Beeper users say Apple is now blocking their Macs from using iMessage entirely

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Beeper users say Apple is now blocking their Macs from using iMessage entirely | TechCrunch
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Beeper users say Apple is now blocking their Macs from using iMessage entirely::The Apple-versus-Beeper saga is not over yet it seems, even though the iMessage-on-Android Beeper Mini was removed from the Play Store last week. Now,

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Devils advocate here: it’s their webservice right? They determine who can access it.

If there were legislation that would force them to make it interoperable that would be one thing. But you can’t just demand access to their infrastructure.

You're right - but, as Cory Doctorow points out, Apple owe their success to reverse engineering, the very thing they're busy blocking now.

They're not blocking reverse engineering. They're blocking unauthorized access to their servers.

You're being unnecessarily pedantic. Apple was blocking interoperability and reverse engineering found a solution—and Apple is blocking that solution.

I'm not being remotely pedantic.

Apple reverse-engineered MS standards to improve interoperability so you could open Apple files on Windows and vise versa. They didn't reverse engineer Windows security so that you could open Apple files on MS servers.

Apple reverse engineered a file format, Beeper reverse engineered a protocol.

Microsoft made several changes to try to keep Apple out, Apple's also made several changes to keep Beeper out, except now everyone's online so it's happening way faster.

It's not exactly the same kind of reverse engineering, but I never said it was. I think you've got a very narrow definition of reverse engineering in your head and you're quibbling over me using it more broadly than you would.

No one is saying what they do is illegal, people just say they are cunts.

Exactly, dick moves don’t need to be illegal to be dick moves. It’s like the constant price/ad increases. You can, but we’re gonna bitch and encourage people to stop supporting you because it’s a dick move

Agreed. Apple provides a free service locked to their hardware. It shouldn’t be surprising that they patched the vulnerabilities and blocked accounts.

They have interoperability. There are 1000+ interoperable messaging platforms you can use on iOS. Problem is they're not "convenient" since SMS is the only interoperable standard that EVERY phone already has and you can't use any other messaging app with SMS fallback, which is the only feature iMessage has that the others don't.

There needs to be legislation that requires them to have unlockable bootloaders, to allow 3rd party app stores, and to be able to use other apps for SMS. And it needs to happen 10 years ago.

The fact that you need Apple's permission before you can install any software on your device, and that Apple gets 30% of EVERY SINGLE FUCKING DIME YOU SEND in literally any fucking app is appalling and embarrassing.