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All your OS are belong to US... with Apple's new advertising patent!
See, this is the problem: with our every-day activities slowly centralised and usurped by a handful of multinational juggernauts, we are quite simply at their mercy. If Google decide to turn around one day and shut down their services we have no recompense. If Microsoft shut down their messenger service, what then? What if MSN is your only lifeline to your family or friends on the other side of the world?
We invest a lot of faith into just a few large companies: Apple, Microsoft, Google. A lot of damn faith. And it's misplaced and misguided faith. We trust these vast corporations with our life -- or what constitutes our modern-day life at least: our friends, communication and entertainment.
Why do we trust them? Because we're cheap. Because there's no better alternative to Gmail or iTunes or Windows. Money makes the world go around, ladies and gentlemen. It's the very same impulse that drives us to these free services that will eventually make them unwieldy and useless.
Now that these guys have our attention -- now that we have enough invested that it's too late to back out -- you will begin to see the monetization of their services. First it will just be text-only ads. Then banners. Then full video!
Which brings us neatly onto news of Apple's new patent (PDF). As reported by the New York Times, it seems Apple has an ingenious new system that will plaster unskippable commercials onto your Apple devices at an operating-system level. Enjoying the latest episode of Fringe? WHAM! Advert! Just reaching the zenith of Muse's new album? BLAM! Some banal jingle for hemorrhoid cream.
Ominously titled 'Advertisement in Operating System', you can imagine your own nefarious uses for such an invention. Uses as wide-ranging as Flash ads in 'My Computer' to survey questions you have to stop and answer on your iPod when you go for a run.
[via New York Times]
Comments
35
Subscribe to commentsjspin77Nov 16th 2009 3:18PM
I just can't get past what a poorly written article this is and it completely turns me off to Download Squad. I mean there is a grammatical error in headline maybe even two depending on how you look at it! I am no expert writer but he is supposed to be.
BTW, recompense does not mean what he thinks it means. Actually, it is kind of funny because its definition runs completely opposite to the point of his argument. It basically means to repay or reward for services. HA.
This article is complete crap and its written as such. At its root level there is a small amount of substance to his article, but not as it is written.
So what is MS messenger goes down (does anyone actually use that one?)? There are several other free IM protocols that you could use. So what if Gmail goes down. Again, tons of others. And do you really think that your jog will be interrupted with commercials on your ipod? Come on man.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 16th 2009 7:42PM
I see we have the title's grammar sorted out already (scroll down the thread a bit, a comment by RG).
Sorry if you feel the rest of the content is offensive/wrong/etc.
Sadly, in this case, there will be no recompense for my wrongdoings.
JasonNov 16th 2009 4:05PM
First of all, this is not a patent. This is a publication of a patent application. Allow me to repeat: this is not a patent. It has the potential to become a patent, but it right now is not a patent.
Even if a patent were to be issued exactly like this publication, as someone else posted, it does not necessarily mean that Apple will ever actually implement this. If a patent were to issue, all it means is that Apple has right to PREVENT OTHERS from implementing this. That's the nature of patents in the U.S. - they are a right to prevent others from doing something.
It means, for example, Microsoft would not be able to create a stripped-down version of their operating system that implements the functionality as described in the issued patent, without owing something to Apple.
But again, it doesn't mean "this is the future of all Apple operating systems". Not by a long shot.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 16th 2009 7:40PM
Thanks for the clarification on the patent thing -- though I doubt it will not go through. Good to clear it up though!
RGNov 16th 2009 4:13PM
@jspin77 The article title 'mistake' is intentional and attributable to a meme.
As for the article content...simple answer: whether or not Apple or anybody else implements this I won't use it even if it comes with a free OS. And btw Adblock for OS will be released 24 hours after this happens anyway ;)
Sebastian AnthonyNov 16th 2009 7:40PM
I'm glad we have the grammatical issue sorted out. I thought the title was obvious... but alas :)
jspin77Nov 16th 2009 11:25PM
RG - you know I figured that the title was so bad that it might not be a typo, BUT there are several more throughout the article. Were those on purpose too? If so, I just don't get it at all.
I had to look up what a 'meme' was and while I can now see how that concept would relate to the article, I don't see how the title does. But I might not be totally understanding the meme concept. No one else seemed to have a problem with it... I would love to learn a little here..if there was something I was missing.
dreamscape86Nov 17th 2009 4:04AM
Why did you mock up a screenshot of Windows when Apple filed for the patent? Can't bring yourself to admit that Apple is just as evil as Microsoft?
Sebastian AnthonyNov 17th 2009 10:01AM
Maybe...!
(I don't run Apple, so I was limited in that regard :P)
feraligatr8Nov 17th 2009 7:24AM
hahahahaha all I can do is laugh at those apple fanboys.....
MuskieNov 17th 2009 9:59AM
Odds are this will just be placed on one of the "free" versions of their operating system that they'll make and distribute.
And then about a day later soeone will hack it to kill the ads.
also, Come on, man. I've got more Furry pr0n than that. Get downloading.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 17th 2009 10:02AM
I'm quite proud of my collection!
I keep the more exciting stuff on an external drive of course.
BrianNov 17th 2009 9:47PM
Maybe they patented it so no one else would do it. /investing_a_lot_of_faith_in_a_large_company
KevinNov 17th 2009 10:02PM
Wtf? Why does an article about Apple have a picture of Windows using the ad system? Don't tell me this blog STILL has a bias towards Apple, or bias against Microsoft. Microsoft and Windows have nothing to do with this patent!
Sebastian AnthonyNov 18th 2009 9:53AM
Calm down... I don't use Apple -- only Windows machines! -- no bias intended :)