Outbox was treated to a prestigious visit from the Megan Smith Google VP of Google X. Google X is a collection of Google moonshot projects that seem quite futuristic to the common eye. Google [X] which was started 3 years ago, is responsible for projects like Google Glass, Project Loon and several moonshots.
“At Google X, we focus on the product and then the business model later ” – Megan Smith – VP Google X
Megan Smith shared a few introduction videos of the on the Google [X] project, and she actually emphasized the point that one of the famous “Google search visualization” that shows real-time Google searches, actually shows bright beams from America and Europe but Africa appears dark. She said Africa appears like that because it doesn’t have fiber which means that 98 million talented people are cut off from the globe.
It was an interactive evening with people in Tech circles in Uganda discussing moonshots such as a feature that would stop you from driving your car if you were drunk. An issue raised by one of the proprietors for Kiira EV and Megan Smith supplementing that it would be nice if your phone could tell that you were drunk, I mean it has an accelerometer.
Megan Smith was joined by Puneet Program Manager at Google [X] to answer a few questions in the Q & A session at the event. Puneet said there is a website solveforx.com where you can share your moonshots.
Its only time that will actually tell if Ugandans will actually bring their moonshots to life, I guess their biggest inspiration was this afternoon. Let us know about what you feel about Google’s moonshots and moonshots in general. And just in case you have an X to solve, drop the guys at Google X a message at solveforx@google.com
