Apple Mulls Ditching Google for . . . Microsoft!?

It might be the closest thing the tech world has to a backhanded compliment.

On Wednesday, reports surfaced that Microsoft (MSFT) was in talks with Apple (AAPL) to make its Bing search engine the default option for Apple's blockbuster iPhone, replacing Google (GOOG). The thwarting maneuver by the two technology stalwarts with a deep-rooted, decades-long rivalry is testament to Google's growing might. But for Google investors, it should serve as a reminder that the search giant has a tendency to bite off more than it can chew.