By With his brilliant performance as the emcee for Google’s Android-related keynote at Google I/O, Vic Gondotra has emerged as the voice of Google’s mobile products. We laughed, we cheered, we cried (ok, so maybe we didn’t cry…well at least I didn’t) as he smoothly sailed past malfunctioning tech demos, delivered Android announcements with the fervor of a burning bush on Mt. Sinai, and took a few pot shots at Apple without even sounding defensive or mean. I could probably sit and listen to the man wax philosophical on any topic, but throw in Android and it just gets good. I’m sorry, I seem to be developing a little man-crush…moving on.
Vic sat down with Evelyn Rusli at TechCrunch Disrupt to talk a bit more about the future of Android and its position in the mobile space. Some interesting things to take away:
- Vic sees location-based services such as Latitude and Buzz as the future of mobile software, and says all of Google’s future products will use location awareness in some way.
- He predicts smartphone prices will drop as the mobile phone becomes the main computing device in developing markets.
- Google is examining the tablet market and have been working on some interesting things, but you’ll have to wait for any official announcement.
Of course, any post-Google I/O discussion with Vic wouldn’t be complete without bringing up his tactfully placed jabs at Apple. He says they were all in good fun, and only meant to highlight Google’s approach to their products. Watch the full video below to be mesmerized by the man himself.
[via TechCrunch]
I love how Google can make small jabs at the competitions while still coming off as professional yet competitive. While whenever Apple and Jobs make a jab they come off as crazy blasphemy spewing lunatics.
@Ryan
“…While whenever Apple and Jobs make a jab they come off as crazy blasphemy spewing lunatics.”
Because they ARE crazy blasphemy spewing lunatics Ryan!
The way apple makes jabs, and google makes jabs are very different. google doesn’t insult companies or people and ignore a technology that has been around for a long time. apple on the other hand makes child-like statements that just piss people off. look at some of steve jobs quotes, they are pathetic
@boxy
Thats true, thats one of the reason Im (personally) so pissed at Apple. They think they have such a large voice in the direction technology takes that they they think anything they say will happen. And that even the most child-like statements will be followed like we are some mindless zombies. I couldn’t believe the number of people who actually said “hey who needs flash” right after Job’s anti-flash letter. I was astounded at the number of people who were brainwashed to blindly follow anything they said. I am glad to recently see that people are beginning to realize the importance of Flash, due in no small part to Google IO’s demos.
Funny how the interviewer has an Apple laptop on her lap.
The good news about all this is that Google is making Android more awesome. Smartphone prices will drop as they become, more or less, the default mobile computing platform for most people. There will be an Android tablet that kicks ass. Lastly, Google even knows it’s not worth verbally assaulting Apple because Apple/Jobs does a good enough job of making themselves look like idiots.
@Shane
I noticed that too, along with most of the Google IO demos being on a Mac, very strange choice.
thought this was interesting and wanted to share:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/technology/26apple.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
@Ryan… I noticed the demos on Macs as well. The guy from Spring however was running Ubuntu. I understand many engineers at Google use Ubuntu or another distro so I wonder why they don’t use that rather than cover up Apple logos on their Macs lol.
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I’m glad to see Google has put a human face with some spunk on their company. If this guy keeps giving the keynotes they’ll only grow from it.
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And yes I think its funny how Apple has gotten the big head. As I stated before on another article. Apple is not a software engineering company like Google. They do not have the power to shape software and technology that Google has come to have and they never will. Thats because they are a gadget and laptop company and rarely share any of their inner workings. They shape the gadget world and thats it. Since Google is a large internet player, uses open source, and has to engineer large web properties people listen when they say something about technology. They release some code and people use it because they know its battle tested. Apple simply doesn’t have that clout and can’t shift people away from Adobe or any other technology. Google can if they wanted to because they have the clout and the engineers to produce alternatives. Apple is just along for the ride on what ever the big boys hammer out.
They had Both Windows & Mac laptops.
Forget what Vic’s talking bout I would b**g the s**t outta that chick dammmnnnnn!!!
He moved the show along nicely, but I wouldn’t say he was a brilliant speaker. I think you were just overwhelmed with all the good news.
@ilaofficial
you should probably have put it a bit more eloquently. maybe in the form of lyrics: “damn you half-Japanese girls do it to me every time oh…”
Did anyone else hate the girl interviewing him? She talked very quickly, and seemed to be under-informed/predisposed.
Childish, boring. This is the face of Google? Meh
@steve
i disagree, i think he is well articulated and knows how to present ideas and information well. Lets face it, google needed some kind of a face for all of these mobile initiatives.
Vic won everyone over at I/O when he said “I remember Andy’s second point. He argued that if Google did not act we faced a draconian future, a future where one man, one company, one device, one carrier would be our only choice. That’s a future we don’t want.”
did you guys see Vic with Conan?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7TwqpWiY5s
My first exposure to this guy was from watching his moderating duties when Conan O’brien was recently at Google. Conan made him seem incredibly awkward and made some jokes at his expense, but it’s good to see he is normally a well spoken, dynamic guy. Just don’t put him next to a brilliant stand up comic a foot and a half taller than him.
yeah i saw that conan thing too. that is a lot harder than it looks. Conan was constantly making jokes and going off on tangents and Vic was trying to ask the questions. but yeah he can present technology well, and thats what counts
Forget about him…..WHO is SHE? ;) And I won’t fault her for being an Apple product user!
uh guys…. the Steve guy that just commented…. IS STEVE JOBS.
LOL I have heard Macs are where its at…if this is true then what’s wrong with that? I mean Google does not have any laptops out to compare to Macs so…if Macs are number one why wouldn’t they use one? I Will probably get one myself…what’s good is good and should be bought
he really luks like mr. bean’s brother :)