Gizmo Project

Earlier this week we broke the story about Google’s acquisition of Gizmo5. Today Google announced the deal on the Google Voice blog.

They aren’t saying much other than that the Gizmo5 team will join the Google Voice team, and that new Gizmo5 signups will be disabled.

One thing this gives Google – a much needed soft phone on the desktop for users to make calls through Google Voice. And integration with Google Talk is likely as well, which will let users of that service access the normal telephone system for inbound and outbound calls.

All in all this pits Google Voice nicely against Skype, which was also looking to buy the company. From the blog post:

Today we’re pleased to announce we’ve acquired Gizmo5, a company that provides Internet-based calling software for mobile phones and computers. (continue reading…)

iPhone

Well, something clearly broke down behind the scenes in the ongoing Apple/Google negotiations over Google Voice on the iPhone, because Google released one of two nukes it has been holding back. In a letter to the FCC today, Google disclosed previously unpublished information about Apple’s rejection of their Google Voice application.

There’s no longer any question – either Google or Apple is flat out lying to the FCC:

Apple: “Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it.”

Google: “Apple representatives informed Google that the Google Voice application was rejected because Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone”

Our position is that Apple is the one full of it, which we stated way before this new information from Google. And it isn’t just he said/she said – Apple’s story doesn’t add up.

But Apple is standing firm, and even today told press that they haven’t rejected the Google Voice application, despite what Google says.

This doesn’t end here. As we’ve speculated, Apple will capitulate and accept the application with a few minor tweaks to save face. Because if they don’t we’ve heard Google has yet another nuke waiting on the sidelines – a screen shot of the actual rejection notice via the iPhone developers admin with the formal rejection. At that point, Apple will no longer be able to rely on nuances and misdirection. The FCC and everyone else will know that they lied in a government investigation.

via TechCrunch

Google Voice Settings

A long requested feature of Google Voicewas a simple one: forward inbound text messages to email. Google Voice users get voicemails auto-transcribed and emailed to them, but text messages were not. Users can read and respond to them online in addition to their phones in the normal way, but email forwarding wasn’t an option.

Tonight that changed. Google Voice users now have the ability to forward inbound text messages to email. And even better, you can reply from email as well.

There are third party services (example) that have offered this, but they require users to give these services your Google Voice credentials, which is never a good idea. It’s great that Google launched this feature directly.

Since they seem to be taking requests, here’s my next one: launch an API. I can’t wait to see what developers come up with, and I’d love to use those non-Google services in a secure way without giving them my Google Voice credentials.

via TechCrunch.

Google Voice

One of the hottest controversies on the Web right now involves the rejection of Google Voice from Apple’s iTunes App Store. The FCC is looking into the issue, and Googleis working on a workaround to offer Voice as a web-based iPhone application.

Today brings an interesting new twist in the saga: AT&T, the iPhone’s exclusive carrier in the US, tells the FCC that it had nothing to do with Google Voice being rejected. Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Apple says that “contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it.”

The key points from AT&T’s statement: says “Let me state unequivocally, AT&T had no role in any decision by Apple to not accept the Google Voice application for inclusion in the Apple App Store … AT&T was not asked about the matter by Apple at any time, nor did we offer any view one way or the other.”

And from Apple’s: “We are continuing to study the Google Voice application and its potential impact on the iPhone user experience. Google is of course free to provide Google Voice on the iPhone as a web application through Apple’s Safari browser, just as they do for desktop PCs, or to provide its “Google-branded” user experience on other phones, including Android-based phones, and let consumers make their choices.”

It would seem that at the moment, both companies are hiding behind semantics, because clearly, there is no Google Voice application available for iPhone, and Google is actively working on an alternative (which, seems to be fine with Apple). Now, it’s up to the FCC to decide whether this is anti-competitive, or simply sound business on Apple’s part that is in the best interest of customers.

To be continued …

UDPDATE: We’ve also learned that Apple has rejected the OFFICIAL Google voice app.

GV Mobile going bye bye?

GV Mobile and Voice Central pulled from App Storeby TJ Luoma on Jul 27th 2009 at 7:00PMEarlier today, iPhone developer Sean Kovacs posted on his blog that his Google Voice client, GV Mobile, is getting pulled from the App Store due to “duplicating features that the iPhone comes with Dialer, SMS, etc.” Kovacs says he received a call from an Apple staffer, who “wouldnt send a confirmation email either – too scared I would post it.

“The app still appears in the App Store, but when you attempt to purchase it you will be told “The item you tried to buy is no longer available.” Weve also heard that Voice Central another Google Voice application is similarly no longer available for purchase.

There has been speculation that Google is preparing its own iPhone app for Google Voice, however, in light of the news that Apple requested that Google make Latitude a web app instead of a native app “in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone,” I wonder if we are unlikely to see such an application from Google.

MailWrangler, a native Gmail client for the iPhone was also rejected from the App Store because the “application duplicates the functionality of the built-in iPhone application Mail without providing sufficient differentiation or added functionality, which will lead to user confusion.” As a heavy duty user of Gmail, Ive wished for MailWrangler from the beginning. Sure you can use Gmail through Mobile Safari — as you can use Google Voice — but as Apple soon learned after trying to convince users and developers that web apps were all we needed, there are certain things which a native application makes much easier.

GV Mobile is a very popular application for using Google Voice on the iPhone. Apples own phone application is great, but for Google Voice users, a native application was a nice thing to have.Im not sure why Apple keeps insisting that users would be confused by apps which do similar things How many different applications are there which duplicate “Notes” functionality?, but a greater concern is the idea that a developer can work on an application, have it released to huge success, and then have Apple turn around and yank it from the App Store.

This in loco parentis attitude from Apple hurts iPhone users and developers alike. Developers like Fraser Speirs have stopped developing new applications for the iPhone and hes not the only one. (Frasers post on Twitter was how I heard how I heard about GV Mobile being pulled from the App Store.)

I hope these are growing pains that Apple and the App Store will leave behind. Users who seek out, find, download, and install 3rd party applications are unlikely to be “confused” by the “duplication” of functionality. The fact that they sought them out is evidence that they found something lacking from the applications that Apple offers.The App Store is wonderful, except for the parts of it which are terrible; namely, the review process which takes too long and rejects too many apps and the removal of applications which do no harm and which have been released for some time to great success.

via TUAW