Lycos has announced the launch of its new mobile marketplace. PlayPhone, Inc., a company that specializes in direct-to-consumer wireless distribution, will power the online store.

Sure, Google searchers like to keep abreast on world events, as long as those world events happen near Paris. Ahem, Paris Hilton that is. Like jewelry, we like our celebrities, and news about our celebrities, shiny, dumb and useless

There’s a lesson to be learned here – if you are a fallen pop star that’s getting loads of bad press because of a tabloid fodder marriage, there may be a way to reclaim your buzz – show the paparazzi what’s underneath your skirt. Just ask Britney Spears.

Wow, I gotta come back to this later, but when I just walked into PodTech’s offices after a day of interviewing and being mostly off of the Net several people came up to me and said “did you hear what happened at Le Web conference?”

Andy Atkins-Krger is covering the Search Engine Strategies conference in Paris this week and today quotes Francois Bourdoncle, CEO and founder of France-based search engine Exalead in the opening keynote of Search Engine Strategies Paris as saying . “We’re all helping to create the Google monster” and calls the major search engines the “Walmarts of the digital world.”

There are some great learning and professional development events taking place in Europe during the next few weeks that you might want to consider being part of.

YouTube’s quest to maximize its monetary potential culminates with a night in Paris. Sorry. Wrong preposition. A night with Paris. Kicking off the premiere video site’s venture into rich media advertising, Paris Hilton gets her own channel to promote her music video and album release.

Google updated its map service in Europe to include street level views and driving directions in much of Western Europe. You may still be on your own, though, when trying to exit that famous London roundabout.