Google’s Schmidt coming to promote Nexus 7 tablet PC

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt is visiting Seoul to introduce the much anticipated Nexus 7 tablet PC tomorrow at a press conference at a hotel in southern Seoul.

He will also give a lecture at Yonsei University the following day, Google Korea said yesterday.

The Android-powered Nexus 7 is Google’s first tablet and is being manufactured by Taiwan’s Asus. The fact that Google is sending its chairman to attend a product launch event is?aimed at solidifying ties with Korean mobile device producers such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Pantech, according to industry insiders.

All three have adopted the Android platform amid a cutthroat international battle for dominance in operating systems between Android and Apple, which runs its devices on iOS.

Schmidt has visited Korea twice to date but this will be the first time for him to speak at a university. The lecture will start at 10 a.m. at the main auditorium, according to the school.
The ex-software engineer joined Google in 2001 and was a member of Apple’s board of directors from 2006 until 2009. He resigned due to mounting conflicts of interest amid the growing competition between Google and Apple.