During its Q3 earning conference call last week, Google made an effort to show its support - support that has been lacking lately, it must be said - for its Android mobile operating system.

"Android adoption is about to explode," said CEO Eric Schmidt, whose last public statement was one of sincere respect for the iPhone, and how the iPhone is the internet giant's largest source of mobile searches.

But its partnership with US operator Verizon Wireless does promise to put Android very much in the American public's eye, as a TV advertising campaign is launched to promote its first Google-powered smartphone, the Droid.

CFO Patrick Pichette took over the call to bolster Schmidt's previous statement regarding the inherent increase in mobile searches, implying Google's thinking behind the whole free, open source Android project is indeed to increase the awareness, use and proliferation of connected handsets and get the world searching Google on the go.

And it seems to be working.