For several months, and particularly after BT’s acquisition of Ribbit, telecom industry observers have been wondering what was happening with Grand Central, the voice applications start-up acquired by

Image via CrunchBase

Google almost two years ago, and whose future promise seemed to get lost amid a pile of other Google ambitions. Well, today Google re-launched an expanded version of Grand Central’s offerings as Google Voice, a service integrating flexible Internet-based voice calling and routing features, voice mail, text messaging and other applications. For now, it’s available on a limited basis to existing Grand Central customers.

Unlike other VoIP and Internet-based voice applications, Google Voice is based on a centralized voice calling and messaging system that enables users to use any phone to call into a system that allows them to initiate other calls and functions. The offering is being seen as a challenge to Skype, though it also ups the competitive ante for telcos and other voice service providers that have been exploring new ways to offer voice or to integrate it with other applications.

Initially this will only be open to existing Grandcentral users

If you happen upon the Google homepage to day you will see the Legos version of the Google logo. Why? Legos are celebrating their fifty year birthday today and Google is joining in on the celebration by posting a Legos version of the Google logo on Google.com.

The whole Google’s culture have always had a special place for Lego. Google’s first servrs were ‘modded’ up with legos. Apparently computer ‘geeks’ cant get enough of their Legos.

Lego art is proudly displayed in Google offices and some lego fans have even used the connectable pieces to create the Google logo. Google apparently thought the design was a good idea.

Will Google last as long as their favorite Legos? I hope to be still around to see Legos displaying the Google Logo on their site in years to come