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At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

nytimes.com

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Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#61

Post by joezydeco »

JonnieCache wrote: post #17
waterlesscloud wrote: post #2

"It’s a place where your refrigerator could be connected to the Internet, so it could order groceries when they ran low. Your dinner plate could post to a social network what you’re eating. [...] These are just a few of the dreams being chased at Google X, the clandestine lab where Google is tackling a list of 100 shoot-for-the-stars ideas. " Those are shoot-for-the-stars ideas? I hope those are at the lowest end of…

I've been hearing talk of self-restocking fridges for at least 10 years. It's the ultimate go-to cliche for the "connected devices" hype, that's now called the "internet of things." It's the modern-day version of the Honeywell H316 Kitchen Computer: http://jdh.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/2/163/F9.large.jpg

I was thinking more of this: http://www.archive.org/details/Designfo1956

Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#62

Post by ori_b »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #2

"It’s a place where your refrigerator could be connected to the Internet, so it could order groceries when they ran low. Your dinner plate could post to a social network what you’re eating. [...] These are just a few of the dreams being chased at Google X, the clandestine lab where Google is tackling a list of 100 shoot-for-the-stars ideas. " Those are shoot-for-the-stars ideas? I hope those are at the lowest end of…

I'd expect anything interesting to have been covered by an NDA.

Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#63

Post by marshallp »

nosequel wrote: post #59
marshallp wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't matter about their backgrounds, mba or ex-general, people who rise to executive levels rub shoulders with investors at cocktail parties and deals happen.

Seriously, what are you talking about? What investors? You have proven you don't know what you are talking about in this thread, but I am curious what you think is true? Who are the heads of the NSA meeting with who would be considered investors? The NSA meets with the Armed Services board and the Senate intelligence board, and that's about it. I get it, you think the government is b.s., but groups like the NSA don't…

No need to get rude, I'm not some teenage troll guy, I'm here for intelligent discussion. I don't seen where I've "proven" myself wrong.

This thread is not about investment into nsa, but commercialization of nsa (or other military/government org) technology. My point was that regardless of nsa'a official stance of secrecy, tech gets "leaked" out into the commercial sphere. You can't stop a good thing from spreading, no matter how hard you try.

Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#64

Post by adgar »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #2

"It’s a place where your refrigerator could be connected to the Internet, so it could order groceries when they ran low. Your dinner plate could post to a social network what you’re eating. [...] These are just a few of the dreams being chased at Google X, the clandestine lab where Google is tackling a list of 100 shoot-for-the-stars ideas. " Those are shoot-for-the-stars ideas? I hope those are at the lowest end of…

Those ideas are also pure speculation by the author. The closest she comes to backing any of them up was when she said that the founders like space elevators.

Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#65

Post by snowwrestler »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #2

"It’s a place where your refrigerator could be connected to the Internet, so it could order groceries when they ran low. Your dinner plate could post to a social network what you’re eating. [...] These are just a few of the dreams being chased at Google X, the clandestine lab where Google is tackling a list of 100 shoot-for-the-stars ideas. " Those are shoot-for-the-stars ideas? I hope those are at the lowest end of…

The "Internet connected refrigerator that manages food for you" has been an example of this sort of thinking for at least 10 years, and it's no closer to being something that anyone actually wants.

Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#66

Post by snowwrestler »

flyt wrote: post #12
aantix wrote: post #10

There have been times in my life where I've thought that I've had a "genius" idea and every cell in my body has said "Don't tell anyone. Hoard it. Cultivate it. And you'll be a revolutionary!" And then I end up sharing. And there never ceases to be one or two or four perspectives shared that I never thought of before. And in the end, I think the idea flourishes because I was open and shared and iterated and shared th…

PARC gave the world Graphical User Interfaces, object oriented programming, ethernet, laser printers, precursors to PostScript, and a few other major breakthroughs. It wasn't necessarily a "secret lab", but its distance from XEROX management on the east coast made it effectively an under the radar operation (to their detriment, of course)

Most of these only really took off once PARC shared them with other people and companies.

Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#67

Post by joezydeco »

snowwrestler wrote: post #65
waterlesscloud wrote: post #2

"It’s a place where your refrigerator could be connected to the Internet, so it could order groceries when they ran low. Your dinner plate could post to a social network what you’re eating. [...] These are just a few of the dreams being chased at Google X, the clandestine lab where Google is tackling a list of 100 shoot-for-the-stars ideas. " Those are shoot-for-the-stars ideas? I hope those are at the lowest end of…

The "Internet connected refrigerator that manages food for you" has been an example of this sort of thinking for at least 10 years, and it's no closer to being something that anyone actually wants.

Except advertisers. Remember, it's still Google.

Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#68

Post by _corbett »

zem wrote: post #11
_corbett wrote: post #7

this is where Google Labs went when it was "cut"

not sure if you're being serious, but no, google labs was a bunch of experimental projects run by normal google software engineers. this is an entirely separate thing.

partially a joke and partially just hopeful, yes. to explain myself, Google seems to have attempted to appease investors by focusing on their core money making products, while still maintaining their commitment to innovation with spinoffs like this. so it's the best of both worlds for Google and for us in this case. now if we could only find Google Code Search, Google Labs, and the old design of Google Reader somewhere in there too....

Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#69

Post by inuhj »

noibl wrote: post #31
neilk wrote: post #27

Here's a collection of quotes from the triumvirate about artificial intelligence. http://ignoranceisfutile.wordpress.com/2008/09/13/google-fou... (Except, ignore the Moffett field thing. That has nothing to do with AI research as far as I know.) Anyway, any Googler will confirm that Sergey Brin, in particular, keeps returning to this idea: that Google's ultimate destiny is to realize Strong AI. I'm not saying they've…

> I'm not saying they've achieved anything. Clearly you're not aware of the CADIE incident a couple of years ago. http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/landing/cadie/ Be sure to check the blog. (By far my favourite piece of Google whimsy, for the detail and number of teams involved) (You're right, muro)

It took me much longer than I'm comfortable admitting to realize that this was an April Fool's joke.

Re: At Google X, a Top-Secret Lab Dreaming Up the Future

#70

Post by suivix »

wlievens wrote: post #35
jopt wrote: post #30

Maybe it's somehow an important proof-of-concept AI challenge, but restocking my fridge does not make the list of things I desperately need better technology for. The driverless cars are old news and space elevators are a niche at best. Whatever makes Google X interesting must truly be top secret.

> space elevators are a niche at best What does that even mean?

Only Willy Wonka and Richard Branson would buy one?
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