Apple's Car Project not all shelved; privacy drive not targeting FB: CEO Tim Cook

Two things became quick takeaways from Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook's interview in a Sway podcast with Kara Swisher.

One, those who were keenly watching for Apple's car project, but thought in the interim that it was shelved, came to hear from Cook the hint that Apple Car project was not all gone and might still happen.

In the interview released by the New York Times, he said that the car project fitted well the company which was focused on software, hardware and services. In a brief statement, as New York Times phrased it, he captured this nuance and said, "We love to integrate hardware, software and services, and find the intersection points of those because we think that's where the magic occurs."

In Cook's own words "An autonomous car is a robot and so there are a lots of things you can do with autonomy; we will see what Apple does."

That noted, the Apple boss fell short of affirming that the company will go ahead and build a car. However, he did say that Apple is probably building an autonomous driving platform that could be supplied to, and used by car makers.

In this connection, tech media also cite the recent poaching of a big catch in Dr Manfred Harrer, the VP of Porsche in charge of the Cayenne and chassis development boss. Harrer is likely to be one of the key members who will help push the Project Titan.

Even then, Cook didn't do anything for the EV pioneer Tesla to feel bad about. In fact he said more than that, giving all praise for Tesla too, the innovative EV giant pushing boundaries.

He said, "Tesla has done an unbelievable job of not only establishing the lead but keeping the lead for such a long period of time in the electric vehicle space."

Car aside, the second and more mundane part of Tim Cook's interview was how or how not he was up for taking on Facebook on the privacy front. The two tech giants had been entangled in a silent fight over privacy. However, Apple's more recent updates assures users more control over their data and make third-part tracking more transparent, enough to create jitters, or fury in Facebook. In fact Cook termed privacy as 'óne of the top issues of the 21st century'.

NYT recalls last year Facebook had splashed a full-page advert claiming it was "standing up to Apple" which meant Facebook didn't take kindly to anyone challenging its key business source of tracking, its critical component of the cyber space targeted ad business.

However, Tim Cook does not look at it that way, if his words to Kara Swisher on 'Sway' are anything to go by. For he said, he is not "focused on Facebook" and that privacy evolution is "not aimed at a company, it's aimed at a principle".