"Mobile, mobile, mobile" were the words of Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt this week when asked what technologies are most intriguing to the computer web search leader, writes Reuters.

Google, which generates billions of dollars from online advertising, is racing to bring consumer services like search to the phone. Earlier this month, Google also began offering voice-activated directory assistance. At the time, O'Reilly speculated in his blog that Google started the free service at least in part to build its own speech database.

Rivals include the usual suspects: Yahoo, which last month introduced a locally relevant search to mobile users, and Microsoft, which bought voice-recognition technology company Tellme Networks Inc. last month for $800 million.

Industry watchers and company executives recognize the inherent difference between search on a computer and on a mobile phone. Search on a computer can be a browsing activity for research, while mobile search is more about finding information and then acting on it.