David Hanak China is a very important market for Apple, especially considering its capacity and huge potential. In order for the company to operate in this market, it has to make concessions here and there to the Chinese Communist government. Some of the concessions are moderate, while others are quite serious, to the point where one begins to wonder how far Apple is capable of going. There have been quite a few in recent months. From the constant removal of inappropriate applications from the App Store, through the censorship of electronic newspaper offers, to a specific catalog of films in iTunes. Yesterday, there was another news that Skype is disappearing from the Chinese App Store, a rather essential and popular application.
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Ondrej Holzman As it turns out, Apple isn't the only company that needs to make this move. A spokesperson for the company said that "we have been informed that some applications providing VoIP services do not comply with Chinese laws." This information was sent directly to Apple by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. Since this is essentially an official regulation, there wasn't much that could be done and these apps had to be removed from the local App Store mutation.
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Dan Pražák Skype is currently one of the last major services (which are of foreign origin) operating in China. According to many, this ban paves the way for similar services to be completely banned. As in many other industries, only homegrown services will be available. The move is in line with the Chinese government's long-standing efforts to have total control over all information flowing through China's network.
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In addition to Skype, services such as Twitter, Google, WhatsApp, FaceBook and Snapchat also have a problem in China. Thanks to their secure communication and encryption, they don't like the Chinese government because they don't have access to its content. Thus, they are either completely banned or actively suppressed. Apple et al. so they have to make another concession to be able to operate in this country. How far they will be willing to go no one knows...
Source: Cultofmac
Yeah yeah Apple is run by shareholders and they are only interested in dividends or profit in general. Any idea of the direction of the company or, God forbid, such perversions as human rights have no place in business!
I think that if they made and sold some purely spying device (let's call it a Spy) that did nothing but spy, but was thin enough and had that magic apple on its noble all-aluminum body, it would be a blast. And the higher the price, the more commercially successful it would be. For the less well-off, the device could be subsidized by the state, which buys the data from Apple.
By the way - I think they already thought about it at Apple, but after their industry competitor with the spy Barbie doll overtook them, they gave up because they probably wouldn't shout about the situation that they weren't the first.
Thanks to the profits from iŠmírák, it might be possible to start producing some more normal device (for example, a mobile phone) that would not have these functions, and maybe some real needs of users would start to be solved there (which is definitely not a 0.25 mm thinner body with an even more protruding camera or 30720×17280 display resolution, but maybe a battery that will keep the phone running for a week, or water/shock resistance for the real world).
Next time try to write the comments sober?
Next time try to write the comments sober?
Do you think that would change the content of the message? So that an innovative IT company with a vision has become a tragicomic toy manufacturer that respects no principles?
So in order:
1) How long will a company that is not interested in profit last on the market?! Maybe you are confusing a joint-stock company with a humanitarian...
2) I agree it's disgusting how everyone is giving in to the Chinese commies now. But Apple won't pull it out on its own. It's no problem for China to ban Facebook, WhatsApp and many others, so why not Apple? This is a task for politicians, not for some ICT company.
3) Do you really think people want more of a "battery that lasts" bag? If so, why aren't Asian manufacturers making such super phones similarly successful? If you want a more pragmatic product and you are not interested in design, no one is forcing you to buy an apple.
4) Considerations about snooping are completely out of the question, Apple is one of the few large ICT companies that does not go this way! Try crying on other tombs like Facebook or Google.
5) I agree that the innovation of Apple from the days of Jobs is irretrievably gone. That's just the way it is and everyone could finally come to terms with it. There will be no other Jobs. Nevertheless, it is nonsense to say that Apple does not bring any innovations. In fact, more and more of all consumer electronics manufacturers are bringing them (where I dare not count, for example, Google).
6) If I omit the mention of human rights, your contribution is completely outside the topic of the article. You can directly copy it under all articles about Apple and it will come out the same ;-)
1) Am I saying something about Apple not making a profit? Didn't he generate it maybe 10 years ago? (and he hasn't done the crap he's been doing in recent years)
2) Making the excuse that if everyone around me is doing bad things, it gives me the right (morally) to do them too, is very bad.
3) Yes - I think a lot of people want the practical features I outlined (you write about the bag, not me). It would probably be good to add here that I have been working with Apple computers (on them) since 91, so I have a pretty decent overview of what they produced and what it looked like. And all the people around me share my view of the situation regarding Apple's "innovations" in recent years and the necessary innovations.
4) Apple is working hard in the media to build the image of a company that fights for the privacy rights of its users, but then this case comes up and...
5) I don't really care that Apple is currently less terrible than, for example, Google - Apple used to be a real innovator and had a vision (i.e. probably the egoist Jobs who was able to push it into reality, but that doesn't matter in principle) and that's gone .
6) My post was formulated as a warning about the interconnectedness of two bad side effects of Apple's development in recent years. That is, a shift away from innovation to pandering to uselessness and relaxation of principles (human rights – privacy mentioned).
1) No, but for my taste you express yourself too radically. By the way, 10 years ago they generated much less profit and that's it: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5446f93de4b0a3452dfaf5b0/t/55a65d71e4b060ebc9d02a6d/1436966259023/?format=750w (that graph is from 2015 and only predicts the last two years, the reality is much better). Do you want them to make money or do charity? Perhaps only Mormons can do both at the same time...
2) Do you buy Chinese products? Why if you are so principled? I'll tell you: for exactly the same reason - you know very well that you yourself wouldn't change anything if others were doing the same. Change has to come from politicians and we have to push them. Let's be realistic…
3). Don't force your opinions on everyone. The market demonstrably sees it differently. I remember discussions where "everyone" said that no one wants an iPhone, that it's a terribly backward phone... Like I want a thin phone - it's nice and practical. I charge the battery in the car and in the office, I don't have too much of a problem with it. I'm bothered by completely different things... But we all want something different and the skill is in estimating what will charm the majority and not just a few geeks. By the way, I've been using Apple for as long as you, we were even one of the first Apple dealers in the Czech Republic, so don't come at me with this argument.
4) ...and? What does this case have to do with espionage? You are running away from the merits of the matter again!
5) I would repeat myself. These endless laments about the end of the Jobs era are already sooooo tired... "I want it back and done! Stomp stomp with your foot" :-)
6) It was a cheap hate like they are in all discussions now. It's really boring now. If only it was about the topic of the article. So what do you think Apple should have done? Clearing the Chinese market for a Microsoft product? Are you serious?! Do you realize that if Tim Cook were to promote this, the shareholders would immediately remove him from the management of the company and Skype would be removed from the AppStore anyway?
I'm afraid that further discussion with you is pointless. You certainly know what I'm writing about and I can clearly see your attitude towards this company (I take it as loyalty to a long-term business partner). Anyone else who reads what has already been written will see and probably understand the message of both sides.
I'd rather be interested in why we don't treat them like this too. Ban all Chinese…
Yes, all made in china :DD
The spineless Cook might have made some posturing gesture, as is his wont. For example, a new watch strap. Blue with the inscription Skype or make t-shirts for store employees with some soulful inscription, etc. Is Cook extra class in that?