Google

Google announced earlier today that they have launched a mobile-formatted version of Google News for viewing on smartphones, geared directly toward iPhone, Android, and Palm Pre users.The new version offers similar features to the desktop homepage, displaying more stories than the other versions, while still keeping with their distinctive style.

Software giant Google is rumored to release its own custom-built Android phone in early 2010, allowing the company to control all of the facets of the software and hardware, much like with Apple and the iPhone. Per Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, the Google-branded phone has been "confirmed" through reliable, anonymous sources, and will be sold directly through retailers very soon. Though the handset was originally planned to release this holiday, it has slipped to early 2010. Albeit the device will be created by a major manufacturer, much like Microsoft did with the first Zunes from Toshiba, it will only have the Google brand on it.

Mobile advertising firm AdMob today announced that it is launching interactive video advertising for the iPhone and iPod touch. The ads, which will be available as either auto-play or click-to-play implementations, will begin appearing in a limited number of top App Store applications.

Google has announced that they have struck a deal to purchase mobile advertising firm AdMob for $750 million. AdMob is currently the largest provider of advertising for iPhone applications and which creates revenue opportunities for the majority of free ad-supported apps without the need to charge a purchase price.

Waveboard [App Store, $0.99], a Google Wave iPhone client which was rumored to be undergoing the App Store approval process last month, has finally hit the App Store. The client provides a front-end for Google's cutting-edge HTML 5 communication tool in spite of the fact that an iPhone-formatted version of the service is available from Google.

The developers also maintain a Waveboard client for the Mac and PC at their website.

Google on Wednesday revealed a free online navigation service that will be a part of its forthcoming Android 2.0 mobile operating system. The company also stated that the system could come to the iPhone OS if given the green light by Apple.

Assorted navigation service firms say that Google is hard at work developing a mobile navigation app to rival turn-by-turn GPS navigation apps in the App Store. It is suspected that it will be free and ad-supported, and will provide similar turn-by-turn and voice command functionality found in current paid GPS apps.

Word is spreading about a client for Google Wave for the Mac called Waveboard, and rumor has it that the client is also being made for the iPhone and is currently awaiting approval. Google Wave currently works on Mobile Safari by navigating to wave.google.com/wave on your device, but the dedicated client is expected to make it operate smoother.

Tech giant Google announced Monday that Dr. Arthur Levinson resigned from the company's board of directors, thereby severing its last common link with Apple's own board. According to AppleInsider, Levinson, former CEO of Genentech, remains on Apple's own board of directors. His presence with both companies had been the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Federal Trade Commission over anticompetitive concerns.

Even though Google Maps on the iPhone is free, it's still Google and Google is in the business of selling ads. Per The Apple Blog, Google is now serving up sponsored ad links with its Google Maps app for the iPhone.

It may not be your thing, but it's something you'll have to deal with.