This morning John Gruber over at Daring Fireball writes about how apple is using a private API in their update to Google Mobile.
In order to trigger this automatic voice prompt, you must:
- Move the iPhone.
- Trigger the proximity sensor next to the speaker at the top of the iPhone.
You need to do both, in that order.1 The voice prompt is never triggered by motion alone, nor by covering the proximity sensor without first having moved the phone. The only way it is triggered is by moving the phone and then triggering the proximity sensor. It’s very clever, and the resulting user experience is very nice.
But here’s the intrigue: There is no public API in the iPhone SDK for using the proximity sensor in this way.
After reading this it all starts to become clear to me. Last week, Google releases a video showing off their new Voice tool. They publicly announce that it will be in the App Store on Friday. Friday comes and goes. Apple must have been having meetings all weekend to decide what to do. The blogosphere was on fire in anticipation of this cool new feature. By pre-announcing the app and showing the video, they forced Apple not to reject the app. It got me thinking how many other videos have I seen Google produce to pre-announce an app – NONE!
This would have been the last straw as far as bad publicity for Apple and developers. If Google couldn’t get an app approved, what developer could? So all weekend long the guys at Apple are saying to each other what do we do? All weekend long there were posts on blogs slamming Apple and the delay. Here is an example. Clint Boulton at ”Google Watch”
After much speculation about why Apple did not post the new version of the Google Mobile App for iPhone that lets users search via voice and location on its Web site, the app has finally passed muster late Monday.
It all seemed a mystery. Apple’s notorious approval process gets in the way of great Google technology. So everyone thinks what is Apple afraid of?
So it is not Apple at all, but Google playing the bully. This shows the kind of game Google is up to. Do no Evil, Ha! What kind of crap are they pulling with Android?
Add New Comment
Viewing 6 Comments
Thanks. Your comment is awaiting approval by a moderator.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Do you already have an account? Log in and claim this comment.
Add New Comment
Trackbacks
(Trackback URL)
November 25, 2008 at 10:49 am
[...] if Google was given special consideration, then I completely agree that that sucks. Edit: Here’s another blog posting that ...