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Eric Schmidt speaks, and speaks

Elinor Mills Former Staff Writer
Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service and the Associated Press.
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Elinor Mills

An amusing video has surfaced of a young Eric Schmidt in a public speaking training session while he was an executive at Sun, long before his move to Google. In the 15-minute video, the CEO-in-the-making hasn't yet mastered the art of smooth banter and artful hand gestures, but it does show his knack for aplomb and politesse.

"To be fair, while the video starts off badly -- speaker Schmidt can't decide what do with his hands, mumbles, meanders, and generally acts like the former CompSci Ph.D. researcher that he is -- it gets better as it goes along," writes blogger Paul Kedrosky.

"In the end, while the video is cliche-ridden and full of management-speak nothings, it is an insight into Schmidt," he writes. "Watch, for example, as he rehearses smooth non-answers to made-up questions about executive salaries, benefits, and work-at-home programs. Without actually saying anything, Schmidt gives the silky sense of having said something or another. I was having flashbacks to the recent Google analyst day ..."