time will tell, meanwhile Google is accumulating more and more talented people specialized in different domains...
Google is all over the map. Apple is more focused. Time will tell which is better.
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Google Acquiring Tony Fadell-Founded Nest for $3.2 Billion
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Google is all over the map. Apple is more focused. Time will tell which is better.
$3.2 Billion for Nest? That seems like a HUGE valuation. They better have a LOT of other products in the pipeline to recoup that investment. They probably Net about $30 for the Nest and $20 for the Protect. I don't know how well they are selling since they haven't published that information.
I think Google was just being Google in their attempt to make their company look more like Apple.
I think Apple should have bought them out if given the opportunity. They are well made and designed products from what I can tell.
I think Google was just being Google in their attempt to make their company look more like Apple.
I think Apple should have bought them out if given the opportunity. They are well made and designed products from what I can tell.
If they 'can't realistically get rid of it' then perhaps they need to take up origami, or basket weaving, and apparently they aren't intelligent enough to use a computer? Removing iTunes is fairly easy. Last time I did it...
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Microsoft was all over the map too, and appears to be focusing on a few areas, somewhat...
This is how I felt when Google bought Waze. It sucks when Big Brother hoovers up services I like because they immediately become services I don't like.
When are people going to wake up and start to seriously fear Google?
For those that don't seem to get this one point - let me state it again
It is not in Google's best interest to violate your privacy. Much of their business relies on that trust and keeping your data secure. A disruption in that would cripple the company.
No one has said anything about requiring a Google account and/or Google + to operate these devices. And if one day their IS integration - I am pretty positive there will be an opt out. Or you know - just don't buy one.
A lot of moaning an groaning from people people who don't own one and/or would never own one just for the sake of moaning.
And for those that do own one - really? You're going to get rid of them right now? Seriously? How about waiting to see what transpires. But sure - go ahead.
Wow - the ridiculousness is this thread is overwhelming even for here.
It is not in Google's best interest to violate your privacy. Much of their business relies on that trust and keeping your data secure. A disruption in that would cripple the company.
No one has said anything about requiring a Google account and/or Google + to operate these devices. And if one day their IS integration - I am pretty positive there will be an opt out. Or you know - just don't buy one.
A lot of moaning an groaning from people people who don't own one and/or would never own one just for the sake of moaning.
And for those that do own one - really? You're going to get rid of them right now? Seriously? How about waiting to see what transpires. But sure - go ahead.
Wow - the ridiculousness is this thread is overwhelming even for here.
If they want to acquire an American company, they need to bring it back. If they want to buy a foreign company, they have to pay tax to a foreign country. Either way, if they want to spend any money anywhere in the world, they
will be paying tax.
Honest question: didn't Google get fined not too long ago by tracking people who had set it up to not be tracked, therefore violating their privacy? I never looked into it as I'm not too scared about Google selling ads against my anonymized information.
I think some (maybe one or two) are being overly dramatic but it's not the majority.
I would have to know the exact situation you're referring to. But Google isn't selling the data or releasing customer specific data to any 3rd party - which is really what most of the chicken little's here are talking about
If they purchased Nest, which Apple didn't even put a bid for, it would have been a fairly large step into the home automation business. This purchase by Google thrusts them right into the middle of the biz. Plus, Apple hasn't made any purchases that indicate they are interested. They apparently want to hang their hat on an iPhone you place on your wrist and a TV set.
If you're worried about privacy, Nest is the least of your concerns
Has nobody else realized that you already give unfiltered access to your daily life via your phone? Your location is pinged constantly. When I go to the grocery store, my rewards card automatically pops up through Passbook because my phone knows I'm there.
Companies know where you are 24/7. They know where you go, how long you're there, and can probably estimate when you're sleeping since most people check their phone right before falling asleep and first thing when they wake up.
And if they wanted to, Apple, Verizon, AT&T, and anyone else could listen in through your phone and record video any time they wanted. Apple TV, Roku, cable boxes, smart TVs; any or all of these products could be recording your every move as you move around the house and have private conversations in your living room, a central location in the home. Should I even mention the webcam that's built into almost all computers these days? So that extends to watching you at work, watching you as you have your meeting at the coffee shop, and so on.
Privacy is a valid concern, but the truth is that we are surrounded by watching eyes anywhere we go. The thermostat in your home is probably the very least sinister avenue for spying that I can think of. Our phones make us very vulnerable and most people don't seem to think twice about using them.
Has nobody else realized that you already give unfiltered access to your daily life via your phone? Your location is pinged constantly. When I go to the grocery store, my rewards card automatically pops up through Passbook because my phone knows I'm there.
Companies know where you are 24/7. They know where you go, how long you're there, and can probably estimate when you're sleeping since most people check their phone right before falling asleep and first thing when they wake up.
And if they wanted to, Apple, Verizon, AT&T, and anyone else could listen in through your phone and record video any time they wanted. Apple TV, Roku, cable boxes, smart TVs; any or all of these products could be recording your every move as you move around the house and have private conversations in your living room, a central location in the home. Should I even mention the webcam that's built into almost all computers these days? So that extends to watching you at work, watching you as you have your meeting at the coffee shop, and so on.
Privacy is a valid concern, but the truth is that we are surrounded by watching eyes anywhere we go. The thermostat in your home is probably the very least sinister avenue for spying that I can think of. Our phones make us very vulnerable and most people don't seem to think twice about using them.
Apparently, from what I've read, Apple not only didn't want to pay $3.2 billion, but they didn't bid at all.
As for Nests IP, no it's not unique, but they have a rather large foot in the door of home automation. In addition, we don't know what future products they have in the pipeline. Google's purchase makes them an automatic major player in the home automation market.
They weren't actually dismissed, the auctioneers thought they were joking and had a hard time taking the bids seriously. It's probably one of the worst examples of engineers who think they're funny having their jokes completely lost on "regular people".
It actually worries me what Google might do with NEST. We are talking about one of the most innovative thermostat/fire alarm company. They said they "knew" what they were doing, which I fortunately didn't buy into it and now Google.
Seriously, has Google ever even successful in making physical product? Google Glass in the future perhaps, as a stalker necessity? It takes more than a tech giant to properly design and mass-produce house safety product.
Seriously, has Google ever even successful in making physical product? Google Glass in the future perhaps, as a stalker necessity? It takes more than a tech giant to properly design and mass-produce house safety product.
Here is one:
http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/pres...ve-privacy-practices-googles-rollout-its-buzz
Here is the one DeathChill is probably referring to:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/11/18/google-reaches-privacy-settlement-with-states/3628593/
Seems to me that most posters have brought up their concern that Google will attempt to monetize the data collected by these home automation products through Google+ or targeted ads directly on the devices.
Would it be any different if it was iOS? I mean the controlling everything part...
Personally, I look forward to an integrated system that knows when I leave work, calculates my arrival against traffic, and automatically prepares my house at the best time to be ready, while optimizing my utility usage.
The irony is that this is just what we were told (and a lot of people hoped) the future would be like.
The difference is, twenty years ago, it was assumed that the phone companies were the only entities that would be capable of doing this. They would hold all our info and doings, and tailor our work and home environments via proprietary carrier comms.
Moreover, it was also assumed that we'd pay out the nose for such services. I don't think anyone thought it would be free in return for personalized ads... even though novels and movies (e.g. Minority Report) all assumed that we'd get tailored commercials (which was seen as desirable).
I think that the main desire we all have, is the ability to go incognito when we wish. (Another desire would be the option to pay cash to avoid advertisements, such as many of us do on forums like this one.)
At least Google gives you a dashboard where you can go modify your history settings, topic preferences, and what is stored. For example, if I'm no longer interested in new car ads, I can go delete that from Google's info about me. I wish Apple did the same. I have no way to monitor what iTunes has stored.
The irony is that this is just what we were told (and a lot of people hoped) the future would be like.
The difference is, twenty years ago, it was assumed that the phone companies were the only entities that would be capable of doing this. They would hold all our info and doings, and tailor our work and home environments via proprietary carrier comms.
Moreover, it was also assumed that we'd pay out the nose for such services. I don't think anyone thought it would be free in return for personalized ads... even though novels and movies (e.g. Minority Report) all assumed that we'd get tailored commercials (which was seen as desirable).
I think that the main desire we all have, is the ability to go incognito when we wish. (Another desire would be the option to pay cash to avoid advertisements, such as many of us do on forums like this one.)
At least Google gives you a dashboard where you can go modify your history settings, topic preferences, and what is stored. For example, if I'm no longer interested in new car ads, I can go delete that from Google's info about me. I wish Apple did the same. I have no way to monitor what iTunes has stored.
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And completely unfounded. And given how much one looks at a thermostat - delivering ads on the devices seems rather silly. You look at your phone multiple times a day. How many impressions do you think a thermostat is going to get.
Wow... $3.2B for a company that makes 'smart' thermostats?
I don't see that kind of value based on potential sales, but wonder instead if the real value Google sees is in marketable user data. What kind of data, who buys the data and how it's sold... who knows, but it's ALL about consumer data now.
I don't see that kind of value based on potential sales, but wonder instead if the real value Google sees is in marketable user data. What kind of data, who buys the data and how it's sold... who knows, but it's ALL about consumer data now.
Ads on the thermostat, no. But remember, your Nest devices and their data are tied to your Nest account. Your Nest account has an email address. Your email address can be cross referenced with Google's massive DB of email addresses of yours they have on file. Ergo, all of the data collected by Nest products can EASILY be associated with all of the other information Google has about you, including your browser histories and what devices you use and when. They could EASILY target ads on existing avenues they already use, based on your Nest data.
So no, not completely unfounded. And if you think for a second Google will either truly abide by Nest's existing privacy agreement, or not just eventually add a loophole, I have a bridge for sale you might be interested in buying.
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And this is true only for Apple?
If the government asked me today how much cash I have, I'll tell them how much cash I have. Not how many iphones with tax I could buy with it.
Apple has enough cash in US to make whatever acquisitions they are interested in. So the reason Apple didn't buy Nest isn't that they don't have the necessary cash.