As a follow up, AT&T has admitted that it struck a deal with Apple to prevent VoIP (Voice over IP – basically sending phone calls over the internet) applications to be deployed to the iPhone in an attempt to protect it’s voice-network profits via the iPhone.

Again, nothing illegal and nothing that the government should prevent. However, I would check my T&C’s if I were an iPhone user and see if such a restriction were disclosed to me. I would also check, if I were an iPhone developer, to see whether Apple disclosed that information as well. I’d hate to invest a ton of money building out an innovative iPhone application that had VoIP potential or real features only to be barred just before or after deploying it.

My take aways from this post are two-fold: First, Apple better be careful how it treads here – scare away the innovators with agreements like this will damage the future potential of the iPhone platform. Second, AT&T needs to get past the voice plan revenues. We’ve already discussed what a farce they are and if that’s so important in this deal, then how well postured is AT&T for the future?

GorT

GorT is an eight-foot-tall robot from the 51ˢᵗ Century who routinely time-travels to steal expensive technology from the future and return it to the past for retroinvention. The profits from this pay all the Gormogons’ bills, including subsidizing this website. Some of the products he has introduced from the future include oven mitts, the Guinness widget, Oxy-Clean, and Dr. Pepper. Due to his immense cybernetic brain, GorT is able to produce a post in 0.023 seconds and research it in even less time. Only ’Puter spends less time on research. GorT speaks entirely in zeros and ones, but occasionally throws in a ڭ to annoy the Volgi. He is a massive proponent of science, technology, and energy development, and enjoys nothing more than taking the Czar’s more interesting scientific theories, going into the past, publishing them as his own, and then returning to take credit for them. He is the only Gormogon who is capable of doing math. Possessed of incredible strength, he understands the awesome responsibility that follows and only uses it to hurt people.