Author: Jamie Welch, Senior Editor

HUMOR- Google Pulls Apple from Search Results

Posted by | Jul 29, 2009 | |

The Following Story is Intended for Humor Purposes Only.   This is not true, and was orginally posted at www.bbspot.com Mountain View, CA – In response to Apple pulling the Google Voice application from the iPhone App Store, Google has removed all search results leading to www.Apple.com from its index. Google is also redirecting searches for “iPhone” and “app store” to the www.IMDb.com page for Payback. The official explanation was that the Google Voice app duplicated functions on the iPhone, but many think the rejection order came from AT&T. The application would allow users to make calls and send SMS messages for free using the app, threatening the profits of AT&T. The Google Voice application is still available for Blackberry and Android phones. Google’s official explanation for removing Apple from its search results came from Vice-President in charge of search, Marissa Mayer, “Those search results duplicate a lot of the functionality of other sites. For example, people can find cell phones on many other sites. We just think this makes it easier for our users.” Exclusion from the search results could mean lower profits for Apple, as 90% of visitors reach their site by typing “apple.com” into Google. Mayer denied that this was a direct response to Apple rejecting the Google Voice application. “It’s just a coincidence,” said Mayer. Steve Jobs hinted that another strange coincidence might occur soon. “Safari...

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Google Voice app GV Mobile ported to jailbroken iPhones, web app version in the works

Posted by | Jul 29, 2009 | |

So well-mannered, straight-laced iPhone users got a pretty big slap in the face yesterday by way of Apple’s (and AT&T’s, no doubt) total Google Voice rejection. Looks like jailbreakers are picking up the pieces, as GV Mobile developer Sean Kovacs — whose app was in the iTunes store for some time before being yanked yesterday — has ported the Voice client over to Cydia free of charge, although donations are gladly accepted. Even more interesting, but less concrete, Kovacs said he was already working on a web app version, possibly for submission to Palm’s app catalog. No word on the fate of GVdialer, an app that was also unceremoniously pulled, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it followed in similar...

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Apple iTunes App Store Rejects Google Voice App

Posted by | Jul 28, 2009 | , |

Apple has ridiculously blocked Google’s official Google Voice application from the iTunes App Store because it believes it “duplicate[s] features that come with the iPhone,” reports TechCrunch.com. A Google Spokesperson is reported to have stated the following to TechCrunch: We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users — for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers. My response to this latest example of Apple’s mismanagement of the App Store, by denying useful apps that iPhone owners want, is to pledge that I will not purchase anything from the iTunes App Store until it approves the official Google Voice iPhone App. I hope you will also pledge to join this boycott with me so that Apple will realize that the silly App Store denials are unacceptable to its...

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Chicago’s Horizon Realty Group Sues Former Tenant Over a Tweet

Posted by | Jul 28, 2009 | |

From deep in the “how to royally ruin your reputation via social media” files comes this gem: How much damage can a Tweet do? According to property management company Horizon Realty, $50,000 worth. That’s the size of the lawsuit against one of its former tenants on Monday, in response to a Tweet about one of their Chicago apartments. Amanda Bonnen was staying an apartment at 4242 N. Sheridan.  According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Bonnen’s Tweet on May 12 read, in part: “Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it’s okay.” The Tweet, posted under the user name @abonnen, was the reason for the libel lawsuit filed at Cook County Circuit Court, seeking $50,000 in damages. And although the Tweet and username are now deleted, accessing the account via Google’s cache shows it has around 20 followers. While the numbers could have dropped since deletion, it doesn’t appear the message would have travelled far. @abonnen wasn’t a particularly heavy Twitter user, either – she posted somewhere between 1 and 5 tweets per day and often didn’t post for 2 or 3 days. Horizon’s Jeffrey Michael is quoted in the Sun-Times: “The statements are obviously false, and it’s our intention to prove that”, adding that Horizon has a good reputation to protect. Bonnen wasn’t contacted before the suit was filed or asked to remove the Tweet,...

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