Google Skips Cell Phones, Goes Right To Software

For months, there has been feverish speculation about the so-called "gPhone," with rumors that Google was building something similar to Apple's iPhone: a revolutionary product that would take the world by storm.

Instead, the big news is that Google has gone generic, offering free software to anyone who wants it under the relaxed terms of an open-source license, which will allow developers to view the source code for that software. This also means there will not be a "gPhone," or any sort of phone with the Google brand on it.

"Today's announcement is more ambitious than any single 'Google Phone' that the press has been speculating about," Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said in a statement. "Our vision is that the powerful platform we're unveiling will power thousands of different phone models."