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Official Google Voice App Approved For iOS
silverpig writes "Apple has finally approved the official Google Voice app for iOS. After 16 months of being in app-review limbo, the app is finally here, but only for users in the US, and not for iPod Touch users. An interesting use for the app would be to use it as a dialing front end on an iPod touch in concert with a VOIP service, but it seems like this isn't an option for now. It seems like non-US users can get the app if they have a US iTunes account. You can create a US iTunes account without a credit card by following this Apple article."
Apple is playing nicely with Google for a change? *GASP*
vos nescitis quicquam, nec cogitatis quia expedit nobis ut unus moriatur homo pro populo et non tota gens pereat.
The Apocalypse!!
Google Voice sounds really cool... Sure wish they'd bring it to Canada... In time I guess...
I'm wondering why they restrict it to iPhone only...
Whats worse? Apple taking a YEAR AND A HALF to approve an app, the google voice app. Or Google for still not offering the service outside the US? I'm kinda upset by both of them ...
Having said that, IMHO apple is just giving in because of the latest governmental inquiries ...
I mean, we can ignore Apple and Google playing nicely with each other on:
webkit
html5
iOS maps
search provider for safari
up-to-date mac versions of most google stuff
etc...
Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
meanwhile, those of us who bought a phone *we* control did not need "approval" to install VOIP apps.
Apple is clearly abusing its users: If you buy one of my outrageously overpriced devices, you will only be able to login as an unprivileged user, we reserve the right to login as administrators. You will be able to install applications, but only if we approve them first. We decide what apps you get and what apps you don't arbitrarily, and you have no part in that process. If you want to install an app, first you need to sign up in our store, give us all of your personal information, and you will have to give us your credit card. We are the only providers, we are a monopoly, you can't buy apps from anywhere else. Also, we'll keep 30% of what you pay for any app. We will restrict what apps you can use based on where you are, who you are, or other parameters we can arbitrarily choose later. We will actively discriminate our users. Also, your device has a kill switch, and we disable it any time we want. We also control what songs, music or other content you download, and deliberately add restrictions to those files, so they are ours, not yours.
Finally, we will add countermeasures so you can't install replace our own damn OS with your own, in an effort to keep you trapped. If you ever try, there are very high chances that our countermeasures will work and your device will become useless. We won't help you. Buy a new one.
Those are Apple's policies, and people still put up with them. That, I can't understand.
WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
Just how is a 'voice app' on a phone different from what a phone normally does?
It replaces the normal Apple voice app with a Google one. Apparently the fact that Apple didn't necessarily want their native app replaced was cause for the /. hive mind to get its collective panties in a bunch. Meanwhile, the Google voice app is just as closed as the native one. Yes, I have the freedom to install any closed-source telephone application on my telephone! Now that's real choice.
An interesting use for the app would be to use it as a dialing front end on an iPod touch in concert with a VOIP service
Or, you know, an actual phone. (Yes, I realize VoIP could make it more seamless.) There's no reason it shouldn't be availabe for all iOS devices. In fact, I'm surprised it's available only on iPhone, of all the iOS devices--seems like that's where they (well, AT&T, at least) have the most to lose...although I guess you could say the same if it was availalbe for everything else and nobody bought an iPhone for that reason.
R.Mo
Is this the beginning of the Apple Google marriage that will eventually take over the world? I think yes!
It's nice in the outside too. :)
We decide what apps you get and what apps you don't arbitrarily, and you have no part in that process.
They don't control this for one very simple reason. Users can always choose to not use an iPhone. If an application is needed/wanted that is not on an iPhone then don't use an iPhone. If you don't like Apple's policies then don't use an iPhone. If you think Steve Jobs is a whiny git and don't like black turtlenecks with jeans, then don't use an iPhone. There are plenty of other options out there. Pick one and enjoy it.
It seems to have eluded you that lots of bright and well informed people don't actually care about any of those things that seem to bother you so much. There are upsides to every one of those downsides you mentioned. Making administrative access available to most users is a serious security risk (see Microsoft Windows). Having a central body approving/rejecting apps also has the upside of keeping poor quality apps and malware off the machine. If you want to buy anything online you have to give personal information if you use a credit card. Having Apple as the only provider of apps also means that getting apps is a simpler process. If you can find a distribution channel for software with the reach of iTunes that costs less than 30% of revenue you should damn well take advantage of it. Etc, etc, etc.
Yes, all your points are legitimate criticisms of Apple and their products but you are only telling half the story. Look at the pros and cons and see if a given device makes sense for you. If you don't think the iPhone suits your particular needs/desires then buy something else and quit whining about it. I'm plenty smart enough to decide for myself whether I want to deal with Apple and AT&T. It's a contract we enter (or don't) willingly. It's only abuse if it's something we genuinely need and we have no alternatives or are misled somehow. You're assumption that all iPhone users are naive/stupid/abused simply is both arrogant and condescending.
If you ever try, there are very high chances that our countermeasures will work and your device will become useless. We won't help you.
Why would any company support software that they didn't write and which has the potential to cause them (and AT&T) real headaches and real costs? Would you seriously expect Microsoft to support linux? If you want to jailbreak you iPhone, go ahead. I've certainly got no problem with you doing so and actually think it's pretty cool. But expecting Apple to support your hacking is delusional.
Excuse me, but last time I checked the android market did NOT require me to enter my private information, much less my CREDIT CARD info just for going into the market or downloading free apps.
The phone company has your "private information" already, including your credit card. You provided it when you bought or activated the phone. Entering it a second time for iTunes is arguably redundant but by no means should you think you are anonymous with Android.
Android is overtaking all other mobile OSs for a reason.
That reason Android is doing well is that it's a pretty good OS and the other carriers and phone manufacturers need something to compete with the iPhone. The carriers aren't stupid - they aren't about to put all their eggs in Apple's basket. Most people don't even change their ringtone much less purchase developer's phones. Do you seriously believe that the ability to install an unlocked bootloader matters at all to 99.999999% of the users out there when they are deciding whether to purchase an iPhone?
So I have to be honest, I was just as happy with my google voice account (maybe more so, but time will tell) when I could not use it on my iphone. Now you might be asking why, and maybe my use case is not common, but google voice fills a nice roll in my life. 1) Random people at bars get google voice # 2) Companies that require a phone number get google voice # Pretty much my google voice number is like my spam e-mail account. If you got this number, well good luck getting a return call. The ability to make calls from this number is nice if I ever do return a phone call from some random girl at a bar or some company that really wants to talk to me about why I downloaded their white paper. The only other use case that I can see myself taking advantage of is the free SMS, although to be honest, it's more of a pain to let all of my contacts know who is texting them than it is to pay the $5 a month for my SMS plan.
I tried it out, but I can't get it to work properly like GV Mobile+, GV Connect, or even the Google Voice Webapp.
In the settings under the "This Phone" setting, I set a custom number for it to ring. However, when I make a call from the app, it just dials some weird number outbound of the regular iPhone phone app. I don't want it to use my iPhones number and minutes... I want it to use my Gizmo5 number like I can do with GV Mobile+, GV Connect and even the Google Voice Webapp.
Get it working Google!
Asterisk 1.8 has support for Google's unique protocol for voice. The result: Free calls anywhere in the US from any device or other PBX you've connected to your Asterisk box. All you need is to have compiled jabber and gtalk into your Asterisk build. Free calls in and out. FreeSwitch also supports Google Voice trunks. Google Voice is still having issues now and then, though, so it's not yet ready for prime time. I suspect that's why they're not rolling it out faster. You can connect any SIP or IAX client, wireless or not, to your Asterisk/FreeSwitch box.
Thank you for that informative article.
You have beautifully demonstrated the difference between iPhones & Android.
iPhone: Want to download a free app? We'll make it so difficult to do without a credit card that there a 15 step knowledge base article on how you need to do it.
Android: Click on the app & wait for it to install.
Which one just works?
There are shills on slashdot. Apparently, I'm one of them.
Remember when Apple was the lesser evil? Those were the days.
Does it bother you that you aren't allowed to log in as root on your dishwasher?
Oh, but I am. I own my dishwasher - I can do whatever I want to it. There is no end user license agreement. I can write my own roms and I doubt anyone will ever care.
I can do the same with all of the other examples you list. The manufacturers of my TV set don't include an EULA telling me that I can't modify it. They don't tell me that I would be breaking the law if I tried.
This is the complete opposite of Apple's position - that it is illegal to modify the software on an iPhone
I already switched to Android.
I like this Google voice app but apple just needs to stop being a little cry baby about compatibility with everything it puts out. Convergence is the future, so if apple doesn't like how other people are trying to integrate new technologies or ideas, then they can just stop making products. Maybe apple should take a chapter from the book of the "android market," but in any case, good for Google, ideas like Google voice are going to one day make paying for technology services way cheaper, if not free for everyone in the future. Yay Google!!! also boo Google! (stop being such a good monopoly)