On 4/15/2023 7:19 AM, Jason H wrote:
> On 4/3/23 00:49, Andy Burnelli wrote:
>> For the permanent Usenet record... and for others to discuss...
>>    *Sideloading is not evil* ...in fact... *sideloading is normal*
>>
>> Bear in mind on the topic of "sideloading", there is only a single
>> common consumer operating system that doesn't allow you to go to any
>> developer's URL pointing to a package to load it. Only iOS. Just iOS.
>> Nobody else.
>>
>> It needs to be repeated because "sideloading" isn't anything special.
>> *No other operating system disallows installing a package by URL but iOS*
>>
>> The reason I make this point is that sideloading isn't something evel;
>> it's not something risky; it's not something special. It's quite normal.
>>
>> It's only considered "evil" on one consumer operating system & one alone.
>>
>> We could go into _why_ Apple considers installing an executable by URL
>> evil, since it plays into Apple's overall strategy of making money off
>> of limiting the consumers' choices - but suffice to say sideloading is
>> normal.
>>   *Only in one operating system is installing a non-mothership app evil*
>
> Nevertheless, it's not something I'd recommend for most peeps.  There
> are few apps that people need that cannot be found in Google Play or iOS
> App store.  I think the last app I had to sideload was Didi Chuxing a
> few years back (sometime it just happens - you need a ride in Shanghai).
>
> That said, if you need it you need it and that a big plus for Android.

Note that in China, there is no Google Play Store available so
everything you load is via other, non-Google, app stores, or is side-loaded.

I also loaded Didi Chuxing, to use in Shanghai in 2019. But I ended up
taking the subway and the bus everywhere I needed to go in Shanghai and
never used Didi. I took a nice long train and bus ride to Costco in
Shanghai two weeks after it opened. I'd been to Shanghai so many times
that I'd already seen the tourist sites, but Costco was a real local
experience.

The more annoying thing in September 2019 was that foreign tourists
could not sign up for WeChat Pay or Alipay. Cash is a real hassle in
China these days. Now they are allowing tourists to use electronic
payments from phones.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

On Sat, 15 Apr 2023 07:48:37 -0700, sms wrote:

>> That said, if you need it you need it and that a big plus for Android.
>
> Note that in China, there is no Google Play Store available so
> everything you load is via other, non-Google, app stores, or is side-loaded.

Since you can download apps off of Google Play without the Google Play
Store app (a web browser or any other app can access it also),

Is it Google or China who wants to prevent the installation of apps?

And how do they block the Google Play Store IP address when a web browser
on any pc can download apps off that Google Play Store IP address & domain?

Even if they block all known Google Play Store domain IP addresses, isn't
everything on the Google Play Store already in the many mirrors out there?

How can they block everything?

On 4/16/2023 8:27 AM, Jason H wrote:

<snip>

> AliPay were on the verge of launching a payment service to visitors.
> I've no idea if that ever actually happened.

I think that it was November 2019 that they allowed foreign tourists to
use Alipay.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

On 4/16/2023 8:27 AM, Jason H wrote:

<snip>

> AliPay were on the verge of launching a payment service to visitors.
> I've no idea if that ever actually happened.  That said, in larger shops
> and tourist sites, asking if a western credit card can be used is
> usually met with an "I can try it".  Surprisingly often, it works.

I asked at my hotel how much the bus cost. They had no idea because no
one pays cash, they use their phone and just pay. Back in 2019, foreign
tourists were about the only people using cash. Even beggars were taking
Alipay and WeChat pay. Some smaller local businesses were not set up to
take cash.

Now I see "No Cash" signs more and more in the U.S.. In December 2022 I
was surprised to see a sign in the entrance booth to Yosemite National
Park "Credit Cards Only," though I suspect that they also would take
debit cards, and that if someone had only cash that they would either
take it or let them in for free.

My main credit card that I use gives 3% cash back for mobile wallet
purchases so I use Apple Pay and Android Pay whenever possible.

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

In article <u1hvom$2nfaq$1@dont-email.me>, sms
<scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:

> My main credit card that I use gives 3% cash back for mobile wallet
> purchases so I use Apple Pay and Android Pay whenever possible.

it also has a $400 annual fee, which you somehow forgot to mention.

On 4/15/23 15:48, sms wrote:
> On 4/15/2023 7:19 AM, Jason H wrote:
>> On 4/3/23 00:49, Andy Burnelli wrote:
>>> For the permanent Usenet record... and for others to discuss...
>>>    *Sideloading is not evil* ...in fact... *sideloading is normal*
>>>
>>> Bear in mind on the topic of "sideloading", there is only a single
>>> common consumer operating system that doesn't allow you to go to any
>>> developer's URL pointing to a package to load it. Only iOS. Just iOS.
>>> Nobody else.
>>>
>>> It needs to be repeated because "sideloading" isn't anything special.
>>> *No other operating system disallows installing a package by URL but
>>> iOS*
>>>
>>> The reason I make this point is that sideloading isn't something
>>> evel; it's not something risky; it's not something special. It's
>>> quite normal.
>>>
>>> It's only considered "evil" on one consumer operating system & one
>>> alone.
>>>
>>> We could go into _why_ Apple considers installing an executable by
>>> URL evil, since it plays into Apple's overall strategy of making
>>> money off of limiting the consumers' choices - but suffice to say
>>> sideloading is normal.
>>>   *Only in one operating system is installing a non-mothership app evil*
>>
>> Nevertheless, it's not something I'd recommend for most peeps.  There
>> are few apps that people need that cannot be found in Google Play or
>> iOS App store.  I think the last app I had to sideload was Didi
>> Chuxing a few years back (sometime it just happens - you need a ride
>> in Shanghai).
>>
>> That said, if you need it you need it and that a big plus for Android.
>
> Note that in China, there is no Google Play Store available so
> everything you load is via other, non-Google, app stores, or is
> side-loaded.
>
> I also loaded Didi Chuxing, to use in Shanghai in 2019. But I ended up
> taking the subway and the bus everywhere I needed to go in Shanghai and
> never used Didi. I took a nice long train and bus ride to Costco in
> Shanghai two weeks after it opened. I'd been to Shanghai so many times
> that I'd already seen the tourist sites, but Costco was a real local
> experience.
>
> The more annoying thing in September 2019 was that foreign tourists
> could not sign up for WeChat Pay or Alipay. Cash is a real hassle in
> China these days. Now they are allowing tourists to use electronic
> payments from phones.
>

I was there in October 2019... I used Didi Twice (both times at risk of
not getting back to my hotel before the tube shut for the night). The
public transport system is otherwise very good there.

AliPay were on the verge of launching a payment service to visitors.
I've no idea if that ever actually happened. That said, in larger shops
and tourist sites, asking if a western credit card can be used is
usually met with an "I can try it". Surprisingly often, it works.

On Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:27:05 +0100, Jason H wrote:

> I was there in October 2019... I used Didi Twice (both times at risk of
> not getting back to my hotel before the tube shut for the night). The
> public transport system is otherwise very good there.
>
> AliPay were on the verge of launching a payment service to visitors.
> I've no idea if that ever actually happened. That said, in larger shops
> and tourist sites, asking if a western credit card can be used is
> usually met with an "I can try it". Surprisingly often, it works.

How can anyone stop you from getting apps from a google play store domain?