Google

Good news for both advertisers and consumers with smartphones - Google has added a "Click-to-Call" feature to AdWords. This means users with smartphones on the Android, Apple or WebOS platforms will be able to contact advertisers directly through their ads.

The number will appear in an extra line of text in the sponsored link. Users will be able to place a cal to the number simply by clicking on it. This cuts a few steps out of the process. Say you were looking to make a reservation at Mario's Italian Restaurant. Previously you might have had to navigate to their

Widespread user complaints about spotty 3G connectivity have plagued Google and T-Mobile since the release of the Nexus One earlier this month. Customers and self-proclaimed experts have been pointing fingers in varying directions, whether it be at Android, the Nexus One itself, or T-Mobile, with little in the way of conclusive information about what was causing the 3G woes experienced by many T-Mobile Nexus One owners.

As reported today by Android blog Operation Android, statements made by Google engineers indicate that a 3G fix for the Nexus One is on its way. The fix is reportedly a product of a combined effort by Google's engineers, HTC (the hardware manufacturer that produces the Nexus One), and T-Mobile (the main service provider for the Nexus One in the US).

Engineers at Google are reportedly in the final stages of testing and are indicating that results up until this point have been

As the rivalry heats up between Apple and Google, Apple has entered talks with Microsoft to replace Google with Bing as the iPhone's default search engine. With Google CEO Eric Schmidt on Apple's board the two companies have partnered in the past, but he is no longer on the board and there is now direct competition between the two giants.

Google's introduction of the Android OS was the first sign that a serious rivalry was in the making. Now Google has introduced the Nexus One, a mobile device that will directly compete with the iPhone in the smart phone market. Apple has pushed back by getting involved in ad placement on its mobile devices, which is Google ad-serving territory. Apple has also recently refused to approve two Google apps

Google has launched a site that will allow users to post ideas or comments about mobile products and allow others to vote on them, like Digg, Reddit, etc. While you could already post your ideas on Gogle's mobile blog, this allows for much more visibility as other members vote ideas up or down.

The page is built on Google Moderator and allows you to submit, view and rate ideas. Supposedly Google will pay attention, get a better idea of what is important to people and take it into consideration while developing new mobile products. Unfortunately, if they happen to use your idea you will not be

Google researchers have merged voice recognition technology with the company's search software to create a voice activated search application for Apple's iPhone. The application could be available as early as today via the iTunes store.

Google, along with a plethora of other tech companies, has been researching voice recognition technology for quite some time. Accurate voice recognition (of any phrase from any dialect) is the Holy Grail for artificial intelligence researchers. It is the biggest step in making man-machine interaction more natural. According to researcher Raj Reddy of Carnegie Mellon, "It’s important to understand that machine recognition will never be perfect... The question is, How close can they come to human

T-Mobile, in partnership with Google, has announced the launch of the world's first Android powered phone, the G1(the phone is not called the Android, as I have already seen a few news stations refer to it as such, Android is the OS). The G1 will officially be available on Wednesday, October 22nd.

The G1 is made by the Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC and is similar in design to the Sidekick series. It is a dual-band UMTS HSPA and quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone that also has Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth connectivity. It has a 3.2-inch 320 x 480 (HVGA) resolution capacitive touchscreen and

Attendees of Google's annual developer conference were privy to the most extensive demonstration of the Android platform to date. Android is Google's highly anticipated, open source software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and applications. Developers can create applications for it with the Android SDK using Java.

Wednesday's demonstration gave programmers a glimpse of some of Android's features. The demonstration used touch screen technology, similar to that of the iPhone, though project leader Andy Rubin said it can be customized to work with a track ball as well. With the touch screen users will be able to unlock their phones by drawing a unique figure rather than using a password. One application

At a media lunch earlier today, AT&T president and CEO, Ralph de la Vega, revealed the company's plans to collaborate with Google to develop handsets that will run on Google's open source platform, Android. Demonstrations of the Android OS and discussions with the Google team that developed it convinced de la Vega that Android handsets are a must-have.

"We're now looking to see when it's ready to be developed. Now I'm in the camp where I'm positive that it's something I'd want in our portfolio," said de la Vega of a potential Android handset. He is specifically impressed with the flexibility manufacturers and carriers have in customizing the the Android OS, which

Handset manufacturer High Tech Computer (HTC) has been developing a mobile phone that will run on Google's Android software. Called the Dream, it could very well be the first available mobile device to run on the Android platform.

The Dream will have a large screen and a full QWERTY keyboard. It will measure around 5 x 3 inches and the keyboard will be underneath the screen that will either slide or swivel out. Like the iPhone, the

Google today proposed to the FCC an enhanced system that would allow the portion of the spectrum between analog broadcast channels to be used without interference. This so called "white space" has been left unused out of worries over interference with adjacent television channels and wireless microphones. Google proposes a new system that will "eliminate any remaining legitimate concerns about the merits of using the white space for unlicensed personal/portable devices."

Less than two weeks ago Bill Gates also urged communications regulators to free up white space for broadband use. Google and Microsoft are part of a coalition that has been lobbying the FCC to allow