In what seems like an obvious extension of the Google Voice platform, it appears that Google is preparing to take on Skype with the development of a desktop Google Voice VoIP application. Using the technology acquired when they bought Gizmo5 last November, Google wants users to be able to make and receive calls right from their Google Voice desktop (currently the service has to be tied to an existing phone). There's no official launch date, and it appears that Google only began officially testing the application internally last week. Of course they'll have a bit of work to do in order to catch up with Skype, which by the end of 2009 laid claim to 12 percent of all international voice minutes.