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Microsoft ( NSDQ: MSFT ) is trying hard to snatch away the search deal that Google ( NSDQ: GOOG ) has been working on with the second largest U.S. carrier Verizon Wireless ( NYSE: VZ ), and has offered a much sweeter rev share deal as part of it, reports WSJ, citing sources . MSFT saw an opening as Google was distracted trying to work and defend its search ad pact with Yahoo ( NSDQ: YHOO ), which was officially called off yesterday, the story says. Details of Google's talks with VZW came out in August , and at that time the deal was supposed to be a comprehensive one: Google would have been the default search provider on Verizon devices and would give it a share of ad revenue. The search functionality would be on VZW's homescreen. Later on, the deal could extend to Verizon's Web portal and even its FiOS TV service. For now, Verizon is said to be leaning towards Microsoft, but a final decision hasn't been made. Google certainly would be cagey to be too pushy, having gone through this close shave with the federal regulators. Also, it probably realizes that these closed ecosystems deals are only transitional in nature, and as I wrote before , as phones and networks open up, users will be able to use whichever search engine they desire, not the ones deemed official by the carriers. Related VZW-Google: The Top Mobile Search Provider At 61 Percent : Report Verizon Wireless In Final Stages Of a Google Search Deal; Could Extend to Other Mark Logic Digital Publishing Summit, Thursday November 6, Westin Times Square. Insight and perspective from Outsell, Gilbane, Simon & Schuster, BusinessWeek.com, more. Evening cocktail reception. Cost is complimentary. Register now!

To get the excitement rolling for the upcoming availability of the first Google ( NSDQ: GOOG ) phone, T-Mobile USA has planted a number of devices in the hands of a select group of reporters, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on one. Over the past few days, I did my best to determine the best and worst of the T-Mobile G1. I asked is it an iPhone killer?; does it feel clunky in my hands?; is it easy to use?; is it appropriate as a work device?; is it fun?; and, most importantly, is it stable? I answered most of these questions below with the thought in mind that Apple's iPhone is the one to beat. My final conclusion is that the G1 rivals the iPhone in fun, and offers an unparalleled experience when it comes to customizing the device, but suffers a bit because learning all of its features takes time. Finally, when it comes to using it for work, the G1 is not perfect. Keep in mind that this is the first Android device being manufactured by one handset maker and being sold by one operator—if Google has its way, there will be many more to come. The device: Built by HTC, it has the handset-makers signature slide-out keyboard and has a boxy form. However, the device looks a lot better in person than it does in pictures on the Internet, and has a tilt at the very bottom of the device, which makes it look like a traditional landline phone has the mouthpiece curve with your head. The shape also prevents the screen from being scratched when face down on a surface. For security purposes, users don't have to enter a password, but instead can login by drawing a pattern on a designated three-by-three grid of dots. This is especially nice because it requires less accuracy than typing and doesn't require pulling out the keyboard, but is equally difficult to guess. Personalization: Hands down, the G1 desktop is the most customizable phone that I've ever seen—everything is up for grabs. The desktop encompasses three screens, and anything can be stored or kept on any...

At Mobilize, a panel tackled the issue of where the noise and opportunities are for mobile when it comes to monetizing content. The big question was on whether it's too early to use location to provide more context to search. On the panel is: Rick Robinson, VP of products and services at Sprint's ( NYSE: S ) Xohm; Lee Ott, director of Yahoo ( NSDQ: YHOO ) oneSearch; Ted Morgan, co-founder and CEO of Skyhook Wireless; Steve Lee, Google ( NSDQ: GOOG ) project manager; and Paran Johar, CMO of JumpTap. The big conclusion was that location is being used a lot in applications today as a component, but it's early days when trying to use location to monetize content. On location as an ingredient: Yahoo's Lee: We see a ton of apps coming out right now incorporating location. But what we get hung up on is location-only apps. It's an enabling tool for other services. Consumers buy services and they are excited when the service is smarter. Xohm's Rick: We want to provide electronic manufacturers around the world—video cameras and other devices—a chip along with our platform, so that location is an ingredient. Location is a key component of everything that is going to be developed. Google's Steve: There's some good examples on the iPhone. The AOL ( NYSE: TWX ) radio app automatically shows you local radio stations, and there's a Twitter app called Twinkle that shows people who are using Twitter nearby. Location adds relevancy: JumpTap's Paran: "Location is one input to build relevancy. The more relevancy you can provide, the less it's an ad, and the more it's content. Skyhook's Ted: People will start to develop apps and ways to make money, and then you tie in demographic-based data. It's tremendously valuable to know income level, age and ethnicity. If you can tie that together with Internet searches, and where they go during the day, it's interesting. It's admittedly very early, and location is the piece that ties...

At least 20.8 million U.S. wireless subscribers and 4.8 million European users accessed a search portal in June 2008. Those figures represent an increase of 68 percent in the U.S. and 38 percent in Europe, compared to the year ago period, reported comScore M:Metrics . The U.K. still has the highest penetration of wireless customers using search at 9.5 percent, but the U.S. wasn't far behind at 9.2 percent. Google ( NSDQ: GOOG ) reigns supreme on mobile search with a 60 percent market share in all countries tracked by the firm. Meanwhile, Yahoo ( NSDQ: YHOO ) holds a 34.6 percent share in the U.S., which is more than double its share in most other countries. ( Release ). Check out the best business jobs in digital media. Go here for paidContent.org Job Board.

Mobile web usage grew 29.4 percent from Q1 to Q2, a period that saw a spike in searches for Barack Obama that was second only to "movies/movie listings," according to new data from Crisp Wireless . The quarterly report looked at traffic patterns to determine the busiest periods of mobile web usage, a valuable data point for advertisers. Crisp Wireless, which is able to monitor mobile Web traffic through its content platform for media companies and publishers, concluded that traffic driven from carrier decks is falling while mobile search traffic is on the upswing. Nearly 9.5 percent of all mobile web traffic is driven by search engines, of which Google ( NSDQ: GOOG ) enjoys an 82 percent market share. ( Release ). Some content-related highlights from the Crisp Wireless Index: -- Local news is viewed most heavily in the mornings while national news is dialed up throughout the day. -- Sports scores and highlights are often checked during games with peak periods occurring on evenings and weekends. -- Women typically surf the mobile web at night and early in the week (similar to their online habits) while young girls usually browse later at night, especially on weekends. -- Entertainment services get the bulk of their traffic at night and on the weekends. Related Gen Y Mobile Surfing Habits: Sports Scores, Social Check out the best business jobs in digital media. Go here for paidContent.org Job Board.

GetJar , which distributes free mobile applications to consumers on the Internet and over the phone, said it is branching out its business by building application storefronts for wireless carriers. A few months ago, that would have been unheard of because carriers typically want to own the relationship with their subscribers. But with the success of Apple's ( NSDQ: AAPL ) App store, which Steve Jobs said made $30 million in its first four weeks, copycats are really starting to take off. For example, earlier this month, I reported that T-Mobile will create an open storefront this Fall that would allow developers to sell their applications freely to their subscribers, and yesterday Google ( NSDQ: GOOG ) announced the Android Market, a store for Android phones when they become available later this year. Of course, there's other app stores too, including Handango, which sells apps to smartphone users. When I met up with Bill Scott, GetJar Network's VP of sales and business development in Seattle this week, he said GetJar is seeing the same trend and is starting to work with carriers to distribute free apps on their decks. The numbers are convincing. So far, GetJar claims that consumers have downloaded 300 million applications in total from its site, with a monthly average of about 13 million downloads worldwide and more than 500,000 in the U.S. It distributes everything from Google Maps and Yahoo's ( NSDQ: YHOO ) Go to nifty, but also less useful items, such as Disco Light, which makes your phone flash, and Battery Drainer, which makes your phone flash and beep until it's dead. Adult entertainment is also fair game. The company initially had no intentions of being an app store, but Founder Ilja Laurs of Lithuania stumbled into it. As a game developer, he always had a hard time getting his games tested. One day he posted it on a Web site, asking people to download it for free and report any bugs (That also explains the company's name...Jar is the suffix...