When Microsoft complains that you're a monopolist you know things are bad
- Reference: 1696845729
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/10/09/google_amazon_kettle/
- Source link:
Last week the case against Google, United States v. Google LLC saw Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella take the stand.
On his way to become CEO of Microsoft, Nadella led Microsoft's search business so has had first-hand experience competing with Google's core offering. In court he testified that Google tries to monopolize the search market by paying to make its search engine the default choice for Apple and Android, this strangling support for Bing.
[1]
And let's face it, Microsoft knows a thing or two about monopolizing markets.
[2]
Meanwhile Amazon is in the spotlight as the FTC released [3](some) details of the inner workings of the online souk. In this case, a rare sighting of Project Nessie, an automated price shifting mechanism that the FTC alleges made Amazon over $1 billion - and probably cost you plenty by shifting prices.
So there's plenty to ponder in this week's Kettle, in which those who write the news get to jaw about it later. You can see the episode below:
In the thumbnail, clockwise from top right, we have Tobias Mann, Thomas Claburn, your host Iain Thomson, and Brandon Vigliarolo, who together delve into claims and counter claims, and won't leave you short on the facts. ®
Get our [4]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZSQjpYG-C9BwUNvC-1ltKwAAAII&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZSQjpYG-C9BwUNvC-1ltKwAAAII&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/04/amazon_project_nessie_algorithm/
[4] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Told you so.
It was fairly obvious circa 2005 to anybody who thought about it that Google and Amazon would be likely to be the future problematic monopolies.
Re: Told you so.
And yet Microsoft continues to rake in the cash thanks to its monopoly on desktop office software, its near monopoly on desktop operating systems, the strong (monopoly linked) position in directory systems...
Directory
In court he testified that Google tries to monopolize the search market by paying to make its search engine the default choice for Apple and Android, this strangling support for Bing.
It's interesting that use of Google search resembles bin diving or where they match you with the most appropriate malware to your query.
If there was no monopoly, a company with such a poor product wouldn't have stayed long on the market.
Re: Directory
I completely agree, but, genuine question, are any of the other ones any better?
Bing certainly isn't any better. The name does at least accurately describe what it is, a very large heap of rubbish, such as you might find in a landfill site.
Re: Directory
There is https://kagi.com/ however, as I understand it depends on more established search engines for results.
POT
Until I realised that it was the name of a regular feature, I assumed that the capitalised red "KETTLE" at the start was an old "El Reg"-style dig at Microsoft's blatant hypocrisy (though I did think that "POT" would have been more appropriate).
The other day I updated Visual Studio for some PHP work.
Imagine my surprise when the "Play" button which has been Google Chrome for all the time I've had it installed suddenly changed to Play - Microsoft Edge.
Despite it not being my preferred browser for literally anything at all whatsoever.
A month before, Outlook did the same, and we rolled out a GPO to stop that.
You can complain about anti-monopoly, Microsoft, when the EXACT THING you were brought to account for to the EU stops re-happening every few minutes in deliberate ways across multiple products that never even had different options before, let alone creating one JUST to set Edge as default.
At this point, I wouldn't touch Edge with a bargepole, despite being a perfectly serviceable browser now, purely because of the shenanigans. I want to know why you're SO KEEN for me to use that to do my banking, emails or coding.
App stores
Your guys asked, "when everything is required to be free, how are app stores to monetise?" Surely they can't all be ignorant of [1]F-Droid? For those who haven't seen it, it's a repository of "free as in freedom" android apps.
After more than 30 years favouring libre apps on my desktop, I'm not about to tolerate anything less on my phone. (I'm still looking into getting a de-googled android on the model I have.)
[1] https://f-droid.org
Re: App stores
I had a brain-fart. Make that nearly 30 years.
Yes prime Minister
It reminds of the quote from Bernard Woolley:
Bernard Woolley:
That's one of those irregular verbs, isn't it? I give confidential security briefings. You leak. He has been charged under section 2a of the Official Secrets Act.
Both are evil
But right now, Google's better at being evil. As much as I hate them, Google has a superior search product than Bing. I avoid them both most of the time unless I can't find what I'm looking for, then I use Google as a last resort.
Told you so.
Soon it will be Microsoft's turn to moan about the stranglehold Google has on the online ad business and search and how that is unfair to a struggling browser owner like themselves.
Wow! That was quicker than I expected.
In one way it's a pity that they can't both lose.