Google is talking with Orange (mobile phone operator owned by France Telecom) to create a branded phone that can search the Web from “wherever.” Guesstimates for this unit’s availability: 2008. 

Benefits include new levels of convenience from location-based searches, and new revenue sources from ads and extended airtime.  Making it easy to find the right restaurant or entertainment venue from wherever you are looks like a strong draw.  Having the Internet in your pocket could finally become commonplace—Nokia and Motorola are already working on it, and the Google-Orange venture could drive it home.  See article.