Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Best Buy have announced a partnership whereby Best Buy employees will offer to install the Google Mobile Application for customers purchasing mobile phones from a retail Best Buy store. It wasn’t mentioned how much money Best Buy would receive from Google, but rumored estimates range from “I’m going to leave my job and order a trophy wife from Russia” to “I’m rich, bitch”.

Press Release, with massive amounts of bullshit press lingo stripped out, after the jump.

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Do you develop mobile apps for the iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile, Symbian or webOS? Well, we want to hear from you! We’ve partnered up with “Under The Radar” to find cool mobile apps that will blow our minds. We’re asking any and all mobile app developers to submit their app for the “FAST PITCH” mobile app talent search, where your app will vie for a chance to be showcased in front of an audience of global dealmakers and start-ups. Even if we don’t pick your app for the talent search, you’ll get some serious recognition for your app (and possibly prizes, like handsets).

Interested? Here’s what you need to know:

• You must be able to attend Under the Radar (in Mountain View on Nov 19)
  • If you’re selected as a finalist, you’ll get a free conference pass
• Your app has to be live and available for download
• We welcome any and all apps for iPhone, Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian, etc
• Your app must be unique and new – no tip calculators or sudoku apps, please
• You must be able to pitch your app in 2 min (and 4 slides) on stage

We’re going to make it simple for you to submit your app for consideration in the “Under The Radar” FAST PITCH mobile app talent search. Interested mobile devs need only leave a comment or tweet @IntoMobile with a quick one-liner pitch for your mobile app – Twitter is limited to 140 characters, so choose accordingly. Please make sure to include a link to your app’s download page (or homepage) and your Twitter handle with your submission.

Your app will be judged for its “uniqueness” and the all important “awesomeness” metric. We’ll be accepting mobile app submissions through Friday, Nov. 6 Monday, Nov. 9 (deadline extended). The 6 lucky finalists will be contacted directly through email and/or Twitter.

You know that future we keep talking about? The one where everything in your life is controlled by what we know today as mobile phones? Right, well, that future inches closer today with the launch of Parkmobile’s “Pay by Phone Parking” service in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Like the name suggests, the new service allows residents and visitors to pay for their metered parking space with nothing more than a couple key presses on their cellphone.

The “Pay by Phone Parking” service isn’t an app, or even a webpage, it’s a dial-in service that works with any and all cellphones. Once you’ve registered your phone number with Parkmobile’s system, all it takes is a simple phone call to start paying for your meter. When you get back to your car, call Parkingmobile to stop the “meter.” It’s really that simple.

We’re not told when or where Parkmobile will be expanding the “Pay by Phone” service, but we hope it’s soon and everywhere, respectively.

Parkmobile website

[Via: PRNewswire]

Orange announced a deal with Google (NSDQ: GOOG) to bring the Goole Mobile App to its customers in Europe. The multi-year agreement is made to make mobile search and geo-location services easier to use by the carrier’s customers, while at the same time helping Google become ever more powerful player in the mobile industry. This, of course, is not to say Orange won’t benefit from the deal, as well.

Orange plans to bundle Google’s mobile app in its Signature phones, starting with those running Android. And in the UK and France, Google mobile search results will also include content from Orange’s own mobile portal.

In addition, Orange’s Android devices — including LG Eve, HTC Tatto and HTC Hero — will feature specially designed services like the Orange Email Wizard in one easy-to-manage place.

Once the “Android phase” is over, the two companies will bring Google Mobile App as well as other Google services to Symbian S60, BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) and Windows Mobile devices…

In a nutshell, Google is one step closer to ruling the world. Next in line are Vodafone (NYSE: VOD), T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) and Telefonica (NYSE: TEF), after which we can say the search giant dominates the western hemisphere.

Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s giving Virgin America customers an early holiday present. Jet-setters lucky enough to be flying Virgin America between November 10, 2009 and January 15, 2010 will be have access to free in-flight WiFi, courtesy of Google. If you’re on Virgin America’s email list, you’ll find the offer in your inbox today.

Virgin America has already been offering in-flight WiFi for travelers looking to keep themselves connected at cruising altitude, but this is the first time the airline has teamed up with Google to provide free WiFi service. The deal should give boost Virgin America’s holiday air-travel traffic, while Google gets a bit of positive press. That’s a win-win in our book!

Remember, your flight has to fall between Nov. 10 and Jan. 15 in order to take advantage of the free WiFi offer. Book flights through Virgin America’s website here.

Walmart is all about giving customers the best prices on everything from underwear to mobile phones. Come October 18th, Walmart will start offering discount wireless service too! Walmart has announced that they are breaking into the wireless business with an exclusive wireless service of their very own. Dubbed “Straight Talk,” Walmart’s own-branded wireless service offers customers discount wireless plans starting at just $30 per month with unlimited talk, text and web coming in at just $45 a month. What about contracts? Nope, you won’t find any contracts with Straight Talk.

Walmart teamed up with TracFone Wireless, one of the biggest names in prepaid wireless, to bring the exclusive Straight Talk service to its customers. The move reminds us of the good ole’ days when everyone and their sister had an MVNO to call their own. But while the MVNO fad proved mostly disastrous, Walmart’s super cheap Straight Talk service could have what it takes to turn the discount retailer into a legit prepaid wireless carrier.

The Straight Talk service will go live on October 18th, and offers nationwide coverage and unlimited 411 information services. The $30 “All You Need” plan includes 1,000 voice minutes, 1,000 text messages and 30MB of data. The $45 Unlimited plan includes, well, unlimited minutes, messages and data.

Unfortunately, you probably won’t be using too much data on Straight Talk’s lineup of mostly underwhelming sub-$100 handsets. Still, there’s at least one QWERTY phone in the bunch, so text message fiends have something to look forward to.

Full press release after the break.

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Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless has yet to jump on the Android train, but the carrier is determined to hop a ride in the near future. Today, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) and Verizon announced that they are working together to bring a “family of [Android] devices” to market in the near future. In fact, we should be seeing two new smartphones powered by Google’s mobile OS this year. We’re hoping one of those Android devices is going to be the Motorola Sholes/Tao that was missing at Motorola (NYSE: MOT)’s Android announcement last month.

There are apparently a handful of different manufacturers lining up to bring their Android wares to Verizon’s network. Some of them might even be working on an Android netbook. But, the most interestingly tidbit to come from Google’s partnership with Verizon is the expected arrival of Google Voice with Verizon’s first Android launch. In what we’re going to interpret as a jab at Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam confirmed that Google Voice would be a go on Verizon, adding that “you are either open, or you are not.”

As for when we’re going to see the Motorola Sholes hitting market, we can’t say. Our money is on a pre-holiday launch.

AT&T (NYSE: T) isn’t going to let their exclusive iPhone and its prolific AppStore get all the mobile app glory anymore. The No. 2 US wireless carrier has been pushing mobile applications through their on-deck AT&T Media Mall for longer than Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) has been selling the iPhone, and it seems AT&T wants to make a mobile app comeback. To that end, Big Blue has just acquired mobile app developer Plusmo.

What’s the big deal? Plusmo is in the business of making it easy to develop mobile apps for a variety of smartphones. Plusmo’s service champions the “code once, run everywhere” philosophy by giving developers the tools to convert/port their mobile app (coded in standardized web language) to the all sorts of smartphone platforms. With Plusmo’s technology under wing, AT&T is looking to encourage mobile devs to craft apps for all of its smartphones, not just the iPhone.

Why? Because AT&T won’t have the iPhone locked down forever. In fact, there’s a growing population of AT&T-hating iPhone lovers that probably wouldn’t have a problem dropping AT&T as their iPhone carrier… right now. When AT&T’s exclusive iPhone deal runs its course, it’s going to have to have a backup plan. That plan likely includes a smartphone portfolio that has enough mobile app support to keep AT&T at the top of its game.

[Update]
AT&T hasn’t fessed up to Plusmo’s purchase price yet, but we’re sure it’s a big number.

[Via: BusinessWeek]

Barnes & Noble has become the premier mega-bookstore drawing hoards of “customers” to its magazine shelves with free WiFi access. B&N’s deal with AT&T, allows patrons to surf the interwebs with abandon. Borders isn’t going to let it go down like that. The other book retailer has just announced that they’ve partnered up with Verizon (NYSE: VZ) to provide free WiFi in nearly all of its 500+ Borders bookstores in the US.

Borders is already working to equip its stores with WiFi networks. “By offering free Wi-Fi, we are extending the open atmosphere of exploration that is at the core of every great bookstore experience and furthering the sense of community we have always fostered at Borders,” says Borders Group Chief Executive Officer Ron Marshall.

The book-seller should start to see more customers loitering around its stores as it rolls out its free WiFi service in mid-October.

[Via: PRNewswire]

U.S. retailer JCPenney is partnering with Cellfire on mobile coupons, allowing shoppers to “ring up savings with an innovative cell-phone coupon program.” As a result, interested customers will be able to carry their coupons with them, no matter where they happen to be, and show/scan them directly from the phone’s screen at the register. For that purpose, JCPenney has installed 2D barcode readers in 16 of its stores in the Houston metro area.

To entice its customers to use the new service, JCPenney will promote the initiative through web and mobile advertising, and directly via e-mail and other messaging to members of JCPenney’s JCP Rewards program in the Houston market. Existing Cellfire users will also have access to the same coupons on their mobile phones they would receive from JCPenney by mail…