Google will block it by socode · · Score: 1

      I don't typically feel assured by an anonymous coward's arguing for authority on the basis of evidence that isn't there and a reputation a company doesn't have.

      But that's just me.

    89. Re:Google will block it by DogDude · · Score: 1

      Um, no it isn't. You'll find that out if you ever work at a large company.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    90. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      because it worked so poorly for Apple too. they locked everyone in, a company that was about to fold, and then all hell broke loose. audio files that couldn't play on any other device are what killed the iPod's early years, and iTunes, and a phone that can only have apps that are bought through a closed store, of which the developers have to share money with Apple and can't have payments not through the store... it's just obvious that be being closed they strangled the industry. the app boom never happened, the smart phone market failed, and digital music services never took off.

      I suspect the people that modded your post insightful didn't get that you were being sarcastic. Well done!

    91. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    92. Re:Google will block it by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Well, without looking into the matter, it sounds like a TOS issue here. Its either against the terms of service or not.

      Good, maybe this will force Google to be a bit more community-minded then because they won't want to drag out a court fight with Microsoft. I'm talking about Google conspiring with Roku to disable the YouTube channels and stuff. It's about control for them, not revenue. Even a YouTube app on Roku that shows the ads will get C&D'ed.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    93. Re:Google will block it by leuk_he · · Score: 1

      It is even possible that the advertising api just is not (yet) implemented in the microsoft client. The requiremnets for ads, counting and billing for them are different than for videos, where you ust want to count the views for completely (far less billable) reasons.

      Google will require to move them in in a no skippeable way into the main stream to solve this.

    94. Re:Google will block it by leuk_he · · Score: 1

      And google can stop serving them video they choose if they violate the TOS. That or send a lot of expensive lawyer that might do somthing in 3-10 years (billed by the hour of course).

    95. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget to include all the kids with iPod Touches and iPad Minis -- those figures are somehow never computed in the "global smartphone sales"

    96. Re:Google will block it by Pieroxy · · Score: 1

      So a drop in half of any company stock price shows... what exactly? I mean, other than "investors lost confidence"?

    97. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Google probably just needs there to be 1 Windows Phone user to successfully claim damages that would put MS out of business 10 times over.

      Because a multi billionaire company can just go out of business just like that [/sarcasm]

    98. Re:Google will block it by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      Not an unreasonable point, but, given that nobody is using Windows Phones, the fact that there is no Blackberry presence at all is rather alarming. It _might_ be statistics of device use on Microsoft campus, but I find it hard to imagine any possible slicing and dicing of statistics to come up with this.

      I'm willing to bet $50 that the 'statistics' provided are made up from thin air*.

      *with ether very selective or very broad interpretation of what a smartphone is + liberal selection of target markets (unspecified as far as I can tell) and perhaps just a sprinkle of straightforward dishonesty.

    99. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Premium doesn't mean "comes with the most features". Not at all. Premium is a quality thing, not a features thing.

    100. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      I'd have respect for your point if you pointed out all the times Apple's shares doubled on the way up. But you didn't, did you.

    101. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      The source is Canalys, and I've followed their data from more than a decade. It's very credible as a company.

      The surprisingly large Microsoft share in this particular analysis is because they are including notebook PCs as "mobile devices". It shows how much of a PC world we're in that Microsoft comes out so low.

      And it's not at all surprising that RIM and Blackberry are hidden in a 9.6% others, they really are tiny now.

      It's the Apple figure that is surprisingly low here. And I think the surprise comes from most analyses being either US only, or at least biased towards US figures because they are US analysts. Canalys takes the world markets more seriously.

      Android does so well because it's the default that people will end up with if they walk into a phone store, and accept whatever it is that the clerk recommends. They're cheap and cheerful, and there's always some staff bonus available on one model or another.

    102. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      I'm willing to bet $50 that the 'statistics' provided are made up from thin air*.

      I'd be more than happy to take that bet. See my comment here:
      http://mobile.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3738737&cid=43696787

    103. Re:Google will block it by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      So, basically, it's a table of random numbers with no real-life implications? I just cannot comprehend why would they double count Microsoft numbers that way...

    104. Re:Google will block it by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      *with ether very selective or very broad interpretation of what a smartphone is ...

      That will be $50 to 1GtkK4bLk3N1E6eEZr9m11QGwk5xba7C79 please ;)

    105. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Neither Canalys nor the poster you replied to said it was smart phones. It's "mobile devices".

      Look, I'm with you that I don't think lumping notebooks in with tablets and smartphones is particularly useful. Perhaps they have a client that wanted that. But no one misrepresented it, if you thought it was only smartphones, that was your own assumption.

      As I said Canalys have a good, long track record as a reputable market analyst. They are not some random website trolling for clicks. The websites reporting their figures may be though...

    106. Re:Google will block it by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      That's all right, I was just joshing in the spirit of the discussion. I'm still taking their figures with a large pinch of salt (alas couldn't find a link to the original report) and find the conflation of devices most odd (does it include iPads then? Kindles?).

    107. Re:Google will block it by crutchy · · Score: 1

      So you're suggesting, based on your experiences, that the Microsoft Phone development team and their legal advisers can ignore any TOS that they choose not to read?

      same thing goes for EULAs... i've never read them and never given a crap about what they say, with the notable exception of the GPL which is the only license agreement that would probably actually ever hold up in court

    108. Re:Google will block it by crutchy · · Score: 1

      A contract does not apply unless you agree to it

      it's probably a bit grey and possibly varies a little by jurisdiction, but generally if you exchange cash for goods/services you are by implication entering into a legally binding agreement, not by contract but by statute (most countries have laws governing commerce)... local statutes generally overrule contracts, license agreements, terms of service and in many cases probably even foreign treaties.

    109. Re:Google will block it by crutchy · · Score: 1

      ooh the mpaa will love that!

    110. Re:Google will block it by crutchy · · Score: 1

      enough time steal some market share from Android via ad-free Youtube viewing

      google's own chrome browser has a plugin that blocks youtube ads already

    111. Re:Google will block it by Dr+Max · · Score: 1

      it will always be a part of it. If Mercedes didn't have fast and reliable engines that continually get better, or 6 and 7 speed gear boxes, and fancy hard top convertibles roofs; then the premium crowd would go else where. Sure you would have some people buy it just for the name and the quality of leather stitching but you wouldn't even get half the customers your getting now.

      --
      Rocket Surgeon.
    112. Re:Google will block it by janimal · · Score: 1

      Off topic.

    113. Re:Google will block it by Dorianny · · Score: 1

      Including features simply for the sake of having the latest technology is not necessarily the best for users. Take nfc for example, apple got a lot of flak for omitting this sexy new technology and instead running with a old-school software only solution. It turned out that apples passport was in fact useful technology and adoption rates quickly began to climb while nfc is still little more than a curiosity with unrealized potential and a hopeful future.

    114. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Notice that the 20+ million downloaded Adblock+ removes all ads from Youtube, notice how Google hasn't done a thing about it.

      If anyone on the internet can press like 2 buttons and remove all ads permanently, I doubt Google will do a thing about it, because I don't think a significant amount of ad revenue actually came from Windows Phone in the first place

    115. Re:Google will block it by Dr+Max · · Score: 1

      That's funny i just read an article about passbook, and it was saying no one uses it except maybe starbucks. NFC is for more than just payments (which i think is a pretty poor use of the technology, that google is only pushing to get more consumer data and control another aspect of life). Nokia for example have built it into the software so that when you place it down on the wireless charging pad/stereo nfc tells it how to behave (turn on music, start charging, ect). You don't want to walk around all day with bluetooth or wifi on, but nfc uses very little power. I see some very gimmicky features out there and i understand including those don't make something premium, but i'm not the only one that thinks apple is falling a bit behind by not doing more.

      --
      Rocket Surgeon.
    116. Re:Google will block it by cupantae · · Score: 1

      it seems like MS is shooting themselves in the foot yet again.

      They did that long ago when they refused to participate

      They did it yet again before? They're on at least 5 times, so.

      --
      --
    117. Re:Google will block it by Dorianny · · Score: 1

      MLB seems rather happy with it and is expanding its use as fast as it can. "Back in September, four MLB teams announced that they would be adding support for Apple’s Passbook in their ticketing system, and it looks like even more on climbing on board before the 2013 MLB season officially gets under way. Furthermore, the MLB says that three more MLB teams will support Passbook later on, but those stadiums are not yet ready to announce it." http://www.slashgear.com/apples-passbook-ticketing-expanding-to-14-mlb-teams-this-year-27271733/ . Appleinsider claims that as much as %12 of all e-tickets are being delivered through passbook but I am not about to quote appleinsider on slashdot or anywhere else for that matter.

    118. Re:Google will block it by Dr+Max · · Score: 1

      Ok then MLB and starbucks, still hardly the kind of success people were expecting from apple. And no i wont accept an Appleinsider claim; that mob will say anything to try and keep people from selling their shares (not that it's all that impressive any way). Apple is a long way from going bust yet and i'm pretty sure they have a few tricks up their sleeves, it just seems a little stagnant at the moment.

      --
      Rocket Surgeon.
    119. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But that would turn them in to Goog£€, the evil twin of M$.

    120. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 2

      A premium brand requires the features people expect. It doesn't require to be cutting edge. Premium brands are sold on quality, not novelty.

      To take your example, if you look at the news Mercedes is reporting, what's prominent: testing, association with Formula 1 and Golf.
      http://news.mercedes-benz.co.uk/

      Dig into the first news item about a new car, and you have to get to paragraph 6 before any features are mentioned. Before that it's all qualitative descriptions of it's form.
      http://news.mercedes-benz.co.uk/products/mercedes-benz-concept-gla-arriving-soon.html

      To go back to smartphones, feature-led Samsung ends up with things that don't work well. Facial recognition security, tilt to scroll and air gestures. This is not the stuff of premium brands. Premium brands take on features if and when they work.

      Not to say Apple always gets it right. They've slipped on their premium brand promise on occasion by shipping features that weren't ready. Apple Maps being the stand out example.

    121. Re:Google will block it by Grumbleduke · · Score: 1

      This issue (of downloading v streaming) has been debated in the EU as well recently. EU law includes a specific exemption to copyright law for "downloading temporary copies" of something (so browsing works), so the end user doesn't need a licence to view YouTube. However, if they "download" it for permanent or long-term use, the exemption doesn't apply and they would need a licence, so it could be illegal.

      And that's without discussing any liabilities YouTube itself might have for "allowing" people to download.

      In practice though, as with much of consumer-based copyright law, no one really cares.

    122. Re:Google will block it by bkcallahan · · Score: 1

      I forget, how much of Apple does MS own?

    123. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the downloading or copying is done by the consumer for purposes of time or device shifting for the personal use of the consumer and immediate family / friends, then that is probably a "fair use" under the copyright act and, therefore not infringement. I do not think TOS can impose restrictions that would be contrary to the purpose of the copyright act,including fair use, and I think that attempts to do so might be construed as copyright misuse,

    124. Re:Google will block it by raju1kabir · · Score: 1

      They never had "innovation" as the iphone has consistently been behind other leading devices (usually by a year or more) on features.

      For some companies, "innovation" means throwing 100 different features at the wall to see if any of them stick. Along the way, most of the people who bought those devices are fucked, because most of them paid for "features" that weren't usable, or devices that included huge compromises in order to accommodate those "features".

      For other companies, "innovation" means spending the time to figure out how do the things that are really worth doing, better than anyone else has.

      As a customer, I far prefer the second, even if it means I have to wait 6 extra months for the life-altering experience of a new feature on my telephone.

      --
      "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
    125. Re:Google will block it by smash · · Score: 1

      No contract means that MS have absolutely no legal standing to get google to unblock them. If the contract IS valid, they still have no legal standing to get google to unblock them. The validity of the contract makes no difference. It's either not legally binding, in which case google have no responsibility to maintain service levels, or it is legally binding in which case they have given themselves full rights to deny access to the service as they see fit.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    126. Re:Google will block it by green1 · · Score: 1

      Except that doing things well is also not their strong suit, and "better than anyone else" is a pathetic joke, they make products that work poorly, with horrid user interfaces, limited features, extreme lock in... and market them really well.

      Apple does one thing extremely well, better than any of their competitors, and among the best of any company in the world. It isn't engineering, it isn't design, it isn't usability. It's marketing, and they are proof positive how gullible large portions of the world are.

    127. Re:Google will block it by Dr+Max · · Score: 1

      I'm not really sure what your examples are trying to prove here. The Association with f1 just means they have cutting edge technology, along with all their testing systems. Golf is just about knowing the target audience. Then if you open a tab about a production car (not a concept car that isn't being sold) http://news.mercedes-benz.co.uk/products/the-a-45-amg-the-new-star-from-mercedes-amg.html you will see they dive straight into juicy details (full to the brim from the 2nd to 6th paragraph). I'm no samsung fan here, but be careful what you say, because I've seen a plenty of android/samsung things eventually make their way to ios, and i bet your about to see more. To me premium is about being at the top of your profession and that includes features which enhance your use (I've never said anything about features for features sake). Are you seriously saying that apple is being all apple can be at the moment? that your little phone is at the top of what current hardware and software can put together? Because if you are, i think you have to hand in your geek card.

      --
      Rocket Surgeon.
    128. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      The Association with f1 just means they have cutting edge technology

      So where's the feature list?

      along with all their testing systems.

      So where's the feature list?

      Golf is just about knowing the target audience.

      So where's the feature list?

      Then if you open a tab about a production car (not a concept car that isn't being sold) http://news.mercedes-benz.co.uk/products/the-a-45-amg-the-new-star-from-mercedes-amg.html you will see they dive straight into juicy details (full to the brim from the 2nd to 6th paragraph).

      Right, so we're already 1 click away from the front page, so this is not their primary marketing. Cut out the hyperbolic adjectives, and the 2nd and third paragraphs just reveal it's a 4 cyclinder, 2 litre turbo, 4 wheel drive car. These are expected features I spoke about. Nothing cutting edge, nothing novel, nothing unexpected, nothing hard to understand.

      It's not until paragraph 4 that it starts feature listing proper.

      Are you seriously saying that apple is being all apple can be at the moment? that your little phone is at the top of what current hardware and software can put together? Because if you are, i think you have to hand in your geek card.

      I'm saying what I'm saying, and I'm very clear. That formulation follows from what you are saying, not me.

      I'm saying Apple's products are better quality than Samsung, and that makes it a more premium brand than Samsung. And as I've spelled out, neither has much to do with a list of features.

      You know, when I was a kid, watches were all wind-up. Then along came the latest features of Quartz crystals, LED displays. And the people that like features bought them. They had to press a button to tell the time. But it was digital! And they could see it in the dark. Then along came LCD. They didn't have to press a button anymore! Unless they were indoors, in which case they needed to press the button for a light to illuminate the LCD. Then they started adding calculator functionality to the digital watches. Though the buttons were too small to operate. And they started putting digital watch capability in pens! None of these features made for premium products. They made for cheap products that ended up in thrift stores. Meanwhile most premium watches remained analogue, and incorporated just the technologies that made their products better. They got the accuracy of quartz, without LCD becoming their primary display. They used new technology to deliver the features thir customers expected, without delivering features for novelty or feature lists.

      A Rolex has features it's customers expect. But people don't buy a Rolex because of it's features, or because a feature checklist can't locate a cheaper watch with the same or more ticks.

      Premium products are premium because of quality (and qualities), not because it beats other products feature lists, nor because it follows every novelty feature that appears elsewhere in the industry, nor because it invents novelty features.

      If none of this makes sense to you, read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It's once of the themes covered, and it's what made me first aware of it 30 years ago. And it's a great read anyway.

    129. Re:Google will block it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You know, Basil, you're generally fairly insightful on most other topics discussed on Slashdot.

      You've got a really huge blind-spot in your Apple worship, though.

    130. Re:Google will block it by scot4875 · · Score: 1

      All I hear in your last several posts is goalposts getting dragged all over the field. "Nuh uh, that's not premium. THIS is premium. Because I say so."

      --Jeremy

      --
      Jesus was a liberal
    131. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      There's no movement of goalposts. I've always told people exactly what brands are and what premium is, they haven't changed. And it's not because I say so, but because that's what is.

    132. Re:Google will block it by scot4875 · · Score: 1

      I suspect that they did recognize the sarcasm because it didn't detract from the insightfulness one bit.

      Get over yourself.

      --Jeremy

      --
      Jesus was a liberal
    133. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      If you're going to go through past posts, at least say something substantive. You're just coming across as petulant.

    134. Re:Google will block it by Ryanrule · · Score: 1

      I am a consultant. I am in large companies every day. I am right. If you disagree, you are wrong.

      That is just how it is.

    135. Re:Google will block it by Dr+Max · · Score: 1

      I think you confusing feature list being promently displayed, with inculding state of the art features. If your trying to tell me mercedies don't include lots of features only seen in other cars a decade latter, then i'm going to have to out right disagree with you. You know when i was a kid phones all had 13 buttons on the front and you could only play snake. If it wasn't for including new features apple would of never of got a foot hold in the phone market. Considering features pointless is a very naive view of the manufactured world. I'm not saying putting in features for the hell of it make a good product, but leaving out good features the competition has is a recipe for loosing customers. As i've said before i'm not a samsung fan, but even though their phones are placticy pieces of shit, stuff like widgets and sd card slots are making it pull way above it's weight.

      --
      Rocket Surgeon.
    136. Re:Google will block it by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      I think you confusing feature list being promently displayed, with inculding state of the art features.

      Certainly not confusing. This is a topic I know a lot about. Thought I have mentioned both those things.

      And if I was to critique your argument it's that you are trying to do Apple down by arguing about archetypal premium brands. And that's that's leading you to wrong conclusions about both.

      Apple is a premium brand, but that doesn't mean that everything about what they do defines premium brands in general.

      If we're going down memory lane, when I was a kid, phones had rotary dials, and I remember snake first coming about as a game on new fangled glass teletypes connected to mainframes. My first program was in assembler, typed in on a hex keyboard, to a development board for an SC/MP microprocessor. That means I've seen every mainstream thing thats come and gone since the invention of the microprocessor.

      The iPhone was not built by putting cutting edge features together. It was designed as a quality product. It wasn't the first touchscreen phone with apps - I'd already owned a Sony-Ericsson P800 five hears before that had those properties. As did the Palm and Windows PC phones of course. In fact the iPhone didn't even have apps or 3G at launch, when the competition did. It sold because of it's quality promise, not it's features. A quality promise that had been established by Apple with it's iPod line.

    137. Re:Google will block it by Dr+Max · · Score: 1

      You have some valid points, however i still think if the iphone hadn't of included multi capacitive touch (a cutting edge feature at the time, maybe seen on one or two devices previously) it wouldn't of been anywhere near as successful as it was. If they had used the ipod scroll wheel, resistive touch screen (like my old pocketpc), or buttons; then the phone could have been the same quality, but would lack the premium feel.

      Different countries have different ideas about premium though. If you look at American cars they concentrated on bigger engines and nicer seats, whereas Europe focused on suspension, weight placement and drive systems. If you asked either continent whether they made premium cars, both would say yes; personally i think the European cars are a bit more premium, mostly due to the extra tech (but that's just my opinion).

      --
      Rocket Surgeon.
  2. Nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Nice.

  3. Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's about time Microsoft did something nice for users.

    1. Re:Finally by sanman2 · · Score: 1

      Competition only benefits us consumers

    2. Re:Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Did you forget Bing? Numbah one porn browsah. Bing love-a you long time

  4. Can they? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought Youtube's TOS said you can't access youtube if you download the videos in an unapproved manner. I remember Dolphin Browser having a "download youtube" option way back, but Google nixed it from the Android Market until it was removed. Obviously Google had the upper hand being in control of the market, but still can't they do.. I dunno, something?

    1. Re:Can they? by Le+Marteau · · Score: 5, Informative

      Youtube can say whatever they want. Whether it is enforceable is another matter.

      Saving a YouTube video for later playback on your own machine (i.e. not distributing) is simply "time shifting"... time shifting has been tried time and time again in the courts and it is settled law. What legally comes to your device can be saved and played back at a later date (aka "taping" and now "downloading") and Google can TOS till the cows come home but no TOS ever written and tested in court has ever abridged the right of anyone at any time to time shift.

      In other words, download all you want. Rip it to DVDs/CDs. Play it back a million times. Put it on all your devices. There's not a goddamned thing Google, or anyone, can do to stop you... they can add stuff to their TOS from now until doomsday but it does not matter in the least.

      Re-distribution is another matter of course.

      --
      Mod down people who tell people how to mod in their sigs
    2. Re:Can they? by Belial6 · · Score: 3, Funny

      You seem to forget that Google could easily use the three magic words that nullify hundreds of years of precedence. "On a computer"

    3. Re:Can they? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or one acronym: DMCA

    4. Re:Can they? by kllrnohj · · Score: 1

      Youtube can say whatever they want. Whether it is enforceable is another matter.

      Of course it's enforceable. You are assuming you have a legal right to view YouTube videos, but you very much do not. If Google *chooses* to send you the video *THEN* you have the right to "time shift" it all you want. But the former is very much not a legal right. If Google decides to cut off your YouTube access there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

      Well, you can play the whole "arms race" game, but this is also a clear violation of YouTube's API rules and if MS gets serious about trying to bypass that Google will just sue them (and win in a pretty clear cut case). But that won't happen. Google will smack them down, MSFT will bitch and moan and use it to push some FUD around, but they'll still play by the rules.

    5. Re:Can they? by amaurea · · Score: 1

      Youtube can say whatever they want. Whether it is enforceable is another matter.

      Of course it's enforceable. You are assuming you have a legal right to view YouTube videos, but you very much do not. If Google *chooses* to send you the video *THEN* you have the right to "time shift" it all you want. But the former is very much not a legal right. If Google decides to cut off your YouTube access there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

      Aren't there laws against arbitrary denial of service? I'm not sure how far you can go, but if youtube refused to serve members of certain political parties, or people based on their religion or descent, I'm pretty sure there is plenty that could be done about that. I'm not sure how far those laws go, and it probably varies from country to country. But it wouldn't surprise me if refusing to serve people who exersise a right guaranteed by law would be grounds for a successful lawsuit.

    6. Re:Can they? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I didn't know "User of MS Youtube client for Windows Phone 8" was race, political affiliation or religion. Using a client that breaks TOS would be TOS violation by itself, no discrimination there.

      Now if they'd start deliberately blocking TOS-conforming ways to access Youtube from WinPhone, that'd be something FTC and likes would like to hear about.

      PS: "Using a specific webservice" is not a "right guaranteed by law".

    7. Re:Can they? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Until they DRM their content, then circumventing that in the US becomes a felony. As I recall, Chrome has been onboard having DRM added to the W3C standards for html5.

    8. Re:Can they? by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      Until they DRM their content, then circumventing that in the US becomes a felony. As I recall, Chrome has been onboard having DRM added to the W3C standards for html5.

      it's drm'd against saving. ;).

      not very well.. but still.

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    9. Re:Can they? by mikechant · · Score: 1

      Aren't there laws against arbitrary denial of service?

      For a service you don't pay for? No.

    10. Re:Can they? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Google would still lose. As stated earlier, it's a settled law.

      Google fanboyism much?

    11. Re:Can they? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Aren't there laws against arbitrary denial of service?

      For a service you don't pay for? No.

      Incorrect, the law still does indeed apply.

      If Google were to pull a stunt where they denied every black man access to YouTube, there's no fucking chance in high hell they'd win. Please don't confuse yourself. Google isn't above the law.

      Fandroids get a clue.

  5. shrug by ustolemyname · · Score: 0

    Desperate much?

  6. By violating the terms of service, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It gives YouTube the right to block it.

    And by doing so, may block all of MS products.

    1. Re: By violating the terms of service, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What a terrible idea to block windows 8 and its 100 million users.

    2. Re: By violating the terms of service, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean its 95 million users who bought a Windows 8 license and promptly upgraded to Windows 7.

    3. Re: By violating the terms of service, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean its 95 million users who bought a Windows 8 license and promptly upgraded to Windows 7.

      I see what you did there...

    4. Re: By violating the terms of service, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL, it's 100 million users.

    5. Re:By violating the terms of service, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whoops! There goes 80% of YouTube's market out the window with the bathwater. What a great business strategy that would be.

    6. Re: By violating the terms of service, by Elldallan · · Score: 1

      Actually it's not, who do you think those 100 million users would blame if instead of youtube or google they get redirected to a page saying "due to the recent actions of Microsoft we have been forced to block all windows 8/windows 7 users, if you would like to access youtube or google again please mail the turds in Redmond and explain your unhappiness, you can reach them at this mail address:"

    7. Re: By violating the terms of service, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean its 95 million users who bought a Windows 8 license and promptly upgraded to Windows 7.

      You're forgetting that around 80%+ of those users wouldn't know how to wipe and install Windows 7 on their new PC.

  7. Data Scraping by RyanFenton · · Score: 2, Informative

    Data scraping can work, as long as you have a team that can keep up with changes to the interface and counter various approaches to block the scraping-specific requests. Somehow, I don't think this will work for the long-term on Windows Phone systems - but then again, Windows Phone itself may not last too terribly long in this incarnation either, so it may be fine for its purpose, which is to latch onto low-information customers with shallow but momentary appealing features.

    Ryan Fenton

    1. Re:Data Scraping by jimmyfrank · · Score: 1

      It would be to bad if WP went away, I like mine a lot and it's a blast to develop for. If WP goes away I'm going back to a flip phone.

  8. In addition, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To violating the terms of service, MS may be in legal violation of the DMCA for "circumventing".

    1. Re:In addition, by gmuslera · · Score: 1

      If Ballmer is behind this MS move, could he be sent to jail for 30 years for it? All american should be treatead equally under the law, after all.

    2. Re:In addition, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Microsoft isn't breaking any kind of copy protection by doing this though and Google's TOS isn't law. The most they could do is to ban unauthorized clients.

    3. Re:In addition, by Entropius · · Score: 1

      If Google and Microsoft get into a DMCA slap-fight, then it will be hilarious for the rest of us.

    4. Re:In addition, by larry+bagina · · Score: 1

      Sadly, violating a website's TOS is a crime under the CFFA.

      --
      Do you even lift?

      These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

    5. Re:In addition, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I see nothing that would suggest that here

    6. Re:In addition, by symbolset · · Score: 1

      He's an example of somebody sent to prison for it.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    7. Re:In addition, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While that is a ridiculous reason for putting that man in prison, it's still different. With YouTube ad blocking and video downloading, you are not exposing any information about anyone. Who ever at AT&T developed the site should be the one going to prison, but still, this guy did publish the information and that is the key difference according to the CFFA (no matter how stupid).

    8. Re:In addition, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That'd suck. Ballmer plays an important role in my vision of MS declining and being bought up by AOL

    9. Re:In addition, by seeker_1us · · Score: 1

      DMCA is Digital Milllenium Copyright Act. Not watching ads is not a violation of copyright. Downloading the material is not a violation of copyright because it is on a public server and actually set up for downloads. Whether it is a terms of service violation is something else, but NOT a DMCA question.

  9. YouTube has ads?!? by dohzer · · Score: 1

    Never seen one. The only explanation that seems plausible is that they're hidden in the time between opening YouTube link, muting the sound, switching to another browser tab, occupying yourself for about thirty seconds, and then switching back; you know, the standard process everyone follows.

    1. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by White+Flame · · Score: 1

      Standard process is having an ad blocker. It make not just YouTube but most web browsing faster and easier.

    2. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by dohzer · · Score: 2

      Do ad-blockers provide false feedback to the advertisers? Does it download the content and then not display it?
      I only ask because I have a desire to:
      a) Provide money to the content provider (YouTube).
      b) Confuse marketers (scum).

    3. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Standard process is using your etc/hosts for something usefull

    4. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, if the standard process was having an ad blocker then most of the content you lurk around would no longer be there. Or you'd pay for it yourself. Either way, if you like the content and the ads aren't preventing you from consuming it then you're just being a freeloading jackass.

    5. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by UltraZelda64 · · Score: 1, Informative

      My standard process when installing a web browser includes:

      * Block all third-party cookies.
      * Install an ad blocker (AdBlock Plus)
      * Install a script blocker (NoScript)
      * Install a tracker blocker (DoNotTrackMe)

      No ads, nowhere, and a much faster, safer, more trouble-free browsing experience.

      This isn't cable TV in the 1990s; it's the Internet in the age of web browser extensions. What you're doing is roughly equivalent to taking a piss during a commercial break. That's old, manual technology that requires you to take physical action. Today, there are much, much better methods available that are fully automatic and require absolutely no effort on your part beyond the initial setup. You might want to upgrade your own standard practice.

    6. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by UltraZelda64 · · Score: 1

      Oh, I forgot to mention the last bit:

      * Enable the "Do Not Track" header (just to make sure they get the idea)

    7. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I didn't realise Youtube had ads until I accessed it from a Windows machine yesterday. They clearly don't appear on my Linux machines.

    8. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by White+Flame · · Score: 1

      Okay, that's fine. But it's definitely not "standard process everyone follows". Most people seem to either watch them or block them.

      However, I have heard that what YouTube does give to its paid content creators is based on views, irrespective of whether or not the ads were actually played, so both of your points could apply more to blockers than ignorers.

    9. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Youtube also has videos; do those appear on your Linux machines?

    10. Re:YouTube has ads?!? by FatLittleMonkey · · Score: 1

      Do ad-blockers provide false feedback to the advertisers? Does it download the content and then not display it?

      I don't think so. I've noticed that YouTube (and Google search results page) don't display ads even when ABP is disabled for those sites. But they will include ads when ABP is completely turned off in the Addons Manager. I haven't dug too deeply, but I suspect they detect ABP in the request-header and simply don't display ads for users with ABP - which, IMO, is pretty decent behaviour.

      --
      Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.
  10. First good feature of MS in years by EmperorOfCanada · · Score: 0

    I long ago abandoned MS due to a complete lack of compelling product features (sad seeing that things like Visual Studio were pretty ground breaking at one point). But this is a feature that shows a fundamental understanding of what customers want and an ability to deliver this feature. Not that this will change the world but maybe, just maybe, this will be a wake-up call at MS that delivering what people want not just what MS wants them to want is the basis of a business model superior to their present model of just riding on their laurels.

  11. How is this substantively different from... by Nutria · · Score: 0

    cclive and youtube-dl?

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    1. Re:How is this substantively different from... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      or keepvid.com

    2. Re:How is this substantively different from... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      cclive and youtube-dl?

      It's a single "official" app made and endorsed by a nice, big, slow company that can be targeted very easily AND has a history and bad rep with both law enforcement and working together with other companies/groups (including, in recent times, its own manufacturing "partners"), compared to a handful of plugins and extensions scattered around the internet by a disconnected-at-best developer base whose "owners" vanish suddenly when targeted?

      Also, there's the fact that Microsoft might sort of want the cooperation of the media companies later, something that might be harder to do now that they're flipping them bird by showing total disrespect for published media. While the fly-by-night YouTube downloaders have nothing to lose, Microsoft has quite a few feet they're short-sightedly shooting here. That's what makes it different.

  12. Re:Who figured this out? by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you don't have a youtube downloader in your browser, it's because you don't want one. And if you're seeing ads in youtube it's because you're not using adblock plus.

    Youtube is supposed to paywall some premium content soon, which is fine. I'm not watching it anyway, so I'm not downloading it either. The kind of stuff I download from youtube mostly involves documentaries on subjects like Waco or what kids are eating, and I'm not also streaming it, so there's really no good reason for them to try to stop me.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  13. Not rocket science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    Getting the direct download link to the video is easy, every youtube app can implement this without any effort. And if you build your own player based on it, ads just disappear as a side-effect.

  14. Empire Strikes Back by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Popcorn a popp'n !

    This looks to be premium entertainment. ;)

  15. Love it by DogDude · · Score: 0

    I saw that Youtube updated on my Windows Phone this morning, I think, but I didn't pay any attention to it. It's a *significant* improvement over the last version of it. Not only are there the download feature (and no ad), but it's got a nice way to browse through popular videos and a good filter. The last version, but didn't have any bells and whistles. This one is awesome.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:Love it by DogDude · · Score: 0

      It runs much, much better than the last version. It's nice and smooth (no stuttering), the seek bar works much better, and they've added the ability to choose the quality of the video.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    2. Re:Love it by Nerdfest · · Score: 0

      I would guess that they're doing a bit of a TOS violation "dick move" to stir up some press about their product.

    3. Re:Love it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Google is the dick here. Microsoft just made a nice YouTube client.

    4. Re:Love it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe it would be better if MS has a LIVE video product to compete against YouTube?

  16. Millions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    upon millions of users is the difference

  17. Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Simple as that.

    1. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My computer, my rules. Sorry. I and only I decide what my computer does, what it displays and how it looks.

    2. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And Google controls how it uploads stuff. Even a mega-company deserves to make money (even tho I ad-block/download as well - I don't piss and moan if it isn't perfect)

      You want the ability to download and view videos the way YOU want? Create your OWN Youtube. Otherwise stop crying when it doesn't work your way.

    3. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Give me a fucking break. Google makes tons of money in other areas, far more than enough to run YouTube.

      YouTube is going to end up a dead wasteland. Other sites like Blip and Vimeo are already better and they don't keep changing the entire site layout every 6 months like Google does.

    4. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whether they make money elsewhere doesn't stop the right for them to earn money on YouTube as well.

      Why doesn't Microsoft give XBox away for free? They make money on Office. Why does apple take a cut on app sales? they make enough money on phone sales. Why does AT&T charge for Texting? They make enough money on monthly fees.

      You are a retard if you think that a company doesn't deserve the right to make money.

      And to blame this hate on... progress? Updating their apps? Apple's biggest fault right now is the fact that their stuff is "Stale". Same basic look/feel on iPhone 5 as their was on iPhone 1. Many changes, but still the same look, feel, layout, environment...

      You are a retard if you think that a company will remain competitive without updating their software to stay ahead of the pack.

    5. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Pseudonym+Authority · · Score: 1

      Google makes tons of money in other areas, far more than enough to run YouTube.

      Heheheh, do you think they are a charity? Grow up.

    6. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh, just fuck you. I pay Google a lot of money already, they owe it to me, you stupid, obtuse little shit.

    7. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And yet the videos are on Google's computers, and only Google decides what to do with their computers. If you break their TOS, then don't be surprised if they change what their computer does and suddenly you won't be able to decide that your computer should play youtube videos how you want to play them.

    8. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Le+Marteau · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Exactly. This is settled case law, beginning with the VCR. What comes to your device can be "time-shifted", meaning you are free to save ANYTHING which legally comes to your device, and play it back later. What used to be called "taping" is now, these days, known as "downloading" and the law is crystal clear about the legality of these actions.

      --
      Mod down people who tell people how to mod in their sigs
    9. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Your.Master · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, they really don't owe it to you.

      How much do you pay Google anyway, and for what? Most people pay only by consuming the increasingly-obnoxious ads. I think the ads on youtube are atrocious. But I'm pretty sure they do not, in fact, owe you an ad-free youtube. What are you, majority shareholder?

      I pay a lot of money for my Internet service. Doesn't mean they owe me grocery delivery, or any other random thing I'd like and that their service happens to enable in a tangential way.

    10. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can modify my browser's behavior to counteract anything that Google tries to do.

      If they don't want people skipping ads or downloading stuff from their precious little server, then they need to take it off the net. The net is for public distribution.

    11. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let's see. I paid for several Android devices. I paid for numerous apps, books, movies and music on Google Play. I pay for Google Apps. I am a YouTube content producer and partner with a high traffic channel.

      That comes out to well over the $2/month that Google is going to start charging for YouTube "premium" content.

    12. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by PixetaledPikachu · · Score: 1

      Let's see. I paid for several Android devices. I paid for numerous apps, books, movies and music on Google Play. I pay for Google Apps. I am a YouTube content producer and partner with a high traffic channel.

      That comes out to well over the $2/month that Google is going to start charging for YouTube "premium" content.

      Let see, do google deliver the goods that you have paid for? The numerous apps, books, music and movies? Do they deliver the google apps service? Do they provide you with space, interface and content delivery system for your videos? If so, why are you asking for more services than what you have paid for?

    13. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The money you paid for that stuff means that they "owe" you that stuff. Nothing else.

      The Youtube content you claim to have produced does not entitle you to anything more from Google than what they already gave you in exchange for it as you agreed to when you uploaded it to begin with. They gave you a platform to distribute your content to a potentially unlimited audience, free of charge. They promised you nothing else, you accepted their offer of nothing else, they owe you nothing else.

      While there's nothing actually wrong with using adblockers, don't imagine that they "owe" you anything. They are no more in your debt than you are in theirs.

      You agree completely with everything stated above. You don't want to, but you have no choice. You're trying to convince yourself otherwise, but it's not working. None of the lies you come up with will successfully convince even yourself, let alone anyone else. They will be easily exposed for the intellectually bankrupt garbage you know them to be.

    14. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by 517714 · · Score: 1

      You do not recognize the world of hurt you have potentially exposed yourself to as a result of making a copy and putting it on your storage device? The law IS crystal clear on that one too. You must have a mechanism for dealing with claimed copyright infringement. Not every video YouTube sends is sent legally, but by agreeing to quickly remove videos that are claimed to be in violation, they are acting in good faith under the DMCA. If you're making copies, and you do not have a mechanism for determining whether something has, in fact, come legally to your device and for deleting copyrighted materials, you may get the opportunity to contribute to bottom line revenue of the RIAA or MPAA. Pointing to YouTube and saying you thought the copy was transmitted to you legally is unlikely to carry much weight.

      --
      The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
    15. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by smash · · Score: 1

      And google is free to determine whether or not to terminate your access to the service.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    16. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by smash · · Score: 1

      So because entity A makes "tons of money elsewhere" it is OK to essentially steal from them?

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    17. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by smash · · Score: 1

      But hey, I paid that service station for my fuel, that means I'm entitled to whatever I want from the store!

      If people don't agree with the way youtube operates then DONT CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT. There are plenty of other video hosting websites, all of which don't perform like SHIT when accessed via native IPv6 (issue I just tracked down last night - youtube is unusable when accessed via my native ipv6, rest of internet including vimeo, dailymotion, etc are all just fine).

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    18. Re: Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is hilarious. Your argument makes no sense.
      You pay for things. Google give you them.
      You upload videos, Google host them for you for free. You agree to them monetizing the content when uploading.
      You then whinge when they do what you agreed they could do.

      Childish demands will not get you very far in real life.

    19. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      What exactly is being stolen from Google? Much of the content on YouTube isn't owned by Google or even licensed to Google, yet Google runs ads before content that often gets uploaders flagged for copyright infringement (old music videos for example). Google makes money off the properties of others.

    20. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Copyright deals with distribution. If I download an unlicensed file from Google, they are doing the distribution and have to deal with DMCA etc. As long as that file sits on my harddrive and is not further distributed, I don't have any obligation under copyright or DMCA law. I'm a good faith user of a service that provided that content, and I can timeshift as I please. I'm certainly under no obligation to inquire about the continued legal status of that content. If you disagree then please provide legal reference.

      If I were to distribute that content, then yes, I certainly can't point to youtube. Even if they are licensed, that does not mean the license is transmissible to me.

    21. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by kllrnohj · · Score: 1

      What exactly is being stolen from Google?

      Engineering time, designer time, bandwidth costs, server costs, etc...

      YouTube.com didn't just magically appear and run itself completely free of charge.

      Google makes money off the properties of others.

      No shit sherlock. That's not justification for you to steal from Google nor the owners of said content. You seem oblivious to the fact that the content owners *GET PAID* when those ads are shown, not just Google.

    22. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I have a hunch that you're not a lawyer.

      as a result of making a copy and putting it on your storage device?

      Do you understand how Youtube works, or are you aware you just described what everyone who has ever watched a video on Youtube has done?

    23. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Savage-Rabbit · · Score: 3, Interesting

      What exactly is being stolen from Google? Much of the content on YouTube isn't owned by Google or even licensed to Google, yet Google runs ads before content that often gets uploaders flagged for copyright infringement (old music videos for example). Google makes money off the properties of others.

      Google makes money by facilitating access to property that youtube users want the public access. Youtube is a facilitator, Google earns money off the leechers that youtube user's content attracts and in return youtube users get to publish stuff for free to a much larger audience than they could otherwise easily attract without without paying up significant amounts of money. That's what scientists call a mutualistic relationship since both participants benefit, not a parasitic one as you are rather snidely implying. Google is not a charitable organization, Youtube has massive overheads, Google is under no obligation to operate Youtube at a loss as a public service for your benefit. If they are pissed off at Microsoft showing Youtube content without ads and providing a download button they can block all Windows Mobile OS users. This raises some interesting questions though because Firefox, for example, has several Youtube download plugins and a whole slew of adblocker plugins available. Will Google also block Firefox users? I installed Ghostery on my Safari browser and I could install an adblocker if I wanted to. Will Google block all Mac and iOS users as well?

      --
      Only to idiots, are orders laws.
      -- Henning von Tresckow
    24. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by amaurea · · Score: 1

      What exactly is being stolen from Google?

      Engineering time, designer time, bandwidth costs, server costs, etc...

      YouTube.com didn't just magically appear and run itself completely free of charge.

      Youtube probably costs a lot of money to maintain, and hence I understand why google wants to put advertisements on it. Most of these costs probably deal with the hardware for distributing and encoding video.

      It should be possible, though technically challenging, to do this in a peer-to-peer manner, where storage, distribution and encoding is farmed transparentl out to the users. Such distributed storage and distribution already exists with Freenet, but it is terribly slow and inefficient. However, freenet has the additional requirement of anonymity and resistance to censorship, which prevents it from routing efficiently. So I think a distributed youtube replacement coould potentially have much better performance than freenet, perhaps enough to make it viable.

      I'm not saying that it would be able to out-compete youtube as it is, but if youtube were to disappear due to ad-blocking or similar, it could potentially be replaced by a Free alternative.

    25. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by smash · · Score: 1

      They'll likely block users of firefox plugins *at their option*, or rather more likely make the plugins not work. It is entirely optional as to whether they block your access or not as per their terms of service. End users installing a plugin is one thing - microsoft putting out a phone and marketing a feature that you can download youtube videos and/or watch them with no ads is another thing entirely, and I fully expect Google to lay the smack down if Windows phone gets more than a few hundred users.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    26. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure that Windows phone has a bit more users than just a few hundred. Last I heard almost close to five thousand!

    27. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      I'm not quite sure whether a case that applies to content distributed by entities licensed to do so by government (cable, OTA) is 1:1 applicable to relationship between consumer and a private entity.

      Nonetheless Microsoft is at the very least accessing Google API's in violation of the terms of service. Now, they could claim monopoly abuse or they could claim that ToS doesn't really apply and they are entitled to do whatever they want, but both of these routes appear to be rather ironically fraught with danger... I'd love to be able to claim that ToS like CAL count doesn't apply once I have my hands on legally purchased Windows Server install media.

    28. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by cffrost · · Score: 1

      What exactly is being stolen from Google?

      Engineering time, designer time, bandwidth costs, server costs, etc...

      YouTube.com didn't just magically appear and run itself completely free of charge.

      Google makes money off the properties of others.

      No shit sherlock. That's not justification for you to steal from Google nor the owners of said content. You seem oblivious to the fact that the content owners *GET PAID* when those ads are shown, not just Google.

      You remind me of the clerk in this "stolen" The Onion comic. If you don't want something "stolen" off the public web, don't publish it there.

      --
      Thank you, Edward Snowden.

      "Arguments from authority are worthless." —Carl Sagan
    29. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by cffrost · · Score: 2

      You must have a mechanism for dealing with claimed copyright infringement.

      *flexes middle finger*

      My mechanism is working just fine.

      --
      Thank you, Edward Snowden.

      "Arguments from authority are worthless." —Carl Sagan
    30. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by kllrnohj · · Score: 1

      You remind me of the clerk in this "stolen" The Onion comic. If you don't want something "stolen" off the public web, don't publish it there.

      That's ridiculously stupid. Stores don't lock their doors, does that mean that people are free to steal from them? Of course not. Simply being on the web doesn't magically make everything free, nor should it. The mental gymnastics you're doing to justify the crime is absurd.

    31. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by cffrost · · Score: 1

      You remind me of the clerk in this "stolen" The Onion comic. If you don't want something "stolen" off the public web, don't publish it there.

      That's ridiculously stupid. Stores don't lock their doors, does that mean that people are free to steal from them? Of course not. Simply being on the web doesn't magically make everything free, nor should it. The mental gymnastics you're doing to justify the crime is absurd.

      Your shoplifting example is analogous to receiving priced merchandise from an online store without paying the amount requested by the seller. I agree that this is not done "freely," as even if an online store were so inept so as to allow this to occur, criminal law prohibits acquiring merchandise without paying the seller's the agreed upon price.

      However, I thought we were discussing downloading data from a public-facing web server, that is offered just as freely as any of the comments I've contributed to this site, (as well as the photos, essays, code, and so on that I've contributed on other sites, Usenet, and BBSs) — data for which no price has been indicated, and no overt mechanism for providing payment has been presented. You call downloading these items a "crime" — under which U.S. law are these downloads criminalized?

      --
      Thank you, Edward Snowden.

      "Arguments from authority are worthless." —Carl Sagan
    32. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You do realize that the clerk was a caricature of the ridiculous idea that she was somehow oppressing the innocent budget conscious consumers there, right? Taking the side of the "wholesale non-cents" guy in this case just weakens your argument, because that argument is being presented AS A JOKE, because that argument is STUPID.

      So, to explain it slowly so that you might understand -- the whole point of that cartoon is that it is the douchebags with the pockets full of pennies that are wrong, and that the clerk is actually reasonable, and that the douchebags are so unaware of their douchebaggery and so blind to their self-centered entitlement that they think the clerk is being unreasonable.

      It's like when Homer Simpson does something obviously and extremely ridiculous -- you're not supposed to sympathize with him. Or, let me guess... You think Colbert is actually a right-wing television pundit? Are you one of those?

    33. Re:Then stop breaking the terms of service. by hot+soldering+iron · · Score: 1

      I like your attitude...

      But it will get you f*cked in the wallet, or worse. The only attitude a judge likes is his own, and he WILL have the bailiff smack your peepee with a fricken' night stick, before he lays legal financial slavery on your ass for life. It's not funny to see happen to even your worst enemy. It would be a kindness to shoot them in the head in front of their family.

      --
      When you want something built, come see me. If you want correct grammar and spelling, get a F*ing liberal arts student.
  18. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by fazey · · Score: 1

    Get a real business model. Ads on every freaking video are SOOOO annoying.

  19. Soooo Xbox Live? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Sooo can I get xbox live with ADs stripped out of also Microsoft? Seeing as I pay for the service!

    1. Re:Soooo Xbox Live? by wierd_w · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Theoretically...

      There are ways to blackhole ad servers at the router, if you use DDWRT or openWRT, assming MS hasn't deeply rolled the ad server In with the live server.

      This means that you could inject alternatives to adverts and movie files, based on the structure of the query, and the remote IP. Eg, you could put a "no" sign around a $, in place of static image ads, and a "static screen loop" in place of streaming video ads. Unless the MS dash does some kind of data hash checking, it would display the downloaded content instead of the intended adverts.

      (Makes you wonder if you could force MS xboxes to display trojanized swf files, or trojanized EMF or TIFF files, for clandestine execution jumping fun....)

      I haven't tested this, and it is clearly against MS's ToS, (which as worded, says you cant even have wireshark running at the same time your xbox is turned on, let alone meddle with the replies the box gets.)

      Danger if MS does a super dick move, like double verify image checksums of adverts the console downloads, and if "known surrogates/malware" are detected, ban the console though.

    2. Re:Soooo Xbox Live? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'd assume Microsoft could just run all the content off of common hostnames, over say port 443. You wouldn't really know if server87.live.xbox.com/img/asset/423be8794af38a943d24e32f894 is an ad, or something you need to see.

    3. Re:Soooo Xbox Live? by wierd_w · · Score: 0

      A jpeg, gif, or silverlight container are unlikely to be mission critical.

      Depending on how the box asks, and what data it blurts out when it makes the requests, it should be possible to tell the xbox sweet little lies, and get away with it.

    4. Re:Soooo Xbox Live? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you're more likely to get youtube videos with bing ads stripped IN by microsoft, than that.

    5. Re:Soooo Xbox Live? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Theoretically...

      There are ways to blackhole ad servers at the router, if you use DDWRT or openWRT, assming MS hasn't deeply rolled the ad server In with the live server.

      This means that you could inject alternatives to adverts and movie files, based on the structure of the query, and the remote IP. Eg, you could put a "no" sign around a $, in place of static image ads, and a "static screen loop" in place of streaming video ads. Unless the MS dash does some kind of data hash checking, it would display the downloaded content instead of the intended adverts.

      (Makes you wonder if you could force MS xboxes to display trojanized swf files, or trojanized EMF or TIFF files, for clandestine execution jumping fun....)

      I haven't tested this, and it is clearly against MS's ToS, (which as worded, says you cant even have wireshark running at the same time your xbox is turned on, let alone meddle with the replies the box gets.)

      Danger if MS does a super dick move, like double verify image checksums of adverts the console downloads, and if "known surrogates/malware" are detected, ban the console though.

      No code is run for ads, they are just media files.

      Some ads are pulled from the server; blocking third party ones will simply null the tab out, or display the general error message.

      All code is signed and verified by the HV.

      However, teardrop attacks and similiar attacks do work, but the average XBL kid never figured that much out, thanks heavens.

    6. Re:Soooo Xbox Live? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (Makes you wonder if you could force MS xboxes to display trojanized swf files, or trojanized EMF or TIFF files, for clandestine execution jumping fun....)

      Considering that the Xbox 360 was designed to run everything in a sandbox under a hypervisor against running unsigned code, all bets are off.

      Did you know, each Xbox 360 also has a very unique CPUKEY in order to decrypt it's nand, I'm assuming this is an attempt to prevent offline hardware exploits.

    7. Re:Soooo Xbox Live? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All code is signed and verified by the HV.

      Indeed it is, every Xbox 360 has a unique cpu key to decrypt an encrypted nand image in order to boot up.

      An ad server isn't likely to have any code signed, but any attempt to exploit the xbox to run unsigned code will always fail unless you figured out the MS private key.

      However, teardrop attacks and similiar attacks do work, but the average XBL kid never figured that much out, thanks heavens.

      Funny how old school attacks still work then, and I'm assuming that the kids of today have never heard of them, mostly because they're before their time?

    8. Re:Soooo Xbox Live? by wierd_w · · Score: 1

      Yes, I am aware of the hypervisor, and the encrypted NAND.

      The idea wasnt to compromise the nand, but to scribble in the sandbox, much like the ChickHEN attack for a PSP slim.

      Essentially, the trojanized media file makes the perfectly signed and happy image loader software freak out, because the "Image" it is parsing isnt really an image, which causes the buffer overflow. The overflow overwrites the stack pointer (assuming such an exploit exists anyway), and jumps execution to the trojan payload. The payload writes a few bytes to the in-memory image of the sandbox, to alter the behavior of "already running" processes. Since these processes have already been blessed by the HV, this may work.

      The idea isnt to permanently hack the xbox's nand, the idea is to muck with its loaded and decrypted memory image of the nand, AFTER it passes the secret key test, and get a foothold that way. MS can update the firmware all it wants, since this method wont blow any efuses. Just keep the exploit a secret, and keep the persistent part off the xbox and on the router.

    9. Re:Soooo Xbox Live? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If that's the case, more power to Google to boot MS off of their servers for facilitating commercial copyright infringement!

      I can just imagine the cease and desist letters being typed up by Google's lawyers.

  20. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Not to be mean to you personally, but we don't fucking care. Just like we don't fucking care that ABC doesn't like us recording shows on our DVRs and watching them later without having to suffer through the horrible, loud, insulting-to-the-intelligence ads. We don't care that Sony and BMG want us to buy entire CDs of music, rather than download songs, or worse yet, find other music to listen to.

    So, if your profession is making videos, and your income is based on ads played during those videos on a communal website, you may want to think of a better revenue stream. This one isn't going to last, whether Microsoft can pull this off or not.

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  21. Bad blood? by tdalbo92 · · Score: 1

    I guess this little stunt won't help all the Win 8 users who lost support for Google Cal & Contacts. It's a pity they're both playing political "Cold War" with each other.

    1. Re:Bad blood? by kqs · · Score: 1

      You mean when Google stopped paying the Microsoft tax to provide Exchange services, and Microsoft decided not to implement CardDAV and CalDAV (despite helping create WebDAV) because they would get better PR if they could claim Google broke their phones?

      Someone was playing political games, yes.

    2. Re:Bad blood? by Kalriath · · Score: 1

      Microsoft Tax? EAS is royalty-free, license fee-free and has a patent covenant-not-to-sue so long as it's implemented correctly. Continuing to support it would have cost Google nothing other than the man hours to keep it working. There was no "Microsoft Tax".

      --
      For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
    3. Re:Bad blood? by kllrnohj · · Score: 3, Informative

      Microsoft Tax? EAS is royalty-free, license fee-free and has a patent covenant-not-to-sue so long as it's implemented correctly. Continuing to support it would have cost Google nothing other than the man hours to keep it working. There was no "Microsoft Tax".

      lol wut? No it isn't.

      "Microsoft licenses the patents for Exchange ActiveSync please contact us for more information."
      http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/IPLicensing/Programs/exchangeactivesyncprotocol.aspx

      "Earlier today Google announced Google Sync, which is made possible by a patent license they obtained from Microsoft covering Google’s implementation of the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol on Google servers."
      http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2009/feb09/02-09statement.aspx

      Did you even bother to search before you posted that? Or did you just feel like making up crap for giggles?

    4. Re:Bad blood? by Richard_at_work · · Score: 1

      Hmmm, CalDAV - you mean that thing Google is sun setting on the 16th of September 2013 in favour of their own, proprietary API?

      http://googleblog.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/a-second-spring-of-cleaning.html

      Doesn't look as tho Google is being the nice guy here, however you like to cast the other parties...

    5. Re:Bad blood? by Kalriath · · Score: 1

      Then why the fuck aren't they using EWS?

      --
      For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
  22. Re:Who figured this out? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Informative

    Actually AdblockEdge since the creator of the original sold out to an AD COMPANY. GO OPENSOURCE FORKS GO!!

  23. Re:Who figured this out? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Funny

    And if you're seeing ads in youtube...

    Youtube has ads?

    Who knew?

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  24. But... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...correct me if I'm wrong, but I have a Firefox plugin that does exactly the same thing.

    Are they banned? Are google changing their whole API for that?

    Fair enough, Google want to block Microsoft at every turn, I understand that. But there's bullshit and there's bullshit. And this is bullshit.

  25. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    fine... open your wallet... takers are SOOOO annoying.

  26. Defeating the ads is trivial, allow me to demo... by Proudrooster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Supposed you want to wish your mother a Happy Dub Step Mothers Day with this video:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J0o65u73Nc

    But you want to strip the adds and go fullscreen:

    Easy, simply change the URL: delete "watch?v=" and replace with "v/"
    http://www.youtube.com/v/9J0o65u73Nc

    sarcasm
    Microsoft must have some really smart developers to have figured out how to rewrite the YouTube URL using computer programming. I am going to run out and get a Surface with Windows 8 before Best Buy closes tonight. Microsoft might be adding more useful features soon and I don't want to miss out. It would be a shame to watch a 5 second YouTube Ad and support that rich Google company. Microsoft is sticking it to man! Wait, I thought they were the man. Hmmm... something has changed. I'm so confused.
    sarcasm

    A company and a society are judged and remembered by what they build and not what they destroy.

  27. Legal pissing match in 5, 4, 3... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Send in the briefcase drill team! Warm up the bench. Choose your venues. Ready? FIGHT!

  28. ummmmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i know lets sue more people....that might not have anything to do with there drop like a rock life....
    and all the toys in universe wont have me support a company that uses idiot patents to screw with anyone....

    they are like ms in the same league for business styles and slowly they are failing and as the world closes the tax evasion loopholes you will see these looney tune companies smarten up cause they cant hide the insane profits they once had.

  29. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And how do you tell that the ads are being watched? You can possibly easily tell if they are downloaded, but telling if they were viewed by a human is going to be pretty hard.

  30. Re:Defeating the ads is trivial, allow me to demo. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Careful! Changing the URL to another publicly accessible option is HEINOUS and HORRIBLE computer crime!

    I so wish this was sarcasm, but the current precedent is that the above statement is true. Remember that guy who did the exact same thing with iPhone IDs to AT&T got convicted under the CFAA.

  31. Re: Going to hurt videos available at some point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't put up full ads, just pop ups when it starts. (And what's on the side in a browser). I hate forced full length ads as well and am happy to not have them on my content as long as I can still generate revenue. It may not be a reliable revenue stream in the future, but it is now. In any case I stand by my original statement that this will ultimately hurt available videos if it becomes mainstream and kills my incentive to create and upload more. The adblockers and downloaders will be totally useful when there is no content for them to act upon. But seriously, they'll just start to embed the ads in the actual content itself and everyone will suffer and folks like myself will have to comply or quit making content.

  32. No they won't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Microsoft is unlikely to comply with the TOS, its not in their nature.

    I think Google will then encode the ads into the video stream, and make the video clickable. Sure you'll have lost the ability to close the advert early, because the video will contain it, and you've lost the bit of the video below the ad square, but you did anyway. And Microsoft has given them an excuse to do it.

    For downloads, they won't offer the high resolution streams to Windows Phone devices, only the low res phone resolutions, and Microsoft will have enabled that too, by putting the download button in!

    See this is a pissing match Microsoft cannot win, because they needed Google's Youtube far far far more than than Google needs Windows Phone users. The only reason they won't block them outright at this point is because MS would squeal anti-trust (which is perhaps their aim with these games, get an excuse to squeal anti-trust monopoly abuse since 75% of smartphones are Android these days).

  33. I been sticking the finger to the internet by FudRucker · · Score: 0

    for a long time, seamonkey with adblock, NoScript and a video downloader extension, to hell with advertising, that crap is everywhere, radio & television, billboards on both sides of the road, i cant open my eyes anymore without being bombarded with spamvertising, i am making my internet experience as addfree as possible because advertising is just about omnipresent everywhere else,

    so i would like to say: "fuck all you advertisers right in your balloon knots i hope you all die miserable & painful deaths" (and that includes you too microsoft i seen too much of your advertising on TV already

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
    1. Re:I been sticking the finger to the internet by c0lo · · Score: 0

      so i would like to say: "fuck all you advertisers right in your balloon knots i hope you all...

      Mmmh... seems somebody has lots of energy today.

      to hell with advertising, that crap is everywhere, radio & television, billboards on both sides of the road, i cant open my eyes anymore without being bombarded with spamvertising,

      Ahhh... that's why!... We forgot to spam his dreams. Well, soon to be corrected.

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    2. Re:I been sticking the finger to the internet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perhaps this video will change your mind:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGvHNNOLnCk

    3. Re:I been sticking the finger to the internet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You might also consider adding a custom hosts file that redirects ad sites to 127.0.0.1. Just sayin'

  34. Re:Defeating the ads is trivial, allow me to demo. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    That does not remove the ads...

  35. Re:Who figured this out? by Trogre · · Score: 1

    Does AdBlock Plus block inline video ads that have been seen in New Zealand for the past year?

    If it doesn't, you'll be in for a shock when it's rolled out in your hemisphere.

    --
    "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  36. the peace of the world; world peace by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    more important than that

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CWxefp-K1U&feature=player_detailpage

  37. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by RulerOf · · Score: 4, Insightful

    fine... open your wallet... takers are SOOOO annoying.

    I fucking wish I could pay as little to watch a TV show or movie as a comparable set of ads would return in revenue for being in front of my eyeballs.

    Instead, some dickhead thinks I should pay ~5-10 cents a minute to watch one episode of his TV show. Naturally, 1080p costs twice as much too.

    --
    Boot Windows, Linux, and ESX over the network for free.
  38. this should get interesting by superwiz · · Score: 0

    I would love to see how Google, after making everyone else's content available for free, is going to try to argue for protecting their own content.

    --
    Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
  39. Re:coming to a Nokia phone near you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Phones don't viruses. But piece of shit windows boxes do. In fact there are millions of them and there are Zero days every day. Windows really is a putrid cesspool.

  40. Best Response by Belial6 · · Score: 4, Funny

    If Google doesn't decide to ignore this, I would suggest they license the rights to the Rick Aston video, detect if the connection is coming from this software and RickRoll anyone using it.

    1. Re:Best Response by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Astley...

  41. Wrong measure by slashnot007 · · Score: 2

    The total market however more than doubled in that time. Apple is still gaining market. It's just losing it's fractional share of unit sales.
    If instead you measure the market in revenue, rather than unit sales. Then apple is rising in fractional market share. Moreover It's margins are also vastly higher. So in terms of profit it has a majority of the market.

    1. Re:Wrong measure by ozmanjusri · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Moreover It's margins are also vastly higher. So in terms of profit it has a majority of the market.

      Consequences aren't always immediate.

      How long do you think they can keep overcharging without providing a better product?

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
    2. Re:Wrong measure by smash · · Score: 0

      Depends on how you quanity "better product". The only android device i've yet seen which even slightly interests me is the HTC one, due to its construction. It doesn't matter what the spec of a phone is or what it can do - if it feels like a turd to use, the experience is not going to be pleasant. Look up "haptics".

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    3. Re:Wrong measure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Isn't that the point of multiple products? Not everyone has the same haptics as you do.

      I don't really care that my Galaxy Nexus is made of textured plastic. It's light and I've dropped it so many times and there's only small scratches on it. I've held phones of all makes and models, and it feels no different than any other device (Android or not).

    4. Re:Wrong measure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What do you count as "overcharging"? They are selling the phones almost as fast as they can make them, so they are not seeing the "problem" you are seeing.

      If you want to look at "overcharging", look at those tiny rocks the diamond cartels are regulating.

    5. Re:Wrong measure by xgerrit · · Score: 1

      How long do you think they can keep overcharging without providing a better product?

      Depending on your point of view: They either do have a better product or they've been able to keep up overcharging for I don't know... the past decade?

    6. Re:Wrong measure by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      So far it seems that they do have a better product. At least for large chunks of audience that can actually afford it.

    7. Re:Wrong measure by green1 · · Score: 1, Interesting

      So far it seems that they do have a better marketting department. At least for large chunks of audience that don't know any better.

      FTFY

      Apple doesn't bother making a better product, they never really have. They have brilliant marketting though such that people who don't know better flock to the thing in droves because it's an iphone. They know what an iphone is, and equate it with smart phone. never mind that the competing phones do more, do it better, and do it at a lower price. The iphone is consistently a year or more behind the major Android players in features, the usability and interface really improved since the first iphone launched (and it badly needs to) and yet they manage to get people to line up every year to buy the new iphone, even when there's no real change from the last one.

      There is one thing Apple is absolutely amazing at, and it has nothing to do with physical devices or software. It's all about the hype, and they sure know how to do that well.

    8. Re:Wrong measure by socode · · Score: 1

      Yeah, whatever, you know best and anyone who buys something you don't like is wrong. Apple's profitability is due solely to people who would buy Windows Phones and W8 desktops, if only there was some marketing spend behind them.

      As a developer, it's my imagination that I can buy a well-supported desktop UNIX that runs on nice hardware, has free quality dev tools ultimately packaged by the vendor, and still lets me run Photoshop. It's my imagination that I can clone a Linux or Mac system so that if a drive fails or I buy a new computer, I can be back up and running within an hour. I simply don't understand the entertainment to be had by sitting through 8 hours of clicking MSI installers and uninstalling Asus/Toshiba/Samsung/Sony/Dell bloatware to get a Windows PC setup, and I'm obviously going down the wrong path by using VMs for that.

      Clearly no-one has ever told me about the fantastic quality of Microsoft code, with their competing implementations of fucking up DLL and now .NET versioning. When I have to call Office activation, and read out 54 numbers to be told 54 numbers back, I simply _don't get their vision_.

      It's really my fault as a user, that I haven't grokked the elegance of the Windows registry, or the beauty of having your 20 year old GUI code still active, and just masked with a UI DLL plugin. The system / advanced dialog box for editing the Windows environment is another wonderful example which has stood the test of time, because having 30 characters of your path visible is clearly the best way to do it.

    9. Re:Wrong measure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've used both Apple and Android and I can tell you without a grain of doubt -- the Apple devices are WAAY easier to use. Non-techie people love them and the 1st party apps are AMAZING! Pages / Numbers / Keynote / Garageband rival most desktop software. If you like fiddling and customizing your devices then Android is the way to go for you. If you like your smartphone to work like your microwave oven, i.e. SIMPLE and intuitive and no fuss - Apple. My 65 yr old mom is getting an iPad this xmas, no way in hell i'd get her an Android tablet or i'd be on call with her 24/7 helping her "understand" it.

      Specs are only slightly important -- what matters is SOFTWARE! If your have bigger Ghz and MBs and a faster BUS guess what -- does not matter to 90% of people who are non-techies. What matters is: Does it work? Does it work reliably? Is it easy to use? Do I understand how to use it? How is the battery life? Is it sexy / fashionable? These are the things that "normal" people think about. Apple is the only tech company that understands that smartphones are both technology AND art / fashion.

      Also, as a developer I have a much easier time developing for Apple than I do for Android, it's just WAAAY simpler to use Xcode than Eclipse.

    10. Re:Wrong measure by Pieroxy · · Score: 1

      Don't mix up usability, polish and user interface with marketing. I am a geek, developer for the last 20 years. I am fully aware of the technical differences between iOS and Android. I run Linux at home. At the moment I program in C# at work. I program every evening/weekend in Java. And yet, I have an iPhone. And trust me, I've held a lot of Android phones, from friends, family, from testing at work, from testing websites at home. The iPhone has an ecosystem that is *much* more polished, consistent and just plain coherent than Android. BTW, with which Android are we comparing with iOS this week? And one of the key difference is already out of the bag.

      IMO, the only line of Android phones that could be compared to the iPhone are the Nexus one. The rest is Android either on crap hardware of under a layout of shit making it either unrecognizable (Amazon tablets - and trust me, those people count them as Android in their calculations) or barely usable.

      I have my eyes on a Galaxy Note these days. But I'll get the shitty Samsung-crapped-out android. And eventually an update or two - but just minor ones. Or I can install CM. But let's get real, CM is all well and good, but it doesn't have the level of testing and polish that Google's own does. And as soon as your device doesn't have enough mindshare anymore, no support anymore.

      No, believe me or not, I don't care, but iOS is a solid platform. I does have its flaws, of course, but it's not a pile of shit under a golden layer of marketing as you portray it out to be.

    11. Re:Wrong measure by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      Thumbs up. Nexus 4 is actually what I use as my primary phone despite occasionally highlighting to people that if it weren't for Apple it would never have happened.

    12. Re:Wrong measure by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      I'll take it you meant it as a response to http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3738737&cid=43694313 ;)

    13. Re:Wrong measure by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately for you the fact is that Samsung spends 10 times as much on marketing as Apple does. If marketing is a sign of an audience that doesn't know any better, then that's Samsung users.

      You're confusing marketing with having a desirable brand. And desirable brands come about as a result of a history of selling high quality products. Not by marketing.

    14. Re:Wrong measure by socode · · Score: 1

      Indeed - apologies

    15. Re:Wrong measure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple doesn't bother making a better product, they never really have.

      Millions of MacBook Pro users would like to see this better laptop you've insinuated exists.

    16. Re:Wrong measure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But old people die and the technologically literate will inherit the mess.

      And besides, the problem with 2013 is that a lot of people can't afford "it".

    17. Re:Wrong measure by Maxwell · · Score: 1

      Wow. Still on that bandwagon eh? I haven't heard the 'It's just marketing 'cry in a while. Thanks for the laugh. It is odd that in nearly 13 years since iPod no one else has hired the same advertising company, huh? Weird.

    18. Re: Wrong measure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which part of provisioning and subscription fees are harder with Android development?

    19. Re: Wrong measure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're a tool. You've picked out two aspects that have virtually nothing to do with actual development on iOS. The provisioning aspect is the only one of the two points that's even remotely close to development and its not that big of a deal...

      Android on the other hand... No UI/UX type editor worth using at all... Emulators that take a loooooong time to boot up... So many different versions of android to consider... So many different screen sizes / resolutions / DPI to consider... Easily hacked app packaging so high attention to security and obfuscation required... My list of gripes with Android goes on and on.

      No, iOS isn't perfect but it's a damn sight better than Android.

    20. Re:Wrong measure by raju1kabir · · Score: 1

      They know what an iphone is, and equate it with smart phone. never mind that the competing phones do more, do it better, and do it at a lower price.

      Yeah, I'm no techno neophyte - I've written popular applications for both platforms, and I understand the technology inside and out.

      The reason I prefer the iPhone is that I can count on it. Android is consistently buggy, inconsistently updated by carriers, and easily confounded by poorly-developed apps.

      The iphone is consistently a year or more behind the major Android players in features

      Don't give a shit. I am much more interested in a phone that always works when I need it, rather than one which offers the latest poorly conceived fad gimmicks.

      If you are trying to save a few bucks, or you view playing with a phone as a fun little techno-hobby activity, then definitely Android can be appealing. If you just want to get on with your business/social life and have the phone enable that process when called upon... not so much.

      --
      "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
    21. Re:Wrong measure by smash · · Score: 1

      As I said, it depends on how you quantify better. Some people are willing to pay for things that feel nice.

      --
      I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
    22. Re:Wrong measure by green1 · · Score: 1

      Don't mix up usability, polish and user interface with marketing.

      Considering that Apple has less usability, less polish, and a worse user interface than their major competitor, there is ZERO risk of me mixing up the two.

      Apple has marketing, they have convinced people to pay more for an inferior product, and feel smug about doing so. It's a truly impressive feat. They have among the absolute best marketing department on the planet.

    23. Re:Wrong measure by green1 · · Score: 1

      I never said that they spent more on marketing than anyone else. I said they had a better marketing department. There is a huge difference.

      Only Apple can convince people to spend more for an inferior product and still feel smug about it. They have the best marketing department in the industry.

      And don't worry, I'm not confusing anything, Apple doesn't have a history of selling high quality products, only expensive ones (you made the same mistake that you made in your first line, assuming that more money means better)

    24. Re:Wrong measure by green1 · · Score: 1

      Except that I don't want to constantly fight with the iphone that simply can't do any of the things I want it to, has an extremely inconsistent user interface, and is only useful for fun little fad-hobby activity.

      I buy an android because it just works. I can get on with my business/social life without constantly running in to artificial barriers put up by Apple.

    25. Re:Wrong measure by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      I never said that they spent more on marketing than anyone else. I said they had a better marketing department. There is a huge difference.

      So Samsung is sinking money into a substandard outcome. Hmmm. 10 times as much money for a worse result than Apple.

      (you made the same mistake that you made in your first line, assuming that more money means better)

      There's no mistake. I know exactly how good Apple's products are because I use them every day. Clearly you don't, so what makes you the expert? Nothing. You're just being ignorant.

      Not only don't you know what Apple's products are like, you don't understand how brands work. Brands are a promise of quality, and they only work if the brand actually delivers the promised quality year in, year out. Failing on the quality on occasion, lowers the value of the brand. Doing it regularly destroys the brand.

      Your focus on cost, says more about you than of Apple or their customers. That you're buying on a budget, and resent those who's budget is bigger than yours.

    26. Re:Wrong measure by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Apple doesn't bother making a better product, they never really have. They have brilliant marketting though such that people who don't know better flock to the thing in droves because it's an iphone. They know what an iphone is, and equate it with smart phone. never mind that the competing phones do more, do it better, and do it at a lower price. The iphone is consistently a year or more behind the major Android players in features, the usability and interface really improved since the first iphone launched (and it badly needs to) and yet they manage to get people to line up every year to buy the new iphone, even when there's no real change from the last one.

      Problem is, people aren't sheeple. They can spot marketing BS a mile away.

      If a product is all hype and no substance, guess what? It dies. And in the age of instant news, if a product is crap, people know about it the moment it's released. Doesn't matter if it's an iPhone, a movie, a new store, etc. It doesn't matter if the revised edition is better or not.

      Hell, see Vista. Despite marketing claims (Project Mojave, anyone?), people still thing it's a POS. Even though in the Windows 7 era, Vista benefits from developers doing crap right and things actually work. (Vista took the crap for Windows 7, you could say).

      Hell, Linux still has a "hard to use" reputation, despite it being easier to install and update than Windows (though, some of it is deserved - some support communities can really do better than "RTFM" as a reply. Like "RTFM section X, paragraph y" linked).

      Basically, if the iPhone was crap, then people would've known 6 years ago. Or on release of every new model ever since. But since Apple can pull in the profits, they obviously either managed to brainwash everyone (which is a very politically powerful tool wasted on getting people to buy a brand of computers?), or have a product that serves its purpose.

      Sure, an iPhone won't meet any measurebator's specs, but do we really need to get back to the megapixel wars, GHz wars, GByte wars, etc? Or has it been definitely proven that more megapixels are better, more GHz are better, more GBs are better (OK, the last one is definitely better).

      Hell, look at what Apple started with the "retina" display - more and more DPI until I'm sure few can even see the pixels up close (441 - the 5" 1080p screens). Or phones getting so big that people are making "small phones" to go with your big one. (NOTE: The SGS3, while the best selling Android phone, only has around 10% of the market. The rest of them are the hundreds of other phones Samsung makes with smaller screens, keyboards, crappy processors, etc, and some others by LG, HTC, Motorola, etc).

      tl;dr - marketing can sell you a product, but it can't work a miracle. A turd is still a turd and no amount of marketing can spruce it up.

    27. Re:Wrong measure by Pieroxy · · Score: 1

      How do you determine that "Apple has less usability, less polish, and a worse user interface than their major competitor" (I mean, other that it being your own tiny opinion along with your group of Apple haters) ? Do you have any kind of reference for this assertion?

  42. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you really hate suffering through horrible, loud and insulting ads you should 'fucking care' about this. The people who avoid ads is a minority and of minimal concern if content producers and distributors can still make money off the majority who aren't savvy enough to circumvent. If the majority of people avoid the ads (and this includes TV) then you can expect more embedded advertisements or less content. Producing and creating stuff costs money, it's not rocket science. Advertisements at most 'communal' websites and television ARE the current revenue stream. If you thought the current system of ads providing for free content is obnoxious, you ain't seen nothing yet for your type of Utopian future.

  43. Behind the curve of innovation by Torodung · · Score: 2

    There have been extensions for this, on various browsers, for years. I don't see how this is sticking anything to Google when any idiot user can install a few extensions to his browser and get the same result.

    Not news. More like Olds.

    1. Re:Behind the curve of innovation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The difference is like between "anyone can buy a scanner and listen in on police" and "Ford's new car has a built-in scanner".

      Not new, (questionably) acceptable, but now instead of third-party option it's major company's first-party default.

    2. Re:Behind the curve of innovation by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      There have been extensions for this, on various browsers, for years. I don't see how this is sticking anything to Google when any idiot user can install a few extensions to his browser and get the same result.

      Not news. More like Olds.

      you can't install an extension to your browser on windows phone 8..

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    3. Re:Behind the curve of innovation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      btw, NEWS stands for North East West South

  44. Re:Who figured this out? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    Does AdBlock Plus block inline video ads that have been seen in New Zealand for the past year?

    As far as I know, yes. I've seen inline video ads on services when I have forgotten to install ABP on a system, and installed and then not seen them any more. But, maybe not. I'm not in NZ so it's hard for me to tell.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  45. Re:Who figured this out? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I sometimes end up at a browser without adblock plut. It's like a totally different internet. (One that should be killed with fire.)

  46. Re:Who figured this out? by houghi · · Score: 1

    Youtube is supposed to paywall some premium content soon, which is fine.

    Well, we do not really know what they consider premium content, but I think the idea is great as it will make people more aware of other sites that host cat videos.

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  47. Download button on Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    For years downloading the flv file and then watching it in mplayer was the only way to watch youtube videos on Linux, because the Adobe flash player was unwatchable and drained batteries in minutes.

  48. "Save"s it by evanh · · Score: 1

    The download occurs as a result of viewing it. The download button really just saves the download as a file.

  49. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sounded more like someone relaying the reality of the situation to me, not someone getting worked up. The fact is that I just won't watch youtube if I have to sit through ads to see it. Currently, I don't have to because I have them completely blocked. If I couldn't block them it wouldn't be worth my time.

  50. bend over Microsoft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't agree to the terms, then no service. Still trying to force service? Well now you've violated the terms of service.
    And guess what, as far as the courts are concerned, playing a video is the same as copying. And now you've trigged copyright law too. You just did something to circumvent copyprotection, well Google can now beat Microsoft over the head with DMCA.

  51. CFAA, DMCA, Wire Fraud etc? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Given that prosecutors in the US have gone berzerk on private persons with the most ridiculous "hacking" and "wire fraud" and whatnot claims, will we get to see the same sort of idiocy brought into position against Microsoft?

    Actually, it would be nice to see that as it is unlikely that Microsoft would budge at a "plea deal, or $10000000 in defense cost or 25 years in the slammer" blackmail, and so maybe there would come to be some legal precedence against that sort of shit.

    On the other hand, prosecutors are self-serving career-advancing cowards, so they probably won't pick a tough target like that.

  52. Re:Defeating the ads is trivial, allow me to demo. by WGFCrafty · · Score: 1

    Tell that to Ghengis Khan or Alexander (remember that Persian empire that stretched from India to Mesopotamia).

    The good the men do is oft interred with their bones, but the evil that men do lives on.

  53. Re:Who figured this out? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you specifically go out to get an ad blocker, there is some balance. YouTube simply must not annoy so much as to drive the bulk of users to do so.

    BUT, when a competitor does so *by default*, that is different, and malicous.

  54. Re:Who figured this out? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I know, right?...

    I've been using a hosts file to block ads on my computers for years and years... Surprises the hell out of me when I use other people's computers and discover that the internet is over 80% ads. How anyone manages to use it that way and keep their sanity is beyond me.

  55. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by kllrnohj · · Score: 1, Troll

    This is *my* computer, you have absolutely no control over it.

    This argument is fucking idiotic. If you take your own bag to the store and pack it full of stuff, do you bitch when security stops you from walking out? "But it's MY BAG!". Or how about if a cop gives you a ticket for speeding? "but it's MY CAR". If your boss decides not to pay you, I'm fairly sure he will be unable to convince you not to sue his ass by claiming "but it's my office!"

    Yes, it is your computer. But it's not your content. Content you are using said computer to pirate. Ignoring the legal aspects, that makes you an asshole, plain and simple. Maybe you're fine being an asshole, I don't know. But grow up and own the fact that you're an asshole instead of this whiny bullshit about "my computer!"

  56. Re:Defeating the ads is trivial, allow me to demo. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A company and a society are judged and remembered by what they build and not what they destroy.

    Seriously, are you Godwin-trolling?

    Fine, let me oblige you: highways.
    (If you don't get it: bless your innocent soul)

  57. What by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We are discussing TOS and not even a single star trek joke?.

  58. Adblock and keep it! by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    So it will be like AdBlocker and Keep it! on a PC, right?

  59. Re: Lock in by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Lock in is a common argument, but the data does not support it. The reason they are failing is the market went mobile and their mobile software sucked. It's really ad simple as that.

  60. Re:Who figured this out? by FatLittleMonkey · · Score: 1

    Google made a public gesture of refusing to develop official Google/Maps/YouTube apps for Windows Phone. This is just Microsoft's Tat to Google's Tit; no more "malicious" than Google's public snub.

    --
    Science is all about firing a drunk pig out of a cannon just to see what happens.
  61. Doesn't matter. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As MS chose to distribute it, they have then agreed to it.

    And if we can ignore any terms of service if we don't bother to read it, does that mean we can also ignore the EULA as it is the terms of service MS puts on Windows?

  62. Re:Who figured this out? by KZigurs · · Score: 1

    Given that they were asked to do that while the Windows Phone 7 was still the king of the hill with perhaps 100 users and clear roadmap to be abandoned - I'm not all that surprised.

    Microsoft has tried to bribe me to port some of the software to Windows Phone as well. I played with SDK (nice, no questions asked), phone (again, absolutely reasonable and nice device) and promptly decided that my time would be better spent scratching my balls. It is a dead platform with no users and no prospects, regardless of what Microsoft/Nokia tries to tell us. Shall it change, I'll be happy to reconsider my position.

  63. Your missing it... by Gription · · Score: 1

    The real cash cow here is the 30% of every Apple Store sale that Apple rakes in for just sitting there.

    That is what has been the driving force behind Microsoft and the development of Windows 8. They have been watching that 30% of every app sold, and they are salivating. Windows RT is the clue. The quantity of software sold for Windows computers is jaw dropping. If Microsoft can wrangle 30% of that whole market by forcing themselves in as the middleman it will be a HUGE tsunami of dollars.


    As an observer to this my question is: Will enough people fall into the trap that they can convert the whole market? You have an OS that is only optimized as a handheld interface and it is being rammed down the throats of every person trying to buy the "updated version" of the most entrenched desktop OS in the world.
    Maybe the revolt against the useless desktop interface will change the direction things appear to be heading but the direction of the majority of people makes no sense to me anyway.
    And maybe the unbelievably lame and irritating commercial of stupid dancing kids pretending to do business will go away. They aren't selling a single unit to business with a commercial like that. They are just making them change the channel.

  64. Re:Defeating the ads is trivial, allow me to demo. by Proudrooster · · Score: 1

    This removes the video ads that play prior to the main video. The onscreen popups may still appear. Someone else please verify.

  65. Re:Defeating the ads is trivial, allow me to demo. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't see adds with it either way. I guess my add blocking in Firefox is enough.

  66. So much lost revenue! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh no! Google will make 0.001% less this month!

  67. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hillarious.

    First, you are the criminal. Purposefully infecting computers with malware and trojans is against most every countries law, including the ones you are hosting your malware content at.

    Second, you are just a spammer. No one cares about the opinions or feelings about spammers.
    If you can't make money without the "right" to scream in my face while waving your arms and jumping up and down blowing an air horn trying to get me to pay attention to you, then perhaps your proper place IS poor and in the gutter.

    I don't watch your content AT ALL, yet you call me a pirate and criminal, while YOU claim I am stealing by not watching your ads in exchange for something I do not want nor have ever sought out to get.

    You do NOT have the right to force your content on us, nor the right to claim not watching your content and ads is theft, all at the same time causing billions of dollars in damage world wide by infecting computers everywhere with your malware and trojans.

    Now don't you have a cat to film?

  68. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is why TV shows are getting smaller and smaller budgets. Eventually, the random homemade crap you find on YouTube may be the highest quality newly produced content out there.

  69. Re:Defeating the ads is trivial, allow me to demo. by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

    I don't see adds with it either way. I guess my add blocking in Firefox is enough.

    Do you also block subtracts?

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  70. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 1

    I don't know what you're getting so worked up over.

    Oh, I'm not getting worked up at all. The "fucking" part of "we don't fucking care" is just a quantifier.

    If I had simply written, "We don't care.", it sounds more like apathy than the result of actual consideration of various situations, and years of experience with this situation in particular.

    If I had used, "We really don't care.", it sounds like maybe we do care, or at least you have the pretext to believe we do. This is the response that ABC, Sony, etc., have been using for years to be bigger assholes than the year before.

    Basically, the fact that you think the use of the word "fucking" means I'm frothing at the mouth means I got across my main point, that I/we do not care that creators of content are not seeing income from "horrible, loud, insulting-to-the-intelligence ads."

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  71. Re:Who figured this out? by babywhiz · · Score: 1

    If you don't have a youtube downloader in your browser, it's because you don't want one.

    Amen. I personally do not block ads just yet because I mostly visit sites like Reddit, /., Techdirt and some of the Twitch streamers that benefit from be consuming their content.

    Besides, randomly, Reddit will thank me for not blocking ads and give me a pat on the back. Whatever. It's Something!

  72. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As a content producer, it's my right to block your client if you refuse to see the ads I put up

    No. It's your right to *try* to do this. And fail miserably.

  73. Will Google even notice? by Tony+Isaac · · Score: 2

    Windows 8 tablets have, what, 2% of the market? It might be a while before Google even notices!

  74. ToS Violation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sure this is one, and Microsoft is opening themselves up for a suit.

  75. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by femtobyte · · Score: 1

    Suppose a grocery store had their door wide open, and a big banner out front:

    "Come in! Take what you want! It's all FREE!**"

    ** produce may contain venomous mind-altering spiders that will turn you into an obedient zombie slave.

    So now, I put on my spider-proof suit before entering the store, and when I get home, I rinse all the produce in boiling acid to kill off the spiders. When the grocery store manager calls me up to say "Hey, asshole, we make all our money off reselling zombie slaves! How do you expect us to give you free groceries, if you protect yourself from the spiders?," I'm not gonna be particularly receptive to his arguments.

  76. TOS can be ignored by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    at least, that's what MS is saying de facto. And I guess that's also the opinion of the BSA which MS is part of.

  77. apple bashing. by leuk_he · · Score: 1

    How could a story of MS and google turn into a apple bashing in the comments.. ????

  78. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 1

    Game. Set. Match.

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  79. Both are against Youtube ToS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great way to get your account locked/deleted...

  80. Re: Going to hurt videos available at some point by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 1

    Thanks for the additional input. As I said, I'm not saying this to be mean to you. If you make videos that others want to see, more power to you. My daughter follows a couple different guys that make hilarious videos. She even has a shirt from one of their web stores. So it's not about you making money off our actions.

    It's just that ads have gotten more out of control over the years. So now those of us that know how, block them. As do many of our family members, co-workers, customers, friends, and so on. Now that product placement is getting more prevalent in TV shows, they are going to face a similar backlash effect. It's one thing to have the characters drinking Starbucks coffee, but when they start telling each other what's on sale this week some of us will stop watching. Others will be happy to know what's on sale without all those annoying commercial breaks.

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  81. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by kllrnohj · · Score: 1

    I don't watch your content AT ALL, yet you call me a pirate and criminal, while YOU claim I am stealing by not watching your ads in exchange for something I do not want nor have ever sought out to get.

    You do NOT have the right to force your content on us, nor the right to claim not watching your content and ads is theft, all at the same time causing billions of dollars in damage world wide by infecting computers everywhere with your malware and trojans.

    What the fuck are you babbling about? If you don't watch youtube videos, why do you care if youtube shows ads? And why are you wanting to block something you don't see anyway? And how in the fucking hell is a 30 second pre-roll video "malware and trojans"?

  82. Re:Who figured this out? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I give websites I like/enjoy ONE chance to prove that they don't have annoying flash/video adds or adds that obstruct what I'm trying to read. If they screw up, that's it. Adblock goes back on.

    I've been using adblock since 2007 when I got my first laptop, and it's almost scary what the internet looks like without it...

  83. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by kllrnohj · · Score: 1

    I suppose that'd be a stupid analogy that doesn't match what we are discussing.

    But yes, you'd still be violating society's rules (and laws). You do not have a right to what that store is offering, so if you don't like its rules too fucking bad, don't go there.

    Although if that actually happened all you'd do is get the owner arrested for attempted homicide. Like, seriously, because your analogy is bad.

  84. Re:Who figured this out? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I sometimes end up at a browser without adblock plut. It's like a totally different internet. (One that should be nuked from orbit, repeatedly.)

    FTFY.

  85. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by n3r0.m4dski11z · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ". If you want my content, watching ads is my price"

    No you have it backwards. If you don't want to be part of the culture, lock up your content and don't show it to anyone. If someone can see it, they can tell someone about it, sharing in its most basic sense. *GASP* without paying you!

    I say you make your works private and then you can have them all to your self! no one will get your precious content in any way you deem unfit! Perfect solution.

    --
    -
  86. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by bhagwad · · Score: 1

    Lol wut? Are you high?

  87. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by femtobyte · · Score: 1

    Sorry, based on your post above, I thought this was the thread for wildly loose analogies. And where, in my post above, was I breaking any rules/laws? Corporations are trying to redefine how the web works, in order to establish a new "social contract" for commerce that doesn't work like the traditional "I give you money for stuff, then use stuff as I want." If you want to sell your content on the internet, then *sell your content on the internet*: take payment for it before letting it go out *your* door.

    Here's perhaps a more careful analogy for how the internet works: I never enter your store. You have a storefront with a walk-up window (and maybe a big sign saying "Welcome! Free groceries!"). Anyone can send their browser agent to walk up and say "Hey! give me a rutabaga!" or likewise. It's your choice how to respond --- you can ignore them; you can tell them "we don't have rutabagas"; you can say "rutabagas are for paying customers only, please hand over your credit card first"; you can hand them a pile of cat photos; you can give them a rutabaga; you can give them a rutabaga with a religious tract stapled to the side. But whatever you hand over to them is now *theirs* to do with as they want. Scream all you want: "hey, no fair throwing the religious tract away before taking the rutabaga back to your master!", but my browser is OK to ignore you.

    Corporations want to redefine how law works on the internet, such that by printing "by taking a rutabaga, you agree to read this religious tract" on the religious tract they hand out with the rutabaga, I am morally and/or legally bound to do so. But this is complete rubbish, and I utterly reject it. I block ads on websites. I never signed a contract with them saying "I will watch your ads." I sent my browser to their storefront, and they willingly handed over an ad-laden rutabaga, knowing that I had never agreed to their terms. If you don't like people stripping away your ads, then *don't hand out (ad-laden) content to any anonymous stranger who walks up and asks for it*. It's *your* responsibility to create a valid pre-existing contract with people viewing your content, and restrict who you hand out content to.

  88. how it works by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Microsoft app strips ads; adds download = evil!
    No-name dev app strips ads; adds download = hurrah!

  89. Very nice! Now do the same for Windows 8 by elabs · · Score: 1

    They should implement the same functionality in a Windows 8 (Windows Store) app. Furthermore, if the user clicks a link to a youtube video in an email or app the OS should launch the app instead of the browser. Now that would be awesome.

  90. So much stupid... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Here's the thing - it's like the GPL. You never have to accept it, but if you don't you have no right to copy or modify what it protects and you run afoul of copyright.

    Likewise you can ignore the youtube ToS - but then you have no right to download the content (youtube is using their limited copyright to allow you to stream/download, but only if you accept the ToS).

    Can't wait to see if the **IA's decide this if the Win8 app w/download button has significant non-infringing uses, or decide it doesn't and call the lawyers....

  91. Re:Who figured this out? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    You have nothing insightful to say, basically, EVER.

    The free market disagrees.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  92. Re:Who figured this out? by theedgeofoblivious · · Score: 1

    Wow.

    Everyone thought this was a comment about blocking ads.

    It was a comment about no one using Windows Phone.

  93. Re:Who figured this out? by dch24 · · Score: 1

    It's good to hear some real-world experiences.

    I honestly thought we'd end up focusing on what a "Tat" is, and how big a "Google's Tit" is, this being slashdot and all.

  94. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by kllrnohj · · Score: 1

    Corporations are trying to redefine how the web works, in order to establish a new "social contract" for commerce that doesn't work like the traditional "I give you money for stuff, then use stuff as I want." If you want to sell your content on the internet, then *sell your content on the internet*: take payment for it before letting it go out *your* door.

    No, they are not trying to redefine anything. YouTube functions the exact same way broadcast TV does, and the radio before that. It's a business model that has existed for 90 years now.

    And guess what? YouTube *does* take "payment" before letting the content go out the door. The ad comes first, THEN the content.

    Corporations want to redefine how law works on the internet, such that by printing "by taking a rutabaga, you agree to read this religious tract" on the religious tract they hand out with the rutabaga, I am morally and/or legally bound to do so. But this is complete rubbish, and I utterly reject it. I block ads on websites. I never signed a contract with them saying "I will watch your ads." I sent my browser to their storefront, and they willingly handed over an ad-laden rutabaga, knowing that I had never agreed to their terms. If you don't like people stripping away your ads, then *don't hand out (ad-laden) content to any anonymous stranger who walks up and asks for it*. It's *your* responsibility to create a valid pre-existing contract with people viewing your content, and restrict who you hand out content to.

    Your incredibly selfish position is self-defeating. Fortunately everyone doesn't behave like you do, or the internet would actually regress all the way back to the BBS days of old. Then again, I suspect many people here actually WANT that, but fortunately that population is far too small to matter.

  95. Re:Going to hurt videos available at some point by femtobyte · · Score: 1

    No, they are not trying to redefine anything. YouTube functions the exact same way broadcast TV does, and the radio before that. It's a business model that has existed for 90 years now.

    Exactly, on which I mute, or record and fast forward over, the ads. Which has been established by long legal precedent to be *absolutely legal,* and is only considered the least bit unethical by *fucking corporatist authoritarian assholes.* It's the TV network's problem if too many people decide that ads suck, and they go out of business; it's not the TV watcher's sacred responsibility to support the business model by staring at the ads.

  96. Re:coming to a Nokia phone near you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Phones don't viruses. But piece of shit windows boxes do. In fact there are millions of them and there are Zero days every day. Windows really is a putrid cesspool.

    Phones don't viruses? You never seen the news about rampant android viruses, obviously.

  97. Debian also filters ads ! by Valeryan_24 · · Score: 1

    Debian - the wellknown Linux distribution - did the same on the last stable version just recently released, Wheezy - http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/

    The addon Adblock Plus is installed and enabled by default on the Iceweasel (ie Firefox) browser, with EasyList filter activated :
    http://i.imgur.com/g0pMEaX.png - http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=693160

    Even if I use some ads and tracking blockers, too (when there are animated banners, or sound, or to protect my privacy), IMHO it should be only the user who decides to put them, not the OS supplier, because it has an incidence on the web sites and numeric economy...

  98. YouTube doesn't have a download button?!? by Keybounce · · Score: 1

    > You shall not download any Content unless you see a “download” or similar link displayed by YouTube

    But ... I do see a "download" button, on every YouTube page, I think it's right next to the like and dislike buttons.

    And I agree: Absolutely standard. Oh, and you left out the standard, built-in firefox sync. Or that I'm using 17ESR so that I have the same profiles even from my 10.5 PPC macs that don't officially support it but still work (TenFourFox).

    I've had that download button from YouTube for years. Is that EULA implying that they'll remove it?

    1. Re:YouTube doesn't have a download button?!? by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      Sorry, I was on vacation.

      Ok, I am bleeping tired of this.

      Why do you look at 1900? What was the population in 1800? Or 1200? Or 3500 BCE?

      Because it's the setting for recent events. Duh. What the area was like in 3500 BCE is as relevant as the price of rice in China in 3500 BCE. So why 1900? Because Israel has no claim to legitimacy if it's entirely built on stolen land. It's no different from Manifest Destiny - another ad hoc attempt to justify the unjustifiable.

      When you say that only 31% were this group of people, what about when a bunch of upstarts said that the British Colonies were no longer part of Britain? How many people were loyal british citizens, and how many were angry rebels that engaged in high treason?

      British colonists rebelling against the British monarchy? Irrelevant comparison. You want to look at that period, you need to look at the colonists stealing land from the native population. Same shit, different day.

      So you seem to be saying that this idea, when applied in one spot by the United Nations after WW2, was in error, but every other time was valid?

      At no other time has this happened. Nations have been conquered as long as there have been nations, but at no point in history have two major powers (U.S. and Britain) aided a group of immigrants intent on carving a nation out of land where some people already happened to be living.

      You are so biased that you really need to hear yourself.

      Whatever you say, Pot. Bottom line: there have always been justifications for stealing land from the people who have lived there for thousands of years. Like when the United States started telling native americans to GTFO of the Louisiana Purchase. It was legally bought from France! And besides, we had a flag!

      Bullshit then, bullshit in 1948, bullshit in 1967, and another 45 years of illegal settlement bullshit.

  99. Yeah! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sitck it to the man! now wait what?