I listened to the talk today and put my notes w/timestamps below. TL;DL: They didn't say much more than what they'd been saying on their Discord and Reddit:
Branch makes a Search product they sell to OEMs to integrate into their launchers.
Nova will be used as a rapid UI and feature testbed for this product.
We'll be good stewards for Nova as well as any data we do collect. Trust us.
We'll see.
Ironically, I couldn't listen to it live because the audio kept cutting out on the Android app.
4:00 - Actual Start
5:20 - Alex (Branch CEO) Talks About Branch.io/Branch Analytics
- (Was an app developer.)
- (Wants to help people search across apps.)
- (Got developers to put links into their apps for them to search.)
10:00 - What's a (Branch) Deep Link?
- (A common use is the annoying "Open this in our app." popups.)
13:40 - What happens if you don't have the related app installed when you "click" on a Branch Deep Link?
- (The app/website maker picks.)
14:20 - Talking about Deferred Deep Links and having to install apps.
- (Alex is surprised we still have apps.)
16:40 - Are Branch's Deep Links the core business of Branch?
- (Alex really wants a discovery/search engine for apps.)
18:20 - Who uses Branch Deep Links?
- (Too many people.)
20:55 - Does Branch sell ads?
- (No, but I don't think everyone assumed that.)
- (Branch sells their software library and hosting for the links if you want.)
22:15 - Kevin speaks! Branch is similar to Google's Firebase.
24:00 - More about information collected to do Deferred Deep Links.
- (Doesn't exactly answer the question, but says that they only pass the link along.)
- (Doesn't believe that you can make a company now that uses data to monetize?)
27:50 - How does Branch('s library) identify a device?
- (IP, Ad ID, anything else the company using Branch's stuff already has.)
- (Keeps insisting they don't use your data for anything but providing links.)
29:35 - Device ID Finder app.
- (More about Branch not keeping your data.)
31:00 - Why did you want Nova Launcher?
- (They want to improve app search and discovery by building their search and deep link info into OEM launchers.)
- (Since they're selling their libraries to OEM launchers, they don't get much feedback.)
- (Nova is going to be their beta test platform, with Nova's users as the guinea pigs.)
37:15 - Give us an example of what your search in Nova (or other launcher) will enable.
- (Blah blah Soundcloud.)
- (Search your Soundcloud downloads and go directly to there in the player.)
- (Did you know Mixcloud also has downloads?)
- (A mix of searching your phone, not having to open apps to do everything, and advertising other apps.)
40:10 - Problems with the stream. (Apparently Twitter Spaces don't work well on Android. Ironic, that.)
40:40 - How did Nova's search and Nova+Sesame Search work before Branch?
- (Nova just listed Intents. Sesame does something similar to what Branch Search does, but did it by decompiling apps vs. deep links.)
43:10 - How will Nova's development and monetization be affected?
- (Agile Testbed. Ugh.)
- (Nova makes money and they don't want to affect that.)
- (Kevin doesn't want to change what Nova is.)
45:30 - What data will Nova collect for Branch? How will it be collected?
- (No changes in 8.0.2.)
- (Things like: What do people select after a search?)
48:20 - Audience Q&A starts?
48:45 - Alex: this Branch isn't the one owned by Facebook. (This one is a startup.)
49:50 - More about Twitter Spaces not working on Android and features not existing on the web. Also dead air.
51:55 - Any comments on the acquisition and response?
- (Kevin: it was hard on me. Acquisitions are disruptive.)
- (Alex: never thought about Branch as a data company and how it looks to outsiders.)
- (Both: communication is the issue.)
- (Kevin: privacy focus.)
55:05 - Free to make up your own mind. (But you're overreacting.)
57:00 - More technical problems.
58:00 - Wrap up.