Google Voice Apps Arrive For Android and Blackberry 106
Mark Mathson writes "Two Google Voice apps have been released for Blackberry and Android phones. The Android app is the most complete, and it takes over the native dialer, address book and call log. Users won't be bothered with accidentally dialing numbers through the device phone number. The Blackberry app is less integrated, accessing only the native address book, and uses its own dialer. Users can't simply go into the call log and return missed calls. They need to go back to the address book and select Google Voice to make the call. Still, it solves a big problem. The apps also allow users to access the core features of Google Voice. You can listen to or read voicemails and text messages (all voicemails are automatically transcribed), access call history, send SMS messages and place international calls at low rates."
I don't get the hysteria over Google Voice (Score:1, Insightful)
But I suppose that's because I'm usually on the phone less than an hour a month.
Re:This is great. (Score:4, Insightful)
How exactly is the performance "amazing"?
The heart of Android's application layer, Dalvik, runs purely in interpreted mode. This is what most Python, Ruby implementations do and what Java did a decade ago. The performance is slow and irritating.
I have a G1 and love the phone. But I wouldn't call it a speed demon. Maybe the Core 2 helps out, but I'd still rather have native code or a JIT, so I can get performance close to what the hardware is capable of.
Re:Interesting to see what the UK carriers will do (Score:1, Insightful)
It probably isn't using VoIP. Google Voice has a feature where it will call your phone, then connect you to the person you want to call. I imagine the app just calls the web service, which dials your phone, the app auto-answers, and then you're connected as a regular voice call.
Trying to run VoIP on T-Mobile's data network would fail pretty fast.
Re:I don't get the hysteria over Google Voice (Score:5, Insightful)
It'd be nice... (Score:5, Insightful)
...if they released a few more invites to Google Voice to go along with this so people could test -- I mean, I'm sitting here with a G1 and I can't even use it. :P