a sign that google is horny for the "internet of things" :)
Google to Acquire Nest
261–270 of 590 posts
Re: Google to Acquire Nest
#262Earlier quoted context omitted.
Nest has customers who have paid it, it does not have paying customers. There is no ongoing fee despite every device Nest sells being connected to its servers 24/7/365. It takes no more than ~3 seconds for any changes you make on their web/mobile apps to reach the thermostat, so it has to be at least checking in with a server constantly.
I don't think that a 24/7 network connection of a customer that just paid $249 for a thermostat is that much of an monetization issue for a company like Google. (for comparison: more than 1 billion Android devices are currently connected to their servers 24/7/365)
Not a lot of screen real estate for ads on a Nest...
Re: Google to Acquire Nest
#263The cynic in me shudders at the possibility of Google adding even more real-world data like temperature preference and lifestyle factors to their massive data portfolio. The idealist in me is incredibly excited at the possibility of Nest's fundamental strengths being bolstered by Google's coffers.
Am I the only one that doesn't get chills up their spine whenever Google breaks into some new market? I see very little possible misuse of temperature preference (of all things...) and very great possible gains. The more intimately a service knows you, the more personalized and relevant data it can bring. And another thing, I am really sick and tired of tempering or being told to temper my enthusiasm for some new tec…
> I see very little possible misuse of temperature preference
Imagine that the season is changing where you live. You could be expected to start shopping for warm clothes. Google can easily show you ads for pricier warm clothes, and move organic results to page 2. Or Google knows you boiler broke down. And shows ads of pricier service companies instead of the lower-priced local fixer who is now on page 4. The immediate harm is that pricier alternatives are pushed to you, and you don't even know that cheaper alternatives exist, because Google controls your entire world.
Re: Google to Acquire Nest
#264I'm relieved that Apple didn't buy them. In that case, they'd have certainly either a) discontinued the Android version, or b) created a cross-platform app like iTunes.
Re: Google to Acquire Nest
#265well, stick in a fork in Nest then.
wonder how bad their financials were when they're already selling.
fucking SnapChat refused a FB offer, but Nest just rolls over and dies.
Re: Google to Acquire Nest
#266Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't see the YouTube acquisition as being harmful. Pixar is still making (some) good movies under Disney. I'm sure there are more examples.
> Pixar is still making (some) good movies under Disney. Pixar movie quality seems to have dropped, while Disney's have gone up after the acquisition. http://i.imgur.com/H2s4hVL.jpg Cars 2 was clearly a release for money (they make more money of Cars merchandise than they do from films), but the other films?
Before Pixar was acquired by Disney they had a partnership.
Re: Google to Acquire Nest
#267Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, and like Android and Youtube. Sarcasm aside, Google has actually done pretty well with acquisitions compared to other companies. (Say ones that begin with "M" or "Y"). You can see the list in wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisition...
While I agree with the statement, lately Google's action has been concerning (with things like Reader, Google+ push, and what not). I just don't want to see Google dominating the world. Competition is nice.
Are you implying that google did a disservice to the competition by creating a desire for a product and then retiring it with months of warning for competitors to develop their product and attract google's large user base while allowing users to easily migrate their information to those services?
Re: Google to Acquire Nest
#268Seriously not trying to troll, but could someone help explain where Google might see 3.2 billion dollars of value in a company that pretty much just sells a successful thermostat?
Nest knows if you're hot. If you're cold. When you've set it to turn off because you're at work. It knows if you're energy conscious or cost sensitive. Etc. There's a ton of behavior in there, making it far more than a thermostat you buy at Home Depot.
Re: Google to Acquire Nest
#269Earlier quoted context omitted.
Surely the updates are sent via some form of push. Polling on that scale would be obscene.
Yet that's what I believe it does. Every few seconds, Nest sends an HTTP POST to their servers with its serial number. If there are any commands waiting for that thermostat (change temperature initiated from an app for example), they get sent in response, otherwise the connection is closed.
My opinion of Nest just plummeted. That's absurdly wasteful.
Re: Google to Acquire Nest
#270Smart buy in my opinion. The connected home has enormous untapped growth potential, and they just acquired a company that managed to take something as mundane as a thermostat and make it cool.
At least there's a cost savings angle to an intelligent thermostat. The connected smoke alarm as a cool object really amazed me - it's where new business models are made.
Exactly. Walk the aisles at your local home improvement store. Find every product that you interact with that is under $20. You can probably make that amazing for $50-100. And what's that in terms of how much people spend on houses?