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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

The FCC has announced the winners of the anonymous 700 MHz auction that ended on Tuesday, and it appears that Verizon Wireless has come out on top. The company, a joint venture between Verizon Communications and British telecom giant, Vodaphone group, won almost all the licenses in the spectrum's C-Block, including licenses that cover every region of the U.S. save Alaska. The C-Block is subject to "open access" rules that will allow network customers to use any phone or software they want.

AT&T was a top bidder along with Verizon. Google also made a bid for the C-Block licenses, but it wasn't enough to win. In fact, Google did not win any licenses, so despite the rumors, it will not be

Google has launched Google Gears for mobile, which is a mobile browser extension for developing web applications for mobile devices. It is available for Internet Explorer Mobile on Windows Mobile 5 and 6 and it is a fully functional port of Google Gears v0.2 that can be used to develop offline capability for your mobile web applications. With Google Gears for mobile you will be able to continue using your web apps even if you experience a sudden disruption of your Internet connection.

At first this sounds like some preposterous scheme that only a villain from the Adam West era of Batman would cook up. A second look, however, reveals that it is actually a pretty good idea, and Google seems ready to move on it. According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is considering either a partnership or a buyout of Space Data Corp., a company that currently provides balloon-based wireless networks.

The idea is simple - balloons are launched carrying transceivers for the network. The balloons are monitored second to second by the Space Data Corp team so they always know where they are, where they are going, battery life, ballast, etc. Engineers use this data to manipulate the balloons and keep

Google has partnered with Japanese company NTT DoCoMo to bring enhanced service to the latter's i-mode mobile Internet service. DoCoMo's press release describes the purpose: "Google, one of the largest search engines in the world, is aiming to fulfill the mission of "organizing the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." i-mode, the

pioneering mobile Internet service provided by DoCoMo, boasts nearly 48 million mobile Internet users. By connecting i-mode with various services provided by Google, the parties together intend to increase accessibility, user-friendliness and further develop the usefulness of mobile Internet services in the Japanese market."

To accomplish this they plan to do so by making various Google applications easier to access via i-mode handsets and providing search services, search related ads and possibly applications for