The net is abuzz over the release of the new version of the Google app for the iPhone. The newest version includes the ability to search via voice commands (although it doesn't like the Kiwi accent!) and everyone wanted to know...just how did they do that? It seems, not with any common API's that other developers can access. Daring Fireball has the best explanation and poses the questions well. Now Google has admitted (read 1, read 2, read 3) that it broke the rules in creating their app...yet the question remains...how and why did Apple approved its publication on the App Store?

Apple did well at the recent British Technology Awards, scooping 5 awards in total. 4 of these were for the iPhone, with the associated client software for it and all things media and music related (iTunes) winning Best Music Technology. The 4 awards that the iPhone won were Best Mobile Technology, Gadget of the Year, Most Stylish Technology (hmm...an interesting category!?) and Technological Innovation of the Year.

UPDATE Over recent weeks Apple has tightened control over the acceptance of applications published within the iTunes App Store, and now appears to be broadening its control beyond the App Store but within the iPhone environment. In previous weeks some developers have complained when their apps were rejected with little or no explanation from Apple, or that they received an explanation that (to some) seemed anti-competitive. Apple has now made it more difficult for these developers to share their experiences or to create workarounds for distribution.

The Internet is abuzz this weekend over a developer reporting that his iPhone application was turned down by Apple (for publishing in the iTunes App Store) because it duplicated functionality of the podcast section in iTunes. The story is complex one, but is not helped by the fact that the policies of how Apple accept or deny applications (or indeed removing them once published) is not completely clear. The Podcaster application (available for viewing and download at www.nextdayoff.com) clearly is a useful application, but questions are being raised over Apple's decision to block it. Many are speculating that the approach is anti-competitive whilst others are calling for Apple to make the publishing and development processes clearer.