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Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
21–30 of 300 posts
Re: Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
#22What's the best course of action in this case? Surely, it isn't to ignore the email.
According to Paul Graham, a polite but short refusal: http://paulgraham.com/corpdev.html . Well, unless you know you're ready to sell.
This person seemed ready to sell, and was interested in having discussions to that end, so that advice isn't of much assistance there, unfortunately.
Re: Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Did you miss the part about misrepresenting who was who and the purpose of their contact?
I read it as if he was speculating and drew conclusions based on that. I also fail to see how they masked the purpose. Again, what was he expecting exactly?
Exactly. It sounds to me like Google was possibly interested in purchasing the company, put out feelers, got a way-too-high asking price, and then lost interest.
I'm not sure I buy the whole "faked identities" thing, but even if it's true, I fail to see why it's such an outrage. It doesn't seem any more harmful than me telling them, "I need to check with my family" as a way of buying time to consider a relocation. People hide things or offer misdirections to improve their standing in a negotiation. That's just the way things work. It sounds like, at worst, the Google people were pretty straightforward once they'd gotten past the initial information gathering bit.
Re: Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
#24I take it the application is RoomScan (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/roomscan-app-that-draws-floo...).
It's bugging me that I can't understand how it works, at least not in a way that would produce accurate results in most environments (i.e. No GPS).
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/roomscan-app-iphone-floor-...
Anyone have any ideas?
Re: Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
#25I take it the application is RoomScan ( https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/roomscan-app-that-draws-floo... ). It's bugging me that I can't understand how it works, at least not in a way that would produce accurate results in most environments (i.e. No GPS). http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/roomscan-app-iphone-floor-... Anyone have any ideas?
The page you linked seems to do a reasonable job of answering that:
"Using on your phone’s built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, and gyroscope to determine distances and the orientation of walls, RoomScan can reliably estimate measurements to within about half a foot, which should be adequate if all you need is a rough floor plan. If, you need more precise measurements, you can opt for the $5 Pro version, which allows you to specify exact distances, and will automatically correct the entire room if you adjust a couple dimensions."
Combining GPS, wifi-positioning, and the gyroscope should be fairly accurate for a floor plan. It's a very clever idea.
Re: Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
#26I take it the application is RoomScan ( https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/roomscan-app-that-draws-floo... ). It's bugging me that I can't understand how it works, at least not in a way that would produce accurate results in most environments (i.e. No GPS). http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/roomscan-app-iphone-floor-... Anyone have any ideas?
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Re: Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
#27[deleted]
Re: Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
#28I take it the application is RoomScan ( https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/roomscan-app-that-draws-floo... ). It's bugging me that I can't understand how it works, at least not in a way that would produce accurate results in most environments (i.e. No GPS). http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/roomscan-app-iphone-floor-... Anyone have any ideas?
The page you linked seems to do a reasonable job of answering that: "Using on your phone’s built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, and gyroscope to determine distances and the orientation of walls, RoomScan can reliably estimate measurements to within about half a foot, which should be adequate if all you need is a rough floor plan. If, you need more precise measurements, you can opt for the $5 Pro version, which allows you to specify…
I was suggesting GPS wouldn't work with most rooms having ceilings. Wifi positioning I would imagine is highly inaccurate, which leaves the gyroscope.
Judging by some screenshots and appstore comments I assume its only roughly accurate, and requires you to move your phone slowly between walls in straight lines (not via your pocket or around furniture for example).
I think I would have immediately dismissed an idea like this because I would have perceived the end result to be inaccurate and inadequate. Yet it's a popular app, so I guess I have learnt something.
Re: Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
#29I take it the application is RoomScan ( https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/roomscan-app-that-draws-floo... ). It's bugging me that I can't understand how it works, at least not in a way that would produce accurate results in most environments (i.e. No GPS). http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/roomscan-app-iphone-floor-... Anyone have any ideas?
The accelerometer and gyroscope. The double integral of acceleration is displacement. On iPhones/iOS it's extremely accurate to the point where you can integrate displacement from it and not be far off from the real result - over short timespans/distances anyways.
One of the lesser-appreciated qualities of Apple hardware (more accurately, hardware and drivers) is the quality and accuracy of their sensors.
Re: Hi, It’s Google Corporate Development
#30I don't understand the problem. Was he expecting a $100m acquisition and was upset it was only $2m? Feels like an overly aggressive reaction to something most people would only dream of.
Google initially was talking about an investment or purchase, but the discussion soon devolved into an acqui-hire situation.
But in reality an acqui-hire was the intent all along, Google was just being deceptive.