In hot pursuit of its larger objective of providing more and more services through mobile devices, Google has now gone and acquired mobile social network, 'Zingku'.

A move likely to fuel further speculation about a 'Google Phone' in the offing...

Started in 2005, 'Zingku' is a mobile social network that typically targets teenagers and 20-somethings, helping them to share photos, send invites, and conduct polls through mobile phones for free.

There's also a 'shameless commerce' aspect to the network, which enables businesses send access code to customers to help them download and share 'mobile flyers'.

'Zingku' deploys standard text and picture messaging on mobile phones, and browsers on the Web, sans installation of special software.

With the acquisition, the network has frozen new account sign-ups. Its Web site says that existing accounts will be transferred to Google unless cancelled by Oct 4.

While the nitty-gritty of the acquisition hasn't been revealed, Google has confirmed "acquiring certain assets and technology of Zingku".

All said, with a privacy policy that reads something like: "The success of our business depends on maintaining your privacy. Also, our mothers brought us up properly, so even if our business didn't depend upon protecting your privacy, we would still protect it because we would experience extreme guilt if we didn't," 'Zingku' sounds every bit like the cocky upstart that a Google would love to associate with...