As Android continues to heat up, so do the claims of the mobile operating system from Google being fragmented, among other things. Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman at Google, spoke at CES and denied that fragmentation existed with the Android ecosystem.

Now, the company has and continues to do better in that aspect. Android 4.0 is supposed to change that and give a unified experience across all devices, though in the past and still currently, fragmentation exists.

There’s all sorts of different versions on smartphones as of right now, many devices not getting updated and/or stuck with an older version, and so on. Either way, let’s give Eric the chance to explain.

From eWeek:

“When CNET host Molly Wood asked Schmidt specifically about Android fragmentation, Schmidt denied Android had any, explaining that Android had “differentiation.” Schmidt explained the difference thusly; differentiation means OEMs will choose how to customize an open-source platform such as Android based on their view of innovation.”

“Fragmentation, he said, occurs when applications only run on one device but not others, locking users out of consuming those apps. Wood asked whether some of that was happening with Android. Schmidt denied this, adding that Google’s goal is to get everybody on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which merges the Android 2.x smartphone branch and the Android 3.x Honeycomb branch for tablets.”

It seems Google is trying to put the issue of fragmentation behind them and push forward with, again, a much more unified experience with Android. Oops, did I say fragmentation again? I really mean’t “differentiation”.

Android Isn’t Fragmented Says Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google’s Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has a bold claim he is making in the Italian Press, that in 6 months Google will be releasing an Android based tablet called the Google Nexus Tablet that will truly be ready to challenge Apple’s iPad.

While the idea of the Google Nexus Tablet is not such breaking news, this is the first time that anyone from Google is putting a timeline on the project.  There was rumor that Google wanted the Google Nexus Tablet on the stores by Black Friday, but those turned out to not be true.This also is not the first time that Schmidct has made a comment about the tablet to the general media.

During the interview he stated that Google, the world’s undisputed leader in Search Engine Technology, will be ready to market the Google Nexus Tablet, which will be an Android based tablet of the “Highest Quality” in six months. He also expects that the Google Nexus will directly challenge the Apple iPad and the Amazon Fire, which hints that Google is planning to compete in the e-book sphere as well as just the tablet market.

Google has reportedly been speaking to content providers such as book distributors and publishing houses as well as magazine distributors about content for the Google Nexus Tablet.

The blogosphere has been buzzing for days now about what Schmidt meant and whether the tablet will live up to the hype.  Techies are also trying to figure out if the Google Nexus Tablet project is totally being done by Google or if Samsung is doing the heavy lifting.  It is widely speculated that in order to live up to the quality comments made by the Google CEO, that Samsung has to have some part in the project.

Click  below to see a video of the Google Chromium Tablet concept already released by Google.

Google Nexus Tablet, Dubbed the “iPad Killer” Coming in Six Months [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Speaking before a U.S. Senate antitrust subcommittee Google CEO Eric Schmidt called Apple’s Siri personal assistant a possible threat to the company’s core search business.

In April Google’s top official said Apple didn’t pose a competitive threat to Google search however Schmidt recently reversed his way of thinking while citing two different publications which said the new Siri voice recognition software could be a “Google killer.”

It should be noted that Schmidt was claiming that his company can’t be anti-competitive when they are facing stiff competition which likely explains why he would be talking up Apple when Google sells more mobile devices and controls far more search markets.

Turning to more traditional means of search Schmidt also pointed out Bing search which has taken a small chunk of Google’s search market in recent months along with Yahoo which still offers a decent amount of display advertising and web searches of their own.

Outside of standard search engines Google’s CEO also pointed out sites including Kayak, eBay, WebMD and others that perform specialized search types that take market share from Google.

According to Schmidt:

“Google has many strong competitors and we sometimes fail to anticipate the competitive threat posed by new methods of accessing information.”

Of course Apple’s Siri technology is still  in beta form and there’s no question about it that Google will answer back with their own voice based technology in the future, the real question will be whether or not voice activated searches pose the type of threat that makes them competitive enough for Google to claim true search based competition.

Google CEO Recognizes Search Threat Posted By Apple’s Siri Technology is a post from: The Inquisitr

Wow, didn’t see this coming but Kirsten Nicole over at SiliconAngle is reporting that at today’s earning call for Google they announced that Eric Schmidt will be stepping down as Google’s CEO as of April 4th. Word is that co-founder Larry Page will be taking over that position.

This is what Google has said on the matter, limited as it may be.

Starting from April 4, Larry Page, Google Co-Founder, will take charge of Google’s day-to-day operations as Chief Executive Officer.

Sergey Brin, Google Co-Founder, will devote his energy to strategic projects, in particular working on new products.

Eric Schmidt will assume the role of Executive Chairman, focusing externally on deals, partnerships, customers and broader business relationships, government outreach and technology thought leadership–all of which are increasingly important given Google’s global reach. Internally, he will continue to act as an advisor to Larry and Sergey.

Like I said – I didn’t see this coming at all, as probably much of the tech blogosphere didn’t see it coming either.

Shake up at Google – Eric Schmidt steps down as CEO is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google, like myself, has accused Apple of making nothing more than a large iPhone via the iPad, while adding a few new OS features to let the device stand alone, now the companies CEO Eric Schmidt has confirmed (sort of) that Google is working on their own tablet to compete directly with the Apple iPad.

According to the New York Times Schmidt told a group of friends during a party in Los Angeles that Google was preparing their own tablet device. Given that Google has already been talking to various publishers about sending their products to the Android platform this new realization shouldn’t surprise anyone.

The Tablet is expected to run on an Android setup and not the Chrome OS, which is a bit odd considering that would make the tablet a really big Google Android device, much like the really big iPhone (iPad) device Google has been mocking.

Schmidt and Jobs recently met over coffee, I wonder if Schmidt slipped this tidbit of information into the conversation, considering Jobs didn’t punch him in the face I’ll have to say no. [Gizmodo]

Google Preparing An iPad Killer Says CEO Eric Schmidt [Rumor] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Google CEO Eric Schmidt haven’t exactly been friends since Schmidt ditched Apple for Google, so when they were seen out in public this morning chatting it up at the Calafia in the Pal Alto Town and Country shopping center it generated some immediate discussion.

The conversation according to Gizmodo was handled in a calm and somewhat excited demeanor with Jobs pretty much taking over the conversation as Jobs will tend to do.

Rumors are pointing to some type of web content partnership situation although that has yet to be confirmed.

When asked about the conversation Jobs said:

“They’re going to see it all eventually so who cares how they get it.”

The neutral ground of the conversation may have simply been an attempt to keep things civil or perhaps they were just two old friends trying to make amends.

Whatever the case may be, I’m pretty sure it didn’t have anything to do with Jobs congratulating Schmidt for Google Android which was recently named in several HTC patent lawsuits by Apple. My personal favorite thought? Perhaps Jobs wants out of China. [Gizmodo]

What do you think the two CEO’s met over? Leave us your thoughts and we’ll see who’s right when news of their conversation eventually breaks.

Steve Jobs And Eric Schmidt Get Cuddly In Public. Jobs Does Most Of The Talking is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google CEO Eric Schmidt spoke at a convention of the Newspaper Association of America in San Diego earlier today, telling newspaper executives to create a “new format” for news – one that gives consumers more ways to personalize the news they read.

Mr. Schmidt is quoted as saying:

“We think we can build a business with you. That is the only solution we can see.”

With the newspaper industry flailing in a sea of bankruptcies, cutbacks and closing print versions of their publications, the above quote is sage advice. What should be even more eye-opening for newspaper executives is the following statements made by Schmidt:

“Advertising still is the best way to reach a large audience,” Mr. Schmidt said. “It’s very difficult to hold information back” on the Web.

This is the kind of thing 10′s of 1000′s of bloggers have been saying for years now – Change or die. Yes, a lot of online newspapers have begun to embrace things like social media and search engines, but the majority of them have went about it with a completely anti-productive attitude – using rogue SEO companies to try an gain the upper hand in search and in some instances, trying to pay for votes on social news sites so their content gets favored over others, among other things.

Recently and in the past as well, newspapers have asked the big players in search to favor their content first and when that didn’t work, did some saber rattling by saying they were considering taking legal action against sites like Google news. They’ve even went so far as to declare war on fair use. Now they think they can litigate their way back to profitability?

After watching the internet just as long as the rest of us, you’d think the newspaper industry would have embraced online publishing as a way to save their industry from collapse. Instead, they’ve been fighting tooth and nail to have their cake and eat it too.

Note to the big newspapers – now that you’ve got the attention of the 800lb gorilla in the room and he’s telling you to change or die, you may want to act on the advice he gives.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt to Newspaper Association of America – Change or Die is a post from: The Inquisitr

Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt, rumored as the front runner for the role of America’s first Chief Technology Officer, has gone on the record saying he’d say no if offered the position.

While long being spoken about in the role, Schmidt became favorite for the position after being named on President Elect Obama’s 17-person economic transition economic advisory board.

“I love working at Google and I’m very happy to stay at Google, so the answer is no,” Schmidt told CNBC host Jim Cramer when asked about the rumors.

According to Reuters, he also said Obama shares his belief that green technology can help to revitalize the economy. Laid-off autoworkers in Michigan could be put back to work building batteries for use in hybrid vehicles, Schmidt said on the show.

Eric Schmidt says he’s not interested in CTO position is a post from: The Inquisitr