The big question now exercizing the technology community is: what are they up to?

Speculation is rife, given their respective talents, that they may be part of a concerted Googleplan to out-Microsoft Microsoft in the browser space, by devising a rival to Internet Explorer.

According to the New York Post this week, rumors that Google was developing a Mozilla-based browser have been fueled by Google's holding of a recent Mozilla event on its campus:

"Last month, Google hosted Mozilla Developer Day on its campus, a gathering of programmers that work together to build sequels to the re-named Netscape browser. Mozilla...could be shaped to Google's specifications and be embedded with Google search, Gmail free e-mail and other Google applications."

The New York Post also noted that Google may be pursuing a broader concept, one similar to the "network computer" envisioned by Oracle chief Larry Ellison during a speech in 1995:

"The idea is that companies or consumers could buy a machine that costs only about $200, or less, but that has very little hard drive space and almost no software. Instead, users would access a network through a browser and access all their programs and data there."

The concept floundered, but programmers note that Google could easily pick up the ball. Already, its Gmail free e-mail system gives users 100 megabytes of storage space on a remote network - providing consumers a virtual hard drive."

One technology observer with a yen for research "took a guess and did a whois search for Gbrowser.com."

Indeed Google Inc. is listed as the registrant, snagging the name on April 24 of this year.