Google Voice lets users keep phone number

Tue Oct 27, 2009 10:06am EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc has introduced a new feature that will allow consumers to use its Google Voice service without switching to a special phone number, potentially broadening the appeal of the nascent, and controversial, service.
Google said late Monday that new users of its service will be able to have the calls that they don't answer forwarded to a special Google Voice electronic mailbox, essentially bypassing the voicemail provided by their phone carriers.
Google Voice offers a variety of voicemail management features, including unlimited storage and text transcription of voicemail messages.
The service also allows consumers to make low-priced international calls by routing portions of the call over Google's infrastructure and the Internet.
Until now, using Google Voice required adopting a special Google phone number. The new feature allows people to retain their existing phone numbers.
Craig Walker, a group product manager for real time communications at Google, said the company will provide users with a special code to enter into their phone which forwards unanswered calls to a Google-maintained voicemailbox.
Walker said the call-forwarding feature did not require striking special deals with the phone carriers.
"Virtually all the carriers already allow this," said Walker.
He noted that cell phone operators generally approve of call-forwarding since the carriers charge airtime minutes even after a call has been forwarded to another phone number.
"It allows them to continue running the meter, they charge per minute while I'm on that diverted call," said Walker.
Google Voice, which was launched in March, is available to a limited number of people who have received invitations from Google or from other Google Voice users.
Walker said the company hopes to make the service open to the general public relatively soon, though he would not specify when. He also declined to say how many people use Google Voice, but said the company has been pleased with the numbers.
The product has earned positive reviews in the technology press as well as some degree of controversy.
Google has said that Apple Inc rejected the Google Voice application for the iPhone, while Apple has maintained that it is still studying the software. The dispute has drawn the attention of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
And earlier this month, lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives called on the FCC to investigate reports, cited by AT&T Inc, that Google Voice was blocking costly calls to phone numbers in certain rural areas in order to cut down on expenses.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic Editing by Richard Chang)
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Verizon's Mystery Droid Takes Aim at Apple's iPhone

New Ad Campaign Targets iPhone With Tagline, 'Whatever iDon't, Droid Does'
By KI MAE HEUSSNEROct. 21, 2009

In an aggressive new ad campaign teasing a mystery phone with the potential to slay Apple's leading smartphone, Verizon Wireless appears to have thrown down the gauntlet.
Its Web and TV ad lists the iPhone's most notorious flaws, such as the lack of a physical keyboard, the inability to run several applications simultaneously and a camera that can't take shots at night, and then ends with the tag line: "Everything iDon't, Droid Does."
Verizon has not said anything about the phone outside of its ads, but some say the new device, which has the backing of Verizon Wireless, cell phone maker Motorola and tech giant Google, could shape up to be the iPhone's biggest threat yet.
The popular blog TechCrunch called it "the first phone that will pose a significant threat to Apple's iPhone" and the tech blog VentureBeat went even further, saying "it will likely have the glitz and power to bury the iPhone." --ABC NEWS Technology & Science

Pepsi apologizes for girl-getting iPhone app

(AFP) – 1 hour ago
SAN FRANCISCO — US soft drink giant PepsiCo has apologized for a free iPhone application crafted to help men seduce women and keep records of conquests but the program remained available on Tuesday.
Pepsi's "AMP Up Before You Score" iPhone application categorizes women into 24 types and then uses the Apple smartphone's Internet capabilities to link users to information about them and what they like.
AMP is an energy drink made by PepsiCo.
"Let's say you meet a girl who is way into being green and you need a vegan restaurant stat; we've got you covered," a voice-over maintained on Tuesday in an online Pepsi video about the AMP at YouTube.
"If you are anticipating a successful night, the Before You Score app gives you up to the minute information, feeds, lines and much more to help you amp up and talk to 24 different types of ladies."
Types of women listed in the application include punk rocker, bookworm, aspiring actress, artist, and sorority girl.
A "Keep a List" feature in the program reportedly prompts users to add women's names and encounter details to a "brag list" if they "get lucky."
People offended by the application shared their ire with PepsiCo, which fired off an apology on popular microblogging service Twitter.
"Our app tried 2 show the humorous lengths guys go2 get women," the message read in shorthand typical of 'tweets" which are capped at 140 characters.
"We apologize if it's in bad taste and appreciate ur feedback."
The AMP app remained available at the App Store, according to a check Tuesday by AFP.
Online commentary ranged from amused to outrage.
"It's just Pepsi trying to lighten things up in the world," a person maintained in a chat forum accompanying the AMP video at YouTube.
"Whether this is a joke or not... this is not cool," countered another member of the online exchange.
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Twitter in Google, Microsoft licensing talks: report

Thu Oct 8, 2009 3:33pm EDT
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Microblogging service Twitter is in advanced talks with Google Inc (GOOG.O) and Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) about licensing its data feed to the companies' search engines, a Web blog associated with the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Twitter's discussions with Microsoft and Google are being conducted separately and would allow each company to incorporate the 140-character messages, or "tweets," that Twitter is known for into their Internet search results.
The ability to cull through the flood of tweets as they are posted, known as real time search, is gaining popularity as an important new way to search the Internet for up-to-the-minute information on the latest news events and happenings.
The AllThingsDigital blog quoted unidentified sources as saying the companies are discussing several types of deals. Details could include Twitter receiving a payment of several million dollars and various types of revenue-sharing agreements to allow Twitter to benefit from the ad revenue that Microsoft and Google generate from search results.
Twitter has emerged as one of the fastest-growing Internet social media services. But the company has yet to generate any significant revenue from its free service. Twitter has cited advertising and premium features as two potential money-making plans.
Last month, Twitter received $100 million in new funding from investors including T.Rowe Price and Insight Venture Partners, based on a $1 billion valuation for Twitter, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Representatives from Twitter were not immediately available for comment. Google and Microsoft declined to comment.
(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)