MINNEAPOLIS -- Under normal circumstances a couple chairs and a coffee table wouldn't be much of a story, but when one of the men seated is the executive chairman of one of the most profitable internet companies in the world, it's kind of a big deal and Dr. Eric Schmidt of Google, is quick to joke about the power of internet.
"When did it get to the point when you had to turn on your mobile device as you woke up and you had to check your email as you went to sleep," smiled Schmidt, who's trip to Minnesota on Wednesday was three-fold.
First, to talk to an invitation only crowd at the University of Minnesota about everything from privacy concerns online to technology's potential future. He also discussed one of the potential products Google's executives recently reviewed from one of its workers.
"And he's built a product that will run on your mobile phone, that will track where your friends are 'cause it knows where they are and it will predict whether you're going to meet them and where you're going to meet them," said Schmidt.
However, it's nothing Google plans to bring to the table due to the many potential legal hurdles. But, it does give the audience of taste of what could be done.
Schmidt's second stop involved meeting Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and a talk with local business owners at the Co-working and Collaborative space or CoCo, based out of the old Grain Exchange trading floor.
The tour would be the last of his public appearances, later on Wendesday Schmidt met with business leaders from some of the state's largest corporations.
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