Comments on: Google’s Mobile app uses secret proximity sensing system: Untruthiness!

By: ComputerTV: Tech Update Ep. 13 [PG-13] | ComputerTV

ComputerTV: Tech Update Ep. 13 [PG-13] | ComputerTV — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:14:44 +0000

[...] http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/11/20/googles-mobile-app-uses-secret-proximity-sensing-system-untruth... [...]

By: ［CG］グーグルがiPhone APIについて真実爆弾を投下

［CG］グーグルがiPhone APIについて真実爆弾を投下 — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:04:18 +0000

[...] しばらくの間アップルはこのアプリを足止めしたが猛烈な抗議の嵐に見舞われた。するとDaring FireballがグーグルはiPhoneの近接センサー（proximity sensor）を悪用していると告げ口したのだ。近接センサーはiPhoneの音声検索を起動するのに使われているがそれはiPhone APIの利用契約違反になるというのだ。 [...]

By: Web2Logs - Google Drops Truth Bomb over iPhone API

Web2Logs - Google Drops Truth Bomb over iPhone API — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:39:06 +0000

[...] yanked the app briefly, causing all sorts of firestorms. Then Daring Fireball played tattle-tale and told the world about how Google was exploiting the iPhone’s proximity sensor to activate [...]

By: Google Mobile gebruikt ongedocumenteerde SDK-functies > Nieuws > iPhoneclub.nl

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:52:11 +0000

[...] de reden kunnen zijn waarom de applicatie vertraagd in de App Store verscheen. Maar, concludeert Crunchgear: er is zoveel willekeur en geheimzinnigheid in het goedkeuringsproces van Apple dat dit er ook nog [...]

By: links for 2008-11-24 « Ferrar

links for 2008-11-24 « Ferrar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:42:55 +0000

[...] Google’s Mobile app uses secret proximity sensing system: Untruthiness! [TechCrunch] Senor Gruber has uncovered a trick inside Google’s Mobile app that uses an undocumented method to access the iPhones proximity sensor. (tags: mobile iphone google) Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Google Gears comes to mobile « digital asset management weblog5 Essential Mobile Web AppsMicrosoft Announces Windows Mobile 6.1 Posted by ferrar Filed in Uncategorized [...]

By: aditza121

aditza121 — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 22:52:30 +0000

Uhm, fring and Truphone (both have to do with voip) also use this method to turn off the screen when you’re making a call, no big deal…

By: what’d I miss? Top learnings from 11-17 to 11-23 | Andrea Hill writes about accessibility, social media, user experience and front end development at afhill.com

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:01:50 +0000

[...] because there is some controversy around the app. Earlier in the week I’d read that the google app uses undocumented APIs to sense when the phone is lifted to your ear. At the time, I wasn’t even aware of the voice search feature. Now it all makes sense. [...]

By: Erica Sadun

Erica Sadun — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:26:30 +0000

You write “Note: Erica Sadun also told Gruber that she, too, is an SDK pirate:”

I did no such thing. The quote that follows this has nothing to do with me.

By: TechFlixer

TechFlixer — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:14:25 +0000

Yep, not sure how built-in motion sensors impact the physical and/or neurological senses. Looks like Apple and Google are in a very close relationship, though Google’s Android seem to tell a different story.

By: John Biggs

John Biggs — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:09:33 +0000

You basically read the strings in a library to find undocumented calls.

By: Drunknbass

Drunknbass — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:47:52 +0000

Undocumented and private Apis are a totally different thing. It’s sad that such experienced apple developers can’t make that distinction.

By: Google Hacked the iPhone! | Monty's Mega Marketing

Google Hacked the iPhone! | Monty's Mega Marketing — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:59:18 +0000

[...] CrunchGear reports that Google uses a secret call in their new mobile app called “proximityStateChanged”. This call can tell if the iPhone’s proximity sensor has been tripped. [...]

By: Wealth Hack - Make Money

Wealth Hack - Make Money — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:39:29 +0000

Wow interesting… Google hacked the iPhone… that or a strategic relationship with Google and Apple that leaves other developers in the dust.

By: RossBoucher.Com » Funk Rock » Blog Archive » Google, iPhone, and Thinking Like a Programmer

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:37:09 +0000

[...] Mobile users private iPhone APIs. Since he wrote it, it must be true, which is why TechCrunch picked up on the article this morning. Nevermind the fact that the only evidence offered by Gruber was that [...]

By: geekamongus

geekamongus — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:17:41 +0000

Personally, I find it silly that Apple is so elusive about the process for authorizing and releasing apps for the iPhone. Judging by articles such as this one, and many others written by developers who have had really difficult times getting apps released vs. apps that seem to slip through the cracks, the whole thing seems to be setting itself up for failure.

I’m an iPod Touch user, and I love my device, so I wish no ill-will on any parties involved. I just don’t get a good feeling about this.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:07:57 +0000

Other apps have made use of the proximity sensor, The free app “Fake Calls” is one of them. Just seems like a clever combination of the accelerometer and proximity, no funny business.

By: Google Mobile App utiliza APIs privadas do iPhone - Google Discovery

Google Mobile App utiliza APIs privadas do iPhone - Google Discovery — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:58:33 +0000

[...] o CrunchGear, foi descoberto um truque não-documentado no interior do Google Mobile App que usa um método de [...]

By: scarabic

scarabic — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:47:32 +0000

Sounds like an oversight in the documentation and no big woop.

By: exapted

exapted — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:46:23 +0000

If the iphone platform is not an even playing field, developers may look elsewhere (Android?) and you might not have as many cool iphone apps to choose from. It’s 3:00 AM here, and when I saw the title of this post I thought it was saying that the Google app secretly uses GPS and reports your location to the mothership. I need some sleep.

By: Ryan Waggoner

Ryan Waggoner — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:38:54 +0000

Daaaammmnnn, it must be a slow news day. Figured you guys would try and manufacture some controversy?

First, this makes no sense:

“We all know Apple wouldn’t allow Google to use an unsupported call. It’s not in their DNA. So 1 and 2 are obvious culprits and probably why the app was held back.”

Theory #1 is that Apple didn’t know what was going on, so why would the app being held back have anything to do with this?

Second, does using an undocumented feature violate the TOS? It may, but it makes little sense from a technical perspective to expose API methods to developers and then forbid them from using them through legal channels. Why not just make those methods unavailable? It seems more likely that this is NOT a violation, just an undocumented feature.

Third, isn’t Google a preferred partner on the iPhone already? I mean, they power the search and Gmaps is included by default, and has some integration capabilities not extended to other apps, correct? So why is hard to believe that Apple would have allowed them to use other restricted functionality as well?

Finally, I would bet that virtually no serious developers are going to leave the iPhone platform because of this. Google is a preferred partner with Apple and has received special treatment in numerous places as a result. You guys can wave your arms and cry foul all you want, but special treatment is kind of the point of partnerships and business relationships.