Google pays Apple $1B (or more)
techcrunch.com
techcrunch.com
That's what people thought about maps, too.
They did a extraordinary job of taking control over the final user. The user has the power ("ability" but let's exaggerate) to switch to any search engine they want, thwarting any decision these two companies make. But that's too complicated, let's leave it to the techies.
I really wish for a mandatory class in schools where students are demystified about computers.
This sounds less like someone taking power and more like everyone collectively ceding it. Part of this involves transaction costs. Relative to the minor gains many might expect from taking the time to switch search engines, the cost of learning how to do that is steep. Naturally, those economies scale favor Apple and Google.
Perhaps the switching cost isn't, or shouldn't be, as high for consumers. I think the solution is in education and lowering peoples' fears with tinkering with their tech. But another part of me thinks most people simply don't find such fiddling worth the bother.
I do too, but I don't see how it would make a difference in this situation.
I know plenty about computers and I choose to use Google search anyway, because I've tried the alternatives and they are nowhere near as good. I choose to use Apple products too, because I prefer them to the alternatives.
There is no new story here. At all. The title is very misleading. Google paid Apple $1B in 2014, and they're digging this up to reuse old content. They speculate that the amount has grown since then.