The Apple/Google VoiceGoogle Voice fiasco just got more interesting. Toktumi, a startup that lets small businesses build office-caliber phone systems with their mobile phones and computers, just had its application Line2 approved by Apple — nearly three months after it was originally submitted. The powerful service allows business employees to assign two phone numbers to their iPhone: one that they can give to family and friends, and another that can be given to business contacts, with features that allow for call filtering and a professional-grade voicemail system. But it’s also notable for its many similarities to Google Voice, an application that Apple has kept out of the App Store for months now.
The story so far: late last July, Apple abruptly pulled all third party Google Voice applications from the App Store, explaining that they somehow were duplicating the iPhone’s native functionality. Later that day, we broke the news that GoogleGoogle’s official Google Voice client had been barred from the App Store, sparking a media storm and a FCC inquiry into Apple’s rationale for the ban… Read on at techcrunch.com
With so much news lately about Google VoiceGoogle Voice, those who haven’t kept up on every tiny development have found themselves lost. What exactly is Google Voice? Is it a phone redirecting service? VoIP? Voicemail? All of the above? None of the above? Even some of our staff members are confused about what Google Voice offers and why people would want to use it, so we thought it would be helpful to offer a guide to Google Voice for those just tuning in. Google Voice originated as GrandCentral, an independent company that hit the scene in 2005. GrandCentral allowed users to register a new phone number and direct it to ring multiple phones; it could also collect messages and act as your personal switchboard operator. This sounds boring on the surface, but it provided a number of cool features, such as the ability to listen in on voicemail messages as they were being left or to tell a specific number that your phone number is no longer connected (great for stalkers and crazed PR people, who are kind of like stalkers). GoogleGoogle acquired GrandCentral in 2007, and promptly sat on the project for nearly two years before it relaunched the service as Google Voice in March of 2009… Read on at arstechnica.com
Last month, Google VoiceGoogle Voice’s iPhone application was rejected from the iPhone app store, a controversial move that the FCC is looking into. Now, it appears that GoogleGoogle may be working to circumvent Apple and AT&T, or at least seriously force their hand, by developing an iPhone optimized web application for Google Voice. According to The New York Times, “Google says it is readying a replacement for the Google Voice app that will offer exactly the same features as the rejected app—except that it will take the form of a specialized, iPhone-shaped Web page. For all intents and purposes, it will behave exactly the same as the app would have; you can even install it as an icon on your Home screen.” Read on at Mashable.com
My, how the tables have turned. Earlier this week, we learned that Apple had suddenly begun to pull third party iPhone applications for Google VoiceGoogle Voice, citing the unconvincing rationale that they “duplicated” some of the iPhone’s functionality. We then broke the news that Apple had also rejected GoogleGoogle’s own official Google Voice application submitted six weeks prior, sparking a din of complaints from developers and users alike over the arbitrary and possibly anti-competitive restrictions being imposed by Apple. AT&T, too, has been a target of frequent criticism as many of us believe it may have also played a part in the decision. Of course, nobody really knows who is to blame — AT&T has hinted that it was ultimately Apple’s decision, and Apple continues to remain mute on the issue. But now we may get our answers: the Dow Jones newswire reports that The Federal Communications Commission is looking into Apple’s rejection of Google Voice, and has sent letters to AT&T, Apple, and Google to find out what’s going on… Read on at TechCrunch.com
We’ve known for a while that AndroidAndroid 2.0, GoogleGoogle’s mobile operating system, was going to be arriving soon. We got a preview of some of its new features while we were at the Google I/O conference in May. Additions such as Android Search, text-to-speech compatability, and gesture support were welcomed additions to the mobile OS. Well if you’re a developer, or if you’re very adventurous, the early developer (aka still unstable) release of Google Android 2.0, codename “Donut,” has become available in Google’s code repository. According to Engadget, the release not only has most of the long-awaited features demoed at Google I/O, but developers are actively taking key Android 2.0 elements and placing them into stable Android 1.5 builds. Here are some of Android 2.0’s key features: Android Search, Text-to-Speech Support, Gesture support, CDMA support… Read on at Mashable.com
According to Unwired View, Google VoiceGoogle Voice just filed an application with Fish and Richardson legal services on a patent that is suspected to monetize caller waiting on Google Voice.
The patent application lays claim to the methods and software “in which an indication of a telephone call being placed from a calling number is received, and a determination is made of an audio advertisement to play based on the calling number.” An ad serving engine will store audio advertisement files and play them when a caller would normally hear a ring tone… Read on at ReatWriteWeb.com
Google VoiceGoogle Voice is the next step in world domination from GoogleGoogle. It’s a web-based service that lets you use one phone number for all your phones, and it’s now available in the form of cellphone apps. The first two were just released yesterday — one for the BlackBerry, and the other for the AndroidAndroid operating system. Lucky enough to have been invited to use Google Voice, we picked up our T-Mobile G1 cellphone and fired up the Android app store (they call it “Market”), downloading the free Google Voice app in a matter of seconds. Our first impression: It’s excellent… Read on at Dvice.com
Google VoiceGoogle Voice, previously called Grand Central, is rolling out the first mobile apps for the service this evening. The main function of the apps is to make it easier to use your Google Voice phone number by automatically routing outbound calls through GoogleGoogle and to the recipient. We first mentioned they were coming last month when we broke the news that Google would start letting users port their phone numbers over to the Voice product sometime this year. Read on at TechCrunch…
The Apple/Google VoiceGoogle Voice
fiasco just got more interesting. Toktumi, a startup that lets small businesses build office-caliber phone systems with their mobile phones and computers, just had its application Line2 approved by Apple — nearly three months after it was originally submitted. The powerful service allows business employees to assign two phone numbers to their iPhone: one that they can give to family and friends, and another that can be given to business contacts, with features that allow for call filtering and a professional-grade voicemail system. But it’s also notable for its many similarities to Google Voice, an application that Apple has kept out of the App Store for months now.
’s official Google Voice client had been barred from the App Store, sparking a media storm and a FCC inquiry into Apple’s rationale for the ban…
