Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO declared some time ago that, incredibly enough, he did not own an iPhone, even if in a leading position at one of the most powerful internet companies in the world. Some time has gone by since then and things have changed, as a You-Tube video shows him flashing the device.

Many people must have envied Eric Schmidt in the brief seconds when he flashed his iPhone during an interview at the World Economic Forum. He showed the device only for a few seconds in order to show the audience his exact location at the time he was using Google Maps.

This pretext seems to have reached the teasing effect that Eric Schmidt had anticipated, as to show nothing else but this specific service that the iPhone enables its user to perform. The main reason is to arouse even more the interest of all those interested in Apple's phone, as if there was need for intensifying the tension for the release of this device. We will probably have the opportunity of seeing more of the iPhone in action only after its release, on June 29th.

One of the questions which arosed during the interview concerned the possibility of a partnership between Google and Apple, considering the fact that Eric Schmidt is Google's CEO and an apple board member at the same time. He made no specific response, just resumed to mention the fact that the iPhone is particularly good for the apps that Google is building at this time. The phone also includes the Google Maps service and Web 2.0 performances.

Eric Schmidt also discussed future developments that the company is looking to accomplish. Google looks for making the search engine's services considerably more accessible for users. Other subjects included the Viacom lawsuit, Cookie lifetimes, Personalization and privacy.