Google to acquire Nest Labs for $3.2 billion in cash
- Thread starter DrFunk
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Snapchat CEO.
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The Everyman
I think this is mostly a consumer hardware move.
efyu_lemonardo
May I have a cookie?
is he part of the deal?
yeah otherwise it would have been $3,141,592,653.59
Junior Mint
Member
It's now owned by Google and he's an Apple lover. Clearly, he can't bring himself to use such a garbage product now.
Sorry, instill confidence in what sense? Investors are very confident in Google, even after their crazy gains last year.
And how much focus can Google put into one field before they get too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak? Spread that talent around
Wow, people sure pushed the whole NSA thing out of their mind quickly.
That happened immediately.
jts
...hate me...
That is more about the data than app design though. Those apps are mainly delivery systems for cloud data.
purnoman3000
Member
God damn, Nest only had a couple hundred staff I believe
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TacticalFox88
Banned
Lol it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if in 10-20 years the government forces Google to break up. No doubt lobbyists in DC don't want any one corporation having that much power.
Pallets of cash?
Ether_Snake
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Again a thing I notice that people don't seem to get: it's dumb to turn everything into a smart device.
For example, what should the oven of tomorrow be like? Your average tech guy would apparently make it a radio, a display, a touch screen, allow it to download apps, etc. And that is DUMB.
The oven should instead have no more dials, no more displays, nothing left but what it is used for which is to either heat things on the top or inside. All it needs is to be able to send all information to your mobile device, and your mobile device must be able to control all of its commands. You don't need a clock, a dial, a light switch. Everything can be controlled by your single mobile device with either a standard control access or an app from the manufacturer.
Same for your fridge, your house's heating, etc.
If Google are smart they won't make the same mistake they are making with Google Glass, which is trying to turn glasses into a second mobile device, rather than just making a phone with a detachable camera, microphone, and thin flexible display, all components which are already found on your mobile.
And I'm not even talking yet about how even mobile phones themselves need to change (meaning I could lose my phone, come home, and still have my phone even if I lost it, yeah). Cause the first thing people will say is "What if I lose my phone! I won't be able to do anything anymore!". Wrong, your "phone", or rather mobile, is everywhere.
But regardless, we can see why Google is at least much smarter than Microsoft, which is dooooooooooooomed.
For example, what should the oven of tomorrow be like? Your average tech guy would apparently make it a radio, a display, a touch screen, allow it to download apps, etc. And that is DUMB.
The oven should instead have no more dials, no more displays, nothing left but what it is used for which is to either heat things on the top or inside. All it needs is to be able to send all information to your mobile device, and your mobile device must be able to control all of its commands. You don't need a clock, a dial, a light switch. Everything can be controlled by your single mobile device with either a standard control access or an app from the manufacturer.
Same for your fridge, your house's heating, etc.
If Google are smart they won't make the same mistake they are making with Google Glass, which is trying to turn glasses into a second mobile device, rather than just making a phone with a detachable camera, microphone, and thin flexible display, all components which are already found on your mobile.
And I'm not even talking yet about how even mobile phones themselves need to change (meaning I could lose my phone, come home, and still have my phone even if I lost it, yeah). Cause the first thing people will say is "What if I lose my phone! I won't be able to do anything anymore!". Wrong, your "phone", or rather mobile, is everywhere.
But regardless, we can see why Google is at least much smarter than Microsoft, which is dooooooooooooomed.
Government looking out for people all the time. Like dealing with monoplies all the time /rolls eyes
jts
...hate me...
Basic local controls will always be important for redundancy and safety.
Ether_Snake
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jts
...hate me...
That would always depend on implementation, and well, stuff like kitchen appliances are usually not so easy to unplug and that's not going to change soon... but still, do you think it's a good idea to be locked out of access to your stove, microwave, etc, if, say, your router gets on the fritz?
makingmusic476
Member
I'd prefer to see them nationalized as part of our future socialist technocracy. It'd be a shame to see their capabilities destroyed instead of commandeered for the common good.
Edit: Same goes for Amazon.
Can you purge the data that the NSA has on you? Because you can completely get off the Google train any time you want.
You are also willingly giving Google data.. The NSA is a different beast.
Ether_Snake
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You don't need a router, the devices communicate with your mobile. And really, we can't design oven and fridges to make them easier to unplug?
Who says Google will delete data they have on you? When you delete things from Facebook, or your account, they just become invisible to you and others, they are still on Facebook and probably even still used for ads.
Calamari41
41 > 38
You don't need a router, the devices communicate with your mobile. And really, we can't design oven and fridges to make them easier to unplug?
You mean the mobile I just dropped in the toilet? It's fried, now how do I turn off the burners?
You don't need a router, the devices communicate with your mobile. And really, we can't design oven and fridges to make them easier to unplug?
Who says Google will delete data they have on you? When you delete things from Facebook, or your account, they just become invisible to you and others, they are still on Facebook and probably even still used for ads.
It's under google's privacy policy that you can delete your entire search history. http://www.digitaltrends.com/web/how-to-delete-your-google-web-history/
Unless you just don't believe in any company's privacy policy.
Ads for whom? They can't serve you ads if you are not using their services. I deleted my Facebook account. Permanently deleted, not just deactivated. How is Facebook using any of my data to serve me ads?
Nest CEO Tony Fadell:
"...they really like the vision that we have and the product roadmap that we have and they can implement it."
Google must see something.
Verge has a post-acquisition interview up:
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/13/5305430/interview-tony-fadell-nest-google-acquisition
Ether_Snake
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They keep the info was my point, and that when you use the service anything you delete is still used. Plus all they have to do is buy some other company you use the services from, maybe your ISP, like Google will do by handing out free internet; anyone using their internet gets their data databased to your google account. You're not going to be able to unplug from everything if you plan to not let companies build a database on you.
You unplug it.
Mobiles won't cost much at all because all the processing work will be done in the cloud by then, so you could have your full souped up fast mobile, but everyone will have a cheap mobile somewhere in the house like everyone has a remote control or two, and it will be able to communicate with the cloud if you don't have your real mobile. It will connect to your account, open the oven app, you'll command it to do whatever, it sends the signal back to your device, which sends it to the oven.
Hence, you can never really lose your mobile, because the cheap cloud-communicator device is so cheap everyone has a spare.
SneakyStephan
Banned
Technology to detect co2 and temperature
It's clearly meant to scan for lifeforms when they release their killer robots
It's clearly meant to scan for lifeforms when they release their killer robots
Google is very visionary. Big data with automated sensors and cars is a massive part of the future. Think of the applications of cloud with cheap biometric sensors + cloud data collection. It would empower doctors to treat cancer before stage 1 even happens in many cases.
I have a Nest a Thermostat and two Nest Protects. Soon to be three.
They work incredibly well together and combined have saved me an insane amount in energy bills. The thermostat has already paid for itself in only one year of having it.
Not sure what to think about googles involvement now, but I support Nest fully and they make home automation look beautiful.
They work incredibly well together and combined have saved me an insane amount in energy bills. The thermostat has already paid for itself in only one year of having it.
Not sure what to think about googles involvement now, but I support Nest fully and they make home automation look beautiful.
speculawyer
Member
HolyBaikal
Banned
Ubiquitous computing is becoming a reality. And it seems like, soon.
Google seems to have a very futurist outlook. They've funded a lot of future technologies that aren't a reality today. Not just in computer technology fields, but also areas like gerontology and anti-aging medicine research. Even hiring people like Ray Kurzweil.
It seems like they've taken claims like Ray Kurzweil's claim about ubiquitous computing happening in the near future, to heart. And are preparing their business in which they can put chips running Android, in nearly every home appliance.
I hope they're right. Because while ubiquitous computing may lead to a lack of privacy. Having computers in everything and everywhere, would improve almost every area of life.
Google seems to have a very futurist outlook. They've funded a lot of future technologies that aren't a reality today. Not just in computer technology fields, but also areas like gerontology and anti-aging medicine research. Even hiring people like Ray Kurzweil.
It seems like they've taken claims like Ray Kurzweil's claim about ubiquitous computing happening in the near future, to heart. And are preparing their business in which they can put chips running Android, in nearly every home appliance.
I hope they're right. Because while ubiquitous computing may lead to a lack of privacy. Having computers in everything and everywhere, would improve almost every area of life.
BoboBrazil
Member
Google needs to buy Time Warner now and convert everything to Google Fiber.
Seems congruent.
Google at its core is a company trying to invent the future...
And smart glasses and the wireless automation components to back it up are a pretty good view of the future.
e.g. imagine if you could control all the components in your house through your android enabled device - power points, fridge, toilet, taps, lights, etc.
You could look at something and it'd give you the device information and settings - and more importantly, log the usage and diagnostic information.
i.e. Look at a tap - water usage from this tap graphed out according to hour by hour, day by day, etc usage. Then the android device will gather all the other information from the other taps in the house - bam water usage shown, which areas use more water, which don't.
Google at its core is a company trying to invent the future...
And smart glasses and the wireless automation components to back it up are a pretty good view of the future.
e.g. imagine if you could control all the components in your house through your android enabled device - power points, fridge, toilet, taps, lights, etc.
You could look at something and it'd give you the device information and settings - and more importantly, log the usage and diagnostic information.
i.e. Look at a tap - water usage from this tap graphed out according to hour by hour, day by day, etc usage. Then the android device will gather all the other information from the other taps in the house - bam water usage shown, which areas use more water, which don't.
Final Boss
Banned
Too deliberate, haven't introduced a new product in years, iPad mini doesn't count a new device
Nest is his baby, why would he not?
Calamari41
41 > 38
None of that is nearly as convenient as being able to turn a knob if you're already standing at the appliance or device.
Look, I am all for a smart home future, and I love the shit out of my Nest. But there is no way in hell I would have bought it if I weren't able to walk up to the thing and twist it to set the temperature too.
Damn.
Ether_Snake
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You say that because you're not used to it.
Every time I'm making a new recipe, or even one I am not 100% familiar with, I have my iphone out to read the recipe in the app I write them in. It's already there. Just standing next to your oven will let the mobile device know you are using it and it will pop up the controls automatically.
Heck it could be a lot better than that, what people don't get is how cheap thin flexible wi-fi/touch-enabled displays will be. You'll be able to slap one on your fridge or wall and have it display whatever your mobile shoots to it. So if you're gonna be in the kitchen, the display will be there on the wall anyway, even if your mobile is in the living room. You don't need more than one or two in the house really. You can put it in your car, wherever, and it will display whatever.
No need for all those dumb "internet of things" bullshit, all you need is your mobile and portable displays to slap wherever. Mini display on your glasses, inside a transparent sleeve on your jacket, anywhere. No need for redundancy; one thing to do everything.
Final Boss
Banned
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