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Nest is acquiring Dropcam

nest.com

61–70 of 135 posts

Re: Nest is acquiring Dropcam

#61
post #11
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup, the want to avoid the headline: "Google buys network of in-home cameras."

They did make a point of explicitly saying none of the data is shared with Google. But, yeah, probably best for fit PR to differentiate.

Hopefully it will make some noise if it changes at the next revision of the privacy policy...

Re: Nest is acquiring Dropcam

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While technically accurate that statement is really misleading. Nest makes a significant amount of revenue from utility companies who pay up to $50 per thermostat per year for Nest agreeing to turn down their usage during peak times. This is a very different model than paying someone for a product. While you buy Nest's product, you are still the product (and selling you is a better business for them long-term).

So the utility company pays their customers, who in turn lower their bills by using less energy? Why?

No, the utility pays Nest. The customers get nothing.

Re: Nest is acquiring Dropcam

#63

so if google owns nest and nest nad owns dropcam if you have a dropcam and the NSA wants to come blackbag your house can they delete the video off the cloudhosting warnetlessly?

they can probably turn off your Internet connection/power warrantlessy so they don't have to worry about that...

Re: Nest is acquiring Dropcam

#64
post #18

Some interesting quotes from Dropcam's CEO last year: “Our business model is very straightforward. I think if your business model is not straightforward, it veers into potentially being unethical, if you look at things that are quote-unquote ‘free.’ None of the people who work here want to work on something that works like that. They look at it as tricking the user, when [a company is] turning around and using some p…

I'd gladly work an 11 hour day at a company that provided food if two of those hours were meals (lunch and dinner) and another hour was time spent in the gym/playing games. That's 8 hours of work, and three hours of free recreation that would have cost me a non-trivial sum of money elsewhere. I just wouldn't want that to be expected.

Re: Nest is acquiring Dropcam

#66
post #57
post #18

Some interesting quotes from Dropcam's CEO last year: “Our business model is very straightforward. I think if your business model is not straightforward, it veers into potentially being unethical, if you look at things that are quote-unquote ‘free.’ None of the people who work here want to work on something that works like that. They look at it as tricking the user, when [a company is] turning around and using some p…

He thinks the lavish perks at many technology companies, especially the free on-campus meals, are a disguised form of mind control, designed to get employees to work 12- or 14-hour days. WTF is wrong with people!?! I'd work my butt off at a place that provides thrice-a-day healthy, delicious, diverse, vegetarian (for me) meals, on-site gym and sleeping pods!! Hell, I'd have surely done that when I was a decade younge…

> I'd work my butt off at a place that provides three-a-day healthy, delicious, diverse, vegetarian (for me) meals

> Even after breaking down my yearly compensation to an hourly rate, I bet there will be a marginal difference in the money the company makes by keeping me working the extra hours and the price I'd pay for buying such food everyday

Any company providing you multiple meals per day for free is getting the better end of the bargain. Make no mistake about it. It's an arbitrage between the cost of cooking labor + cooking material vs. your labor.

In other words, you're getting the short end of the stick. People do not value perks rationally. If they did, they would deny every last one of them.

Re: Nest is acquiring Dropcam

#67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like the mine owner opening up a mine shop for the miners where they can spend their mining earnings. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_coal_miners#Company_... Creepy.

Except for the fact it's nothing like that at all. The perks are free, and employees are generally paid well - when compared to other professions, if, perhaps not their value add.

> The perks are free

Haha.

That's cute.

Re: Nest is acquiring Dropcam

#68
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He thinks the lavish perks at many technology companies, especially the free on-campus meals, are a disguised form of mind control, designed to get employees to work 12- or 14-hour days. WTF is wrong with people!?! I'd work my butt off at a place that provides thrice-a-day healthy, delicious, diverse, vegetarian (for me) meals, on-site gym and sleeping pods!! Hell, I'd have surely done that when I was a decade younge…

> I'd work my butt off at a place that provides three-a-day healthy, delicious, diverse, vegetarian (for me) meals > Even after breaking down my yearly compensation to an hourly rate, I bet there will be a marginal difference in the money the company makes by keeping me working the extra hours and the price I'd pay for buying such food everyday Any company providing you multiple meals per day for free is getting the…

In other words, you're getting the short end of the stick. People do not value perks rationally. If they did, they would deny every last one of them.

How many people value anything rationally? Ever?

As humans we are programmed to be pain averse. I hate foraging for and/or cooking my food. I consider it an utter waste of my time and breath. Yes, I care about my health, but don't have the money to pay an arm and a leg for a personal chef, or even plan meals. In short, I want to eat well (tasty+healthy), but without any direct effort on my part. That is the pain I am averse to. If a company can remove that pain, for me it is a fair exchange, even if in a most superficial manner.

Give and Take. Plus, no exchange in life is perfectly equivalent. Is it?

Re: Nest is acquiring Dropcam

#69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While technically accurate that statement is really misleading. Nest makes a significant amount of revenue from utility companies who pay up to $50 per thermostat per year for Nest agreeing to turn down their usage during peak times. This is a very different model than paying someone for a product. While you buy Nest's product, you are still the product (and selling you is a better business for them long-term).

So the utility company pays their customers, who in turn lower their bills by using less energy? Why?

Nest's demand response program is called Rush Hour Rewards. They have a good explanation of it on their website [1], but they claim that customers can opt out at any time, customers receive rewards through their electricity supplier.

From what I can gather from tweets by participating customers, they do it because it's cool and exciting not because of the financial rewards.

[1] http://support.nest.com/article/What-is-Rush-Hour-Rewards

Re: Nest is acquiring Dropcam

#70
The reason for this acquisition is clear. Its why Nest was bought, its why Dropcam was bought. For Eric Shmidt's whole life his brother would turn down the thermostat and Eric would be too cold. He would accuse his brother and his brother would play innocent. It was infuriating.

But now. Billions of dollars later. Finally, Eric will always know who is screwing with his radiator.

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