With uncharacteristic swiftness of a government organization, the FCC says they are now investigating the removal of all Google Voice applications from the App Store. Specifically, they say they are focusing AT&T's possible involvement in it's removal. The FCC submitted three letters to Apple, AT&T and Google asking why the apps were removed from the App Store and why the official Google Voice app was rejected. It also asks if AT&T was "consulted" prior to the decision.

Filed under: Apple Corporate, iPhone, App Store

Earlier today, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) sent out letters to Apple, AT&T and Google, readable here [FCC's letter to Apple, to AT&T & to Google] asking each company about its involvement in the Google Voice app rejections. The agency is asking Apple to explain why the Google app was rejected and the third-party apps removed, if any VoIP apps have been approved, and whether there are general rules and regulations covering application approvals (something many developers would also love to know).

It's worth noting that none of the Google Voice apps are VoIP (voice over IP) applications in the traditional sense, as they rely on the cellular carrier's voice network to handle calls, so it's not clear if the FCC understands this or if the agency is heading down a blind alley on this particular topic.

To Google, the letter asks if any other Google apps have been accepted in the store (we know there are a few), whether Apple explains the rejection process or the reasoning behind the treatment of Google Latitude, if there are other ways to use Google Voice on the iPhone (again, a somewhat naive question, as the service works fine via touchtone commands and Mobile Safari), and lastly and most intriguingly, what the app approval process is for Android applications (should be a short answer: "C'mon in, the water's fine!").

Finally, the agency is asking AT&T how the carrier was consulted on this decision, if any VoIP applications are running on their network (again, missing the point, since GV ≠ VoIP -- more relevant that there are BlackBerry apps for Google Voice that are happily on AT&T handsets), and whether AT&T can provide a list of rejected applications on the store while detailing the role it plays in approving possible 3G-enabled services like Sling.

The FCC has given the three companies until August 21 to respond to their letters; while the overall scope of the questions betrays quite a bit of agency unfamiliarity with the workings of the Google Voice service and the App Store, any movement toward openness and clear answers is positive. Hopefully, these responses will offer some insight into the story of this whole mess that has given everyone such indigestion over the past week.

[via Engadget, links to FCC via BusinessWeek]

It's the Feds! FCC quizzes Apple, AT&T and Google about Google Voice apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's the Feds! FCC quizzes Apple, AT&T and Google about Google Voice apps originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Techcrunch got a hold of a letter sent by the FCC to Apple seeking more information on the rejection of Google’s Google Voice app, and removal of third party Google Voice apps already in the iTunes App Store.

Specifically, the Federal Communications Commission wants to know why Apple rejected the apps, and which apps exactly were rejected, whether Apple alone made the decision or whether AT&T played any part, what role — if any — AT&T plays in the App Store approval process, what makes Google Voice any different than VoIP apps Apple has already approved, what other apps have been rejected and why, whether or not there’s a list of verboten apps and how that list is made available to developers and consumers, and other timing and statistical information concerning the approval process and rejections.

Basically, it reads as a wish list of every question every frustrated developer, consumer, and — yes — even blogger has ever wanted Apple to simply, plainly, and consistently answer. There is, however, a proviso for Apple to request confidentiality, which given Apple’s penchant for secrecy, likely means we may never see those answers.

Similar letters were sent to Google and AT&T.

Opinions always vary about when and how much government should intrude into business. Some will think never, some will hope always, and we like to think there’s a balance in between. App Store rejections currently annoy developers and the more tech-savvy consumers who read blogs and technology columns. Unfortunately, until it breaks the confidence of the average consumer and suffers immediate, painful consequence, Apple likely thinks most users aren’t even aware of the issue and it can take its time and follow it’s own agenda.

If nothing else, the FCC has just thrown a monkey wrench into that strategy.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

FCC Investigating Google Voice Rejection from Apple’s iTunes App Store, AT&T’s Involvement

The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has opened an inquiry into Apple's rejection of an official Google Voice application for the iPhone as well as the removal of numerous third-party...

The FCC has written to Apple, AT&T and Google questioning the rejection of Google Voice and related applications from the iPhone App Store.

Filed under: Wireless, How-tos, iPhone

With the recent discussion surrounding the changes to AT&T's Wi-Fi Hot Spot authentication for iPhone users, I realized that I have never actually used their service, although my wife and I can be found in one of the nine Salt Lake City area Barnes and Noble stores at least one day out of the week.

Given that every one of the local stores offers the hot spots, you would think I would have already tried it out, but I had the "Ask to join networks" option turned off on my first-gen iPhone, and so I hadn't been reminded that the network was available, which would have been handy on several occasions that I used EDGE to search for a book on B&N's mobile website while in the store.

So, first things first, how do you actually start connecting? Well, if your phone is set to the default option of asking you to join available networks, you'll likely be prompted to connect to a network called "attwifi" automatically. This is what happened to me a couple of days ago, so I tapped on the network and waited patiently for the magic to happen. And then... nothing. It just sat there, spinning its wheels, and that was it. As I was in a bit of a rush, I just assumed that the location's setup may be misconfigured, or that the authentication service may have been down, and left it at that.

Today, however, I had some time to kill, and decided to give it another shot. I dropped into the Wi-Fi settings and tapped on "attwifi" again, and it started connecting, but still looked like it was going to fail. Just by chance, I happened to accidentally tap the entry again while repositioning the phone, and suddenly I was greeted with an embedded browser sliding into view, and loading an iPhone-friendly page with a myriad of payment options to get me connected.

Gripe #1: none of the options said anything about using my free Wi-Fi service included with my iPhone plan. There were options for using my "membership", though it was unclear if that was referring to having an AT&T Wi-Fi service membership (more likely) or using my Barnes and Noble membership (wishful thinking). Also presented were several choices for purchasing a session, using a coupon, or using a prepaid card. While trying to decipher which option I would need, Gripe #2 took over: without notice, a completely different page loaded, titled "Free AT&T Wi-Fi for iPhone", and asking for my 10 digit phone number.

So it *did* realize that I was using an iPhone after all, even though it took a few seconds for it to sink in. I typed in the number to my phone, checked the obligatory terms and conditions checkbox, and clicked continue, expecting the next screen to say I was now ready to go about my browsing. But alas, I was presented with Gripe #3 instead: a message telling me I would shortly receive a text message containing a link allowing me to connect. The text finally arrived, nearly a minute later, with the promised link and a message stating that my free access would be renewable every 24 hours, and to use the provided link to connect or reconnect to the local hot spot. I clicked the link, and was taken to a confirmation page that I was now connected to the Internet. Ironically, the Wi-Fi connection disconnected at that point, and I had to reconnect to the hot spot again before I could browse.

I followed the same process using my wife's iPhone 3G with exactly the same results, including having to tap the network name twice for the authentication process to start, and being disconnected after receiving the confirmation message. Although this process is still somewhat tedious, it's a huge improvement over the previous SMS dance that many users were accustomed to. It seems straight forward enough that even a less-than-savvy iPhone user could probably figure it out, though the initial menu that is displayed could easily be confusing. Another factor that may have affected my experience is that the connection appeared to be throttled, or was just serviced by a really bad uplink. I could have loaded the AT&T pages faster on EDGE, or maybe even dialup.

So, all in all, it wasn't a terrible experience, but it wasn't as great as it was hyped up to be, either. Again, some of that may have been due to location-specific problems, and I will definitely test out the other locations in the area to see how they stack up. I'm also curious as to whether or not I will have to authenticate the next time I visit the hot spot, as the text message seemed to indicate that the connection would need to be renewed every 24 hours. That said, the service could prove to be useful if you often find yourself visiting a Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, or other location that offers it. And since it's free with your iPhone plan, you're not going to have to make an investment just to try it out.

Using AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Using AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: iPhone, Jailbreak/pwnage, App Review

After writing about the GV Mobile situation on TUAW the other day, a helpful TUAW reader sent me a Google Voice invite (thanks Ian M! You rock!). I set up my account, hopped over to a jailbroken 3.0 iPod touch and downloaded a copy of the software via Cydia. I then copied it off the touch via sftp, signed it with my developer credentials and installed it through iTunes on a non-jailbroken iPhone to see what I'd been missing.

GV Mobile offers a pretty nice feature set. You can use it to set your Google Voice preferences, such as your preferred phone, so that when calls come through the right phone rings. That's an awesome feature on-the-go. Yes, the same option is available at the Voice website, but I really like the simple interface GV Mobile offers to switch that number with just a couple of taps.

You can dial directly from the app out to other phones. You still use your AT&T minutes but you avoid having to navigate through the Google Voice command interface. When the call is over, you return to the application.

The SMS and voicemail features are also very nice, each offering a dedicated screen and easy to use interfaces. A lot of design thought went into the program and it shows, especially in these two options.

Unfortunately, since the application was ported for a jailbreak install, it would no longer remember my user credentials between sessions. Be aware this approach works fine for review but isn't meant for a day-to-day bypass of the App Store, unless your Google username and password are trivial to type over and over again.

Despite the excellent number setting, SMS, and Voicemail features, I felt that most of the application features really needed to be integrated at the OS level, which they presumably will be in Google Chrome or Android. Apple provides its own OS-level telephony system and using this app for outgoing calls really felt more like work than time savings. Yes, the outgoing International rates are superb on Google Voice and the connection quality far exceeds that of Fring's SIP-based services or Skype's iPhone app. That said, I think the application could have benefited from a greater focus on the SMS/voicemail features with the telephone portion being pushed back in prominence.

The program does exhibit a few minor quirks. For example, when I tap on the call history tab, I'd prefer that it gave me a button to load that history from Google Voice rather than do so automatically and trap me, especially when I meant to hit another tab.

All said, I really did enjoy using GV Mobile. I think it has good functionality and must have been a really good App Store offering, while it was there. If you do have a jailbroken iPhone system to test it on, it's certainly worth a spin. And if you find you use it, the application is donationware.

Hands on (a little late) with GV Mobile for jailbroken phones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hands on (a little late) with GV Mobile for jailbroken phones originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It appears that the rumors of an impending Chinese iPhone have been true. Chinese news portal Sina.com.cn has posted a series of photographs of an iPhone with Chinese text printed on the back and running a Chinese language version of the iPhone OS. Not long after, the images were pulled, possibly at the request of either China Unicom or Apple, which may confirm their authenticity.

With Boston University student Joel Tenenbaum admitting to a federal jury Thursday that he illegally downloaded songs, the sole question remaining is just how big a fine he will face.

Apple has released the 3.0.1 iPhone firmware update today, stating the following:

We appreciate the information provided to us about SMS vulnerabilities which affect several mobile phone platforms. This morning, less than 24 hours after a demonstration of this exploit, we've issued a free software update that eliminates the vulnerability from the iPhone. Contrary to what's been reported, no one has been able to take control of the iPhone to gain access to personal information using this exploit.

The only new feature provided in the 3.0.1 update is that it fixes the SMS vulnerability. We're not sure what exactly the vulnerability is, but it could allow hackers to sieze control of your iPhone's GPS functionality (telling them where you are), access the microphone (for eavesdropping), and turn the handset into a botnet for spamming or DOS attacks. Scary stuff. Read more here. 

The update is available now, so go ahead and update whenever you're ready. Just open iTunes and connect your iPhone, the rest will be automatic.