Google announces presentation app

Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, announced an addition to docs and spreadsheets, a powerpoint competitor for presentations. Right now, details are sketchy, but Schmidt presented it as a no frills version of powerpoint focused on collaboration. Expect more coverage throughout the day, but Schmidt breezed over it at the web2.0 conference.

Now, he’s talking about doubleclick, if he talks about the presentation app we’ll update again. Nothing new here.

Sidenote: Schmidt implies they’ll get rid of doubleclick cookies.

Schmidt: Microsoft and AT&T’s claims of anti-trust with google are false. Straight out false. “They’re are a long list of reasons why they’re wrong.”

Battelle: Let’s talk about a controversial issue: YouTube and copyright.

Schmidt: Google is OK with YouTube/Viacom, hiding behind DMCA. Schmidt talks about the ABC (australia) google 16-year-old problem.

Anyone else think schmidt is gates’ good twin (or conversely, that gates is Schmidt’s evil twin?)

Google introducing a “CYC” claim your content tool for copyright holders to police youtube easier.

Sidenote: WiFi at the convention seems to be improving.

Schmidt: “We are investing billions of dollars in capital into data centers.” “We think that more applications using that are very good.”

Battelle: What about net neutrality?

Schmidt: Not concerned about telcos and cable companies as competitors, but as partners. Of course they’re supporting net neutrality… since net neutrality created google and other small comapnies. Google could survive a problem of loss of net neutrality, but any young company founders would get screwed. We get it. Everyone claps, because yes, net neutrality helps small companies. We get it already.

Battelle: “Who do you want to acquire?”

Schmidt: Mobile companies look interesting to us. We think 3g and 4g networks have tremendous power, and the mobile space is wide open, and we’re looking at partnering with companies for the mobile web. Another area: local space. Most transactions in advertising are local advertising, geotargeted ads etc. Most search engines don’t take care of local information. Quite a few companies are figuring out local search.

Battelle: “what’s the firs thting you think of?”

Schmidt: I think of my email.

Battelle: “Gates’ glasses are smudgy.”

Schmidt: “The thing I think about at google is scaling.” Talks about his forward looking scaling approach from the mid nineties. In order to win on the internet is the scaling strategy. Scaling for google means more data centers, more resources, etc. We’re really in scalings infancy.

Google: “We’ll never track your usage. Ever.” They’re working on allowing users to export their data and get out of google, as opposed to trapping users into their services.

Battelle: Last question: On the board of apple now, wtf?

Schmidt: Apple is an amazing story, as a company, technology supplier, products, etc. Some of the best people in the world work at apple. As they watch how the decisions are made, Schmidt has been collaborating with apple. Google maps inside of the iPhone.

That’s a wrap kids! Be back later!