Google Voice finally on iPhone 3Gs

Google's end run around Apple's App Store is complete: Google Voice is ready as a Web application.

Owners of the iPhone and Palm's WebOS devices can now get in on the mobile Google Voice experience with the Web app, which will run in the browsers of iPhones with the 3.0 software installed and all Palm WebOS devices, said Vincent Paquet, senior product manager at Google. The application should be available for current users of Google Voice--which is still an invitation-only service--as of Tuesday at m.google.com/voice.

Google Voice allows incoming calls to ring mobile phones, office phones, or desk phones depending on how the user sets their Google Voice profile. It also treats voice mail like e-mail, transcribing voice messages into an in-box where they can be read and deleted.

Last year Google submitted a native version of Google Voice to Apple in hopes of getting the software onto the iPhone. As most will recall, Apple and Google then entered into a semantic war of words over whether Apple rejected the application (Google's version) or merely continues to study it (Apple's version). Either way, the FCC got involved and Google Voice remains in App Store limbo, Paquet said.

"We haven't had any updates regarding our native app for the iPhone, unfortunately," Paquet said. However, now that the Web app is ready iPhone users will be able to get essentially the same experience that the native app would have delivered, although the user interface will be slightly different because the application will be running in the browser. Paquet declined to comment on whether Google plans to continue the App Store approval process with the native version.

The Web application is another sign of Google's strong desire to encourage people to think of Web-based applications as a ready alternative to native applications. The company has spoken about its plans for Web development at length, and even plans to develop a lightweight operating system based on its Chrome browser as a sort of proof-of-concept for the Web development mindset.

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Google's CR-48 Chrome OS Laptop Runs Mac OS X & Windows 7

Google have launched its first of its kind Cr-48 Chrome Notebook. The Cr-48 Chrome Notebook is the test notebook designed for the Pilot program by Google. Google will distribute the laptop through its Chrome OS Pilot Program, in a sort of public beta. You actually have to apply to join the program, and there are going to be a limited number of the laptops available.

It's ready when you are, booting in about 10 seconds and resuming from sleep instantly. There’s built-in Wi-Fi and 3G, so you can stay connected everywhere, and a webcam for video chat. The vibrant 12-inch LCD display, full-size keyboard and oversized touchpad let you enjoy the web comfortably. And at just 3.8 pounds with over eight hours of active usage and a week of standby time, it’s easy to take along for the ride.

Chrome Cr-48 Laptops not only runs Chrome OS, but also it can runs Mac OS X and Windows 7 too. But it’s not Google who is officially providing these OS to run in Cr-48 because Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Windows 7 probably weren’t in Google's plan of an open development strategy for device.

Windows 7 install screen on Cr-48

Two accomplishments came within rather a close period of each other, one Cr-48 was hacked to run Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.5 and the other uses Windows 7. Both hacks require flashing modified BIOS on the Cr-48's. On the Insanely Mac forums, damis648 who writes a guide on how to put Mac OS X on your Cr-48, explaining the reason for needing the modified BIOS is due to the fact that the BIOS the Cr-48 ships with works differently than both the legacy BIOS and standard EFI.

Check Out Google Chrome CR-48 Video:

                           Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.5 running on a Cr-48

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Chrome 10 Includes Free HTML5 Games

 

Google is now experimenting with its new upcoming Chrome Browser Version 10. It seems that Google wants to include every new feature in Chrome 10, According to the sources Google is now integrating free HTML 5 Games in Chrome 10. According to the Google Operating System Blog the Chrome 10 Dev Channel build will include two HTML 5 Games; "Poppit and Entaglement". So If you are running the Dev Channel build, the games will install themselves automatically. If you don't want them you will need to uninstall them manually.

Poppit is a game where your primary objective is to pop groups of like colored balloons. Popping the balloons releases prizes, once you've collected all of the prizes you win the game. Entanglement is a puzzle game that takes place on a hexagon shaped board with hexagon shaped pieces. You have to connect the pieces to create an unbroken line by laying down tiles next to each other without going over the edge.

Many are wondering if the added software is a sign of things to come for Chrome OS, or if it's just a small addition to get people excited about HTML5. The consensus among online users seems to be that Google should ask or suggest software before installing it or including it into the OS.

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