For connoisseurs of corporate conflict, the cold war between Facebook and Google is hardly a satisfying one. Sure, the two tech giants have rival social networks, and there's little in the way of collaboration between them. As Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg put it in January during Facebook's second earnings call: "Our relationship isn't one where the companies really talk."
But few of us remember what Zuckerberg said immediately after: "We are able to do a bunch of things and build some great experiences."
That becomes clear when the founders run into each other at events. Apparently, it takes about two seconds for them to start geeking out about tech.
That, according to a Forbes reporter who witnessed the scene, is what happened Thursday at the launch of the $33 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin, approached by Zuckerberg at the event, gave him his Google Glass spectacles to check out, and demonstrated how to use the scroll function on the side. "I can't wait to get my own," said an excited Zuckerberg.
Indeed, Zuckerberg revealed that a team of three engineers at Facebook are eagerly awaiting their own pair of the super-connected specs — so they can figure out how to build Facebook apps for it.
Zuckerberg was more than solicitous to Brin during the demonstration. "Is there anything specific you want us to be trying?," he asked the Google co-founder. "If so, I want to be doing that."
Google began a contest to get Google Glass onto the heads of would-be users this week. Perhaps Zuckerberg should enter — although we're fairly certain he can afford the $1,500 that will be necessary to buy a pair outright, likely by the end of the year.
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