Much buzz online today about a Wall Street Journal article promoting the rumor that Google is close to entering the mobile phone market by releasing an advertising-supported smartphone called the GPhone... or maybe the Google Phone... or maybe the Whoozawhatsis...

"Google has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the cellphone project, say people who have been briefed on it," write the WSJ's Amol Sharma and Kevin J. Delaney. "It has developed prototype handsets, made overtures to operators such as T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, and talked over technical specifications with phone manufacturers. It hopes multiple manufacturers will make devices based on its specs and multiple carriers will offer them."

More here from InformationWeek ... more here from the Washington Post ... more here from the Daily Telegraph ... more here from the Guardian ... more here from ITPro ... and more here from TopTechNews.

Sexy (and utterly fake) photo above is from T3, with thanks to Google-Phone.com.