01/27, 6:55pm
Disclosed as part of 'no poaching' civil case
An unredacted letter from Steve Jobs to Google head Eric Schmidt in March of 2007 reveals that Google was attempting to recruit an Apple engineer, which resulted in swift repercussions after Schmidt was notified. The letter is part of a court case that alleges that informal "no poaching" agreements between Apple, Google and five other tech companies amounted to a conspiracy to limit opportunities and keep compensation low.
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01/05, 4:40pm
Will beat out Schmidt, other tech leaders
Apple CEO Tim Cook may be about to vastly increase his personal wealth, notes an executive compensation tracking firm, Equilar. Parts of two separate restricted stock unit grants belonging to Cook are vesting in the current quarter. Based on Apple's closing stock price on December 30th, the shares are estimated to be worth about $96.2 million.
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11/08, 9:45am
Google chair has no plans for Android royalties
Google chairman Eric Schmidt in a Korean media event promised that Android would stay free to license. In spite of pressure for patent licenses from Microsoft and Oracle, partners wouldn't be charged directly by Google as Microsoft does with Windows Phone. He didn't say, however, whether Google would provide any help to companies being made to pay higher royalties in patent disputes that touch on Android itself, not their specific software additions.
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11/07, 12:00pm
Google CEO Schmidt to meet with Samsung, KT, LG
Google Chairman Eric Schmidt will be in Seoul this week to meet with executives from South Korea's leading telecom and personal electronics companies. According to a source at The Korean Times, Schmidt will announce a number of significant investments in Korea, including a possible local Internet Data Center. Until recently, Google has struggled to establish itself in the market against Korean search companies Naver and Daum.
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11/06, 4:20am
Google claims Siri poses competitive threat
Google chairman Eric Schmidt has told a U.S. Senate antitrust subcommittee that Apple’s Siri personal assistant is a potential threat to its core search business. The admission reverses a statement that Schmidt made in September last year where he had said that Apple did not pose a ‘competitive threat.’ Schmidt argued that the arrival of Siri is a ‘significant threat’ and even cited two publications that have called the voice recognition app a ‘Google killer.’
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09/21, 3:35pm
Google chairman says Android inherently fair
Google chairman Eric Schmidt in his Senate testimony over possible antitrust abuses denied that Android was anti-competitive. When asked if Android could be modified to artificially hinder third-party apps, he contended that Android's purportedly open nature wouldn't allow it. Taking a dig at Microsoft, he noted that strictly closed-source code was where antitrust issues could happen, since it was only there that a firm could hide unfair limitations.
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07/19, 9:15am
Google chair claims innocence in Android lawsuits
Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt in a speech at his company's Mobile Revolution conference in Tokyo claimed that lawsuits and trade disputes from Apple and Microsoft were just the result of jealousy. The two were mad at the rapid growth of Android, now up to 550,000 activations a day, and were only trying to slow it down. Google had "not done anything wrong" in spite of ITC findings of patent violations, and competitors were just envious of Android features.
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06/24, 8:40am
Google's Eric Schmidt may have put Android on N9
Nokia may have experimented with Android on the Nokia N9 as an alternative to MeeGo, according to a source. Photos sent to Engadget appear to show an N9 running a stock Gingerbread install. The phone may have been part of Google chief Eric Schmidt's effort to convince Nokia CEO Stephen Elop to use Android as an alternative to MeeGo.
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06/18, 5:20pm
Google gets Photovine trademark and domain
Google may be planning to expand its photo sharing beyond just Picasa. The company obtained a trademark for "Photovine" on June 7 and used proxy firm MarkMonitor to acquire Photovine.com just a week later. Few clues exist as to what it would involve, although the trademark bills it as "transmission of visual images and data by telecommunications networks" and "on-line social networking services."
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05/31, 10:15pm
Google shoots down talk of ending Apple
Google chief Eric Schmidt at the first D9 interview on Tuesday night shot down rumors of Apple ending their map deal. Describing the interrelationships between Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google as the "gang of four" growing the fastest in the tech industry, he revealed that Google had "just renewed" its map partnership with Apple. He would have been surprised if Apple decided to jump ship just after making a deal.
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05/24, 4:55pm
e-G8 summit works against French president
The e-G8 summit in Paris brought pressure on French president Nicolas Sarkozy for his comments on technology. Having argued for "minimum rules" that would have prevented sites like WikiLeaks from getting hosting and previously backed France's infamous three-strikes law, he was followed by a panel that rejected his calls for tighter regulation. Google executive president recapped a previous stance and said he was looking for a "technological solution" to make both sides happy before turning to laws, noting it was virtually impossible for government to understand change as quickly.
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05/19, 10:10pm
Filings surface amid CEO's caution over security
Despite Google executive Eric Schmidt's recent comments cautioning against the use of facial recognition systems, several patent filings suggest the search giant has worked to develop such technology. As noted in an Atlantic report, one of the filings, titled "Facial Recognition with Social Networking Aiding," was submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization on August 6, 2010.
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03/31, 11:10pm
Dell and Ballmer compete for last place
Despite Steve Jobs' presence at the top of Barron's latest list of 'Most Valuable' CEOs, the Apple co-founder has slipped behind Google head Eric Schmidt in terms of CEO approval ratings. The Glassdoor survey, which includes data from company employees, suggests that Jobs still holds a 95 percent approval rating for the year spanning from March 2010 to March 2011, down from 98 percent the previous year.
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03/18, 3:25pm
Google's Schmidt may become Commerce Secretary
Numerous rumors have pinpointed Google's soon-to-be-outgoing CEO Eric Schmidt as a candidate for Secretary of Commerce. President Obama is reportedly close to picking the executive and could make the decision public within two weeks. SAI in picking up on discussions didn't name alternative candidates.
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02/18, 12:35pm
Jobs, Zuckerberg get prominent seats
Several major US technology executives have been officially photographed with President Obama at a dinner meeting on Thursday night. As expected, three people on the guest list included Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Google's Eric Schmidt, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Jobs and Zuckerberg were notably given the most prominent positions during the dinner, seated directly to the left and right of the President.
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02/17, 9:35am
Topics to include R&D, education, energy
Several major tech CEOs will be meeting with President Obama at a San Francisco event this evening, sources tell ABC News. Amongst the business heads attending the event will allegedly be Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Google's Eric Schmidt, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs. A White House official explains that the assembly will talk about "promoting American innovation," as well as the Obama administration's interests in funding education, clean energy, and research and development.
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02/01, 12:55pm
Google chair not confirming, denying recruitment
Google chairman Eric Schmidt is sidestepping discussion of whether he might become the next Apple CEO. "In the first place, it's not appropriate. Steve [Jobs] is still the CEO and I hope he continues forever," Schmidt told CNBC in a Monday interview. In response to whether or not Apple has approached him to make an offer, however, Schmidt would neither confirm or deny the suggestion. "I'm not going to talk about private conversations with anybody," the chairman is quoted as saying.
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01/27, 12:40pm
Apple and Google CEOs allegedly intervened
Google engineering VP Vic Gundotra and Apple marketing VP Phil Schiller came into intense conflict over Google Maps in 2008, according to sources cited by Bloomberg and 9to5Mac. A Bloomberg article remarks that as Android first became a threat to the iPhone, Apple began resisting Google claims to location data accumulated whenever an iPhone owner uses Google Maps. Negotiations became so hot, two sources say, that the CEOs of Apple and Google had to step in and resolve the situation.
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01/24, 1:30pm
Forstall seen as trumping Cook, Ive, Schiller
Financial publication Fast Company has published a new ranking of possible replacements for Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The magazine notes that even if Jobs does return from his current medical leave, the company will eventually have to find a replacement. The top potential candidate is argued to be Apple's senior VP of iPhone software, Scott Forstall. He is "young, possesses the right kind of technical knowledge and dynamism, and has become an increasingly important figure in key Apple product decisions," according to the magazine.
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01/20, 4:40pm
Google CEO Schmidt steps down as CEO for Page
In a surprise move, Google chief Eric Schmidt said alongside his company's financial results that he was stepping down from his position. Company co-founder Larry Page will take the top position as of April 4 while fellow founder Sergey Brin will be titled as a Co-Founder. Schmidt will stay on only as Executive Chairman.
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12/14, 5:15pm
Gmail vet predicts Chrome OS dies in 2011
Gmail's core developer Paul Buchheit today said in a prediction that he expected Chrome OS to die in 2011. The former Google employee and FriendFeed creator expected that it would either be ended outright or else "merged" with Android. In a defense on FriendFeed, he noted that there was no point to Chrome OS and argued that even the Cr-48 netbook was a mistake.
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12/01, 6:10pm
Jobs, Zuckerberg top CEO approvals while MS lags
An updated list of CEO approval ratings from Glassdoor has shown a wide disparity between some technology firms' executives. Apple's Steve Jobs, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Eric Schmidt lead the group, all claiming 96 to 97 percent approval from their staff on the site. Rivals were much lower, however, and saw MySpace president Mike Jones at 60 percent, Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz at 56 and Microsoft's Steve Ballmer at a particularly low 49 percent.
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11/15, 9:35pm
Android to maintain focus on touchscreen input
Google CEO Eric Schmidt took time at the Web 2.0 summit to clarify his company's strategy for Chrome OS devices. The executive reaffirmed that Google designed Chrome OS around devices that provide a hardware keyboard for input, rather than the touch-only configuration common to most tablets on the market.
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10/30, 5:15am
Page and Brin wanted Jobs, but settled on Schmidt
According to a new Bloomberg documentary called Game Changers, Google founders Larry Paige and Sergey Brin visited Apple’s Cupertino campus for a meeting with Steve Jobs where they offered him the position of Google CEO. In all, the pair reportedly interviewed around thirteen candidates. Ultimately, Page and Brin settled on current Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
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09/24, 5:05pm
Comments refute rumors of Bing takeover on iOS
Apple has reportedly extended its search agreement with Google, the search giant's CEO, Eric Schmidt, told BusinessWeek in an interview. The executive downplayed suggestions of animosity from Steve Jobs, following Schmidt's departure last year from Apple's board of directors as Google continued its push into the mobile arena.
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09/24, 2:00pm
Google chief says Android can't be forced as stock
Google chief Eric Schmidt in an interview posted today (video below) from from the Zeitgeist conference provided contradictory answers on why the company refuses to require an option for unaltered Android on smartphones. He insisted to Search Engine Land that the company couldn't make carriers or phone designers give the choice since it would be "violating the principle of open source." The principle demands that everyone have control, even if it means options being locked out for end users.
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07/28, 3:45pm
Schmidt says Android could have subscription news
Google chief Eric Schmidt floated the possibility today of a subscription news service for Android. When asked whether Android could be a significant money generator, the executive was confident the OS could make $10 billion a year by adding paid access to online newspapers. As 160,000 phones are sold each day, it would only take a small subscription to immediately generate a a large amount of revenue.
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07/09, 10:15am
Google denies trying to kill iPhone
Google during its time at the Allen & Co. Sun Valley media conference said that Apple CEO Steve Jobs' claims about Android being a response to iPhone were spin. Co-founder Larry Page argued that Jobs' view of Android coming afterwards was a "little bit of rewriting history" and reminded guests that Google had been developing Android for a "very long time" before the iPhone was introduced in early 2007. The company had always wanted an Internet-aware phone with strong web browsing, according to Page.
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06/02, 12:10am
Jobs clear Google will stay for now
Steve Jobs at his D8 session made it clear that Apple didn't plan to take on Google in the search space. He stated bluntly that Apple had "no" plans to drop Google or its apps from the iPhone and that there wouldn't be retaliation by competing directly with Google's core search engines. The conversation recalled Jobs' well-known townhall meeting, where the executive accused Google of competing against Apple without warning but implied he wouldn't retaliate on a one-for-one level.
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04/10, 6:30pm
iPhone 4 alludes to Google split or souring
A discovery today in the iPhone 4.0 beta has shown that Apple has removed a reference to Google in mobile Safari. When searching in the browser, the auto-complete button in the on-screen keyboard has changed from "Google" to simply "Search." The actual search feature still uses Google.
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03/22, 6:45pm
Google, Apple may have seen split at Burning Man
Google chief Eric Schmidt was genuinely shocked when he was berated by Steve Jobs for the first time over Android, an alleged tell-all supposedly revealed today. While headed to the 2007 Burning Man festival, Schmidt is said to have received a "ferocious" call from the Apple co-founder, who attacked him for establishing Android and allegedly deceiving Apple about his smartphone plans while sitting on the iPhone creator's board of directors. The dialogue was enough to have made the normally calm Schmidt upset and produce a "weird" expression on his face.
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02/17, 9:45am
Jobs, rest of Apple notably absent from event
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has won the title of Mobile Personality of the Year at the 2010 Global Mobile Awards, which were held this Tuesday as part of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Mobile Personality award was created for the 15th anniversary of the GMAs, and is said to reflect "the contributions of individuals, established names, new thinkers, and rising starts, across the global industry and leaders of other industries that have contributed to the growth and convergence of mobile during the last year." Other nominees included Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who has helped to spearhead the Android mobile platform.
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01/20, 3:45pm
Would conflict with cult of Apple
It would be a serious mistake for Apple to contemplate switching to Bing as the default search service on the iPhone, say Oppenheimer analysts. News emerged today that Apple may be in talks with Microsoft, looking to make the switch as a means of distancing itself from Google. Google has its own phone platform, Android, and still earns money from the ads displayed in iPhone search results.
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12/21, 11:10am
List concentrates exclusively on financials
Apple's Steve Jobs has placed first in a CEO list compiled by the INSEAD business school. Set to be published in the next issue of the Harvard Business Review, the list is based on a collection of about 2,000 CEOs, and does not measure people by popularity or ethics but simply their financial importance to a company and its shareholders. Ranking is determined by a combination of change in market cap, industry-adjusted total shareholder return (TSR) and country-adjusted TSR.
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08/14, 11:35am
AAPL board to talk Schmidt
Apple's board of directors will meet on Tuesday in order to suggest replacements for Google CEO Eric Schmidt, claims a source contacted by the Wall Street Journal. Schmidt resigned from the Apple board earlier this month amidst growing conflicts of interest, which were ultimately capped by the announcement of Chrome OS. The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating links between Apple and Google's boards, which go beyond Schmidt to Genentech chairman Arthur Levinson.
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08/07, 9:20am
Schmidt's Apple pay
Google CEO Eric Schmidt declined to take normal pay during his tenure on the Apple board of directors, according to SEC documents. Apple proxy filings submitted between 2007 and 2009 show that Schmidt took home only $8,712 in Apple products, plus a "commemorative gift" worth $7,580. To compensate for tax penalties on the gift, he was given another $14,631.
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08/03, 5:10pm
AAPL, GOOG probes proceed
The resignation of Eric Schmidt from Apple's board of directors will not put to rest a Federal Trade Commission investigation, says the group's Bureau of Competition director, Richard Feinstein. Apple announced Schmidt's departure early Monday morning, citing the existence of Chrome OS as a potential conflict of interest. It is illegal for two US companies to share directors when they are also nominally competing in the same field.
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05/08, 11:10am
Schmidt on FTC probe
No plans exist to resign from Apple's board of directors, in spite of an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission, says Eric Schmidt. The Google CEO spoke to reporters in advance of the company's shareholders meeting, the Associated Press writes, defending himself against suggestions that his participation in Apple may violate antitrust laws. The Clayton Antitrust Act prevents someone from serving on two boards if it may hinder competition.
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05/04, 11:40pm
FTC looks at AAPL and GOOG
The Federal Trade Commission has initiated an investigation surrounding ties between board members at Apple and Google, according to the New York Times. Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former Genentech CEO Arthur Levinson hold positions as simultaneous board members of both companies. Unnamed sources familiar with the matter claim Apple and Google have been notified by the commission that an antitrust inquiry has begun.
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02/25, 3:35pm
Apple board re-elected
Choosing at an annual meeting, Apple shareholders have voted to re-elect all members of the company's current board of directors. These include Al Gore, Intuit CEO Bill Campbell, J. Crew CEO Millard Drexler, Avon CEO Andrea Jung, Genentech head Arthur Levinson, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and Harwinton Capital leader Jerome York. Most critical may be the re-election of Apple's own CEO, Steve Jobs, who together with the rest of the board will serve for at least one more year.
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01/08, 10:00am
Apple 2009 proxy statement
Apple has posted an online edition of its 2009 proxy statement, as required by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The document lays down the plan for the company's annual shareholders' meeting, which is scheduled for February 25th at 10 AM Pacific time, inside Building 4 of the Cupertino headquarters. Investors are being asked to re-elect Apple's current board of directors, which aside from CEO Steve Jobs includes seven others such as Al Gore and Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
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06/11, 7:50pm
Schmidt talks about Apple
Google CEO and Apple board member Eric Schmidt on Wednesday offered his point of view as Apple and Google's wireless strategies are set to compete later this year when the latter company's Android mobile platform sees store shelves through various mobile manufacturers. According to MarketWatch, Schmidt notes that while both companies share common goals in the wireless market, his role at Apple has not compromised by plans for Android, "so far."
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