Can Apple and Google Still Be Friends?

www.junkfoodclothing.comTime is reporting that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has resigned his position on the Apple Board of Directors. And on Friday, the FCC sent letters to Google, Apple, and AT&T trying to get to the bottom of why the Google Voice app had been rejected. Add to that the Android OS for mobile phones, and it looks like it might be time for these two companies to start seeing other people.

But are there even any other people to see? Let's say the two companies wanted to part company completely. Could it even be done? Imagine Safari with Bing search by default, or maps on the iPhone by MapQuest. Google might just hold the upper hand when it comes to having the name recognition and "coolness" factor of apps iPhone users would expect.

On the other hand, if Google's services were only available on Android phones, then Google would have their own anti-trust issues to worry about.

While the Google Voice app rejection remains a mystery, (and a story we didn't cover, with the belief it would be quickly resolved) the bigger mystery is how can two companies that rely on each other so heavily delicately dance between collusion, alienation of other partners, and all-out phone wars?