“Earlier this week, fellow Fool Rick Munarriz wrote about Google CEO Eric Schmidt accepting a seat on Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) board. Rick suggested that Schmidt’s move was about making life miserable for Microsoft. I’ve got a different idea,” Jack Uldrich writes for The Motley Fool.
“In the short term, I think it’s more about Apple landing a spot for its iTunes digital media service on Google’s toolbar, and Google finding new ways to leverage its advertising network. In the longer term, though the picture begins to get cloudy, I have a sneaking suspicion that video content will play an increasing role in the two companies’ future relationship,” Uldrich writes. “Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I see a link here, in the person of former Vice President Al Gore.”
“A board member at Apple and “special advisor” to Google, Gore recently turned Hollywood star with a leading role in the global-warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth. In addition to his political and environment interests, Gore is also the founder and owner of Current TV, a current-affairs TV channel that shows user-generated programs,” Uldrich writes. “I find Gore’s roles at Apple, Google, and Current TV particularly interesting.”
Uldrich writes, “It could be true that Google, Apple, and Current TV won’t do anything together to rival television — but color me skeptical. For one thing, Gore was also at the Edinburgh event, where he said that he hopes his new channel will reach 50 million people by 2010. A little help from Google and Apple could only help to meet such an ambitious goal… If Google does have plans to eventually rival TV, I’d simply encourage the company to be more candid about them. But then again, showing its hand so early might be just the sort of strategy that Al Gore would advise Google against.”
Full article here.
You know, because “Current TV” is soooo very successful and Al Gore’s strategic advice is soooo tremendously valuable – almost as much as Naomi Wolf’s.
The usual late-August Apple news lull seems to have caused a particularly virulent strain of daftness this year.
We think Apple put Google’s CEO on the board because Steve thought it made the boardroom table visually balanced from his perspective: four per side. Having four guys sitting on one side and just three on the other was driving him absolutely crazy! It’s really that simple.
Plus, as anybody knows, 8 is better than 7: the 8 spokes of the Dharmachakra, the 8 dynamics of life, tarot card No. 8 means “strength,” turn an 8 sideways and you have ∞, Carl Yastrzemski’s retired number, 8 maids a-milking, etc.
Related articles:
Google CEO on Apple’s board opens up many possibilities, including outdueling Microsoft – August 31, 2006
Re: Google CEO elected to Apple Computer’s Board of Directors – August 30, 2006
Dvorak: Does Apple’s board addtion of Google’s Schmidt portend Apple-Sun merger? – August 30, 2006
Apple and Google cozy up to make Microsoft jealous – August 30, 2006
Google CEO to help shape Apple’s future – August 30, 2006
Google CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt joins Apple’s Board of Directors – August 29, 2006
You forgot that 8 is also one of the Lost numbers.
John Dvorak thinks Schmitt is joining Apple to aid in a merger with SunMicro. Was amused to see Dvorak do an interview, on CNBC, without spitting his blog address out.
Remember this?
Thought you might be interested in this forgotten bit of information……….
It was 1987! At a lecture the other day they were playing an old news video of Lt.Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra hearings during the Reagan Administration.
There was Ollie in front of God and country getting the third degree, but what he said was stunning!
He was being drilled by a senator; “Did you not recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?”
Ollie replied, “Yes, I did, Sir.”
The senator continued, trying to get a laugh out of the audience, “Isn’t that just a little excessive?”
“No, sir,” continued Ollie.
“No? And why not?” the senator asked.
“Because the lives of my family and I were threatened, sir.”
“Threatened? By whom?” the senator questioned.
“By a terrorist, sir” Ollie answered.
“Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?”
“His name is Osama bin Laden, sir” Ollie replied.
At this point the senator tried to repeat the name, but couldn’t pronounce it, which most people back then probably couldn’t. A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then the senator continued. Why are you so afraid of this man?” the senator asked.
“Because, sir, he is the most evil person alive that I know of”, Ollie answered.
“And what do you recommend we do about him?” asked the senator.
“Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an assassin team be formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth.”
The senator disagreed with this approach, and that was all that was shown of the clip.
By the way, that senator was Al Gore.
Also:
Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in Israel in 1986. The Israelis captured, tried and imprisoned him. As part of the Oslo agreement with the Palestinians in 1993, Israel had to agree to release so-called “political prisoners.”
However, the Israelis would not release any with blood on their hands. The American President at the time, Bill Clinton, and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, “insisted” that all prisoners be released.
Thus Mohammad Atta was freed and eventually thanked the US by flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center. This was reported by many of the American TV networks at the time that the terrorists were first identified.
It was censored in the US from all later reports.
Why the hating on Al Gore? He invented the internet. Everyone jokes about it but seriously, without the work he did in the Senate to get certain projects funded we would most likely not have the internet we know and love to today.
The Schmidt possibilities are interesting, but all we have is speculation. But the Gore position on the board is ridiculous. He’s a twit with nothing to offer, except for giving Jobs the opportunity of showing his hippie roots to his buddies.
Google + Apple + Al Gore’s Current TV = An easily searchable database of defunct and soon-to-be-defunct TV networks and shows with an innovative, elegant GUI.
Duh.
So Al Gore owns Current? Cool. That’s a neat network. I don’t watch it regularly, but when there’s nothing else on, I flip over. It’s never boring. And it looks like the network is run on a shoestring, so I doubt it needs much in the way of ratings to break even.
(Oh, and the reason for the hating on Al Gore is because the site is run by right-leaners. It becomes obvious the longer you pay attention.)
Granny–the terrorist’s name was Abu Nidal, you menopausal, neo-facist, Lily Riefenstal (I’m too mad to care if I spelled that correctly) wanna-be!
Look it up in the Congressional record. I don’t have to, because I was WATCHING IT AT THE TIME!
Oh yeah, Ollie shitting all over the uniform he didn’t deserve. Makes one proud.
No, the hating on Al Gore is because he’s a moron that doesn’t really add anything of substance to Apple.
Please Jay, enlighten us… what, exactly, did Al Gore do to “invent” the Internet? The guy is moron and him being on the Apple board is ludicrous.
LordRobin,
It’s obvious that MDN is joking, you insipid, tight-ass, insular “left-leaner.” Hey, I know ’em when I see ’em! (That’s a joke, too: see my “name?”)
Al Gore is fine. And a fine target for poking fun. Or are only Bush and Cheney allowed to be made fun of in your tiny little world?
Lighten up.
We hate Al Gore because we must NOT think for ourselves.
Right = right! Always! There can be NO dissenting voices in democracy!
What America needs is more of the same! MDN knows this and they cannot abide non-Republicans!
This post will be deleted in 3… 2… and 1!
This is my favorite video on Current TV, because it’s so true!!
http://www.current.tv/watch/5970347
Again, it just goes to show that it sure doesn’t take much to draw the commie leftists around here offsides. Reading your dramatic (and often highly inaccurate factually) overreactions are always quite hilarious.
Granny: Take your urban legend somewhere else.
In numerology, 7 is a perfect number.
Al Gore is a moron. I am watching him on British telly right now kissing up to the UK. It is embarrassing to watch. What must it be like to be him?
NO 7’S THE NUMBER! 7 MINUTE ABS! 7 LITTLE CHIMPMONKS TWIRLING ON A BRANCH…
“8 maids a-milking”
MDN, sometimes you really do crack me up! ‘Course, I’m not a tight-ass Liberal who can’t laugh at a thing for a week when one of their own blocks of wood is the focus of a tiny bit of humor.
MacBill,
Thanks for the URL; I loved the video. And I am sure the neo-conservatives* will guarantee that the Republican presidential candidate wins in 2008 as well.
*(Neo-conservative? What’s so new about fascism?)
Granny, you’re 100% correct. I saw that session of congress. Lower case, because they are ALL low life.
That maroon Gorey couldn’t invent a hair-net, let alone the internet.
MacBill, take your urban legend and dump it along with Granny’s…
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
http://www.snopes.com/rumors/north.asp
Granny… I love your attempt… but do the research to be sure you’re quoting the truth next time. And also make sure that when you present something here that it’s clear who did the writing and what part is quoted from somewhere else.
http://www.snopes.com/rumors/north.asp
MW=The thing about the truth is that if it’s not true, it ain’t the truth. Ain’t that the truth?
MacBill… give it up.
(whiner)