Google buys Nest Labs, maker of smart thermostat, for $3.2 billion [u]

18911131417

Comments

  • Reply 201 of 337
    blah64 wrote: »
    <div class="quote-container" data-huddler-embed="/t/161554/google-buys-nest-labs-maker-of-smart-thermostat-for-3-2-billion-u/160#post_2457312" data-huddler-embed-placeholder="false"><span>Quote:</span><div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Dick Applebaum</strong> <a href="/t/161554/google-buys-nest-labs-maker-of-smart-thermostat-for-3-2-billion-u/160#post_2457312"><img src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" class="inlineimg" alt="View Post"/></a><br/>
    -snip-

    An interesting thought occurs... The $99 AppleTV has an A5 APU, RAM, WiFi, USB, Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0...<br />
    You could sprinkle $25 beacons (with thermometers/sensors) throughout your home (and one as the thermostat) -- the AppleTV would contain the intelligence -- then you could monitor the temperature/smoke/radon/security in multiple rooms and take appropriate action as necessary. All this could be easily setup through iTunes/AppleTV/iPhone Remote -- and securely controlled/monitored with any iDevice</div></div>

    Ah, but <i>this</i> could be different.

    IF (and only if) this kind of system could be built where all the data stays on site, controlled with a smart device <i>under your full control</i>, like an Apple TV (or new Apple Home), then we'd be talking about a fantastic solution.

    I believe that all the data can be kept on site (locally) and that you can receive push notifications from the web, iOS geofencing, etc.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 202 of 337
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 3Eleven View Post

     

    Soon there will be no where to hide from our Google overlords.


    "Soon"?

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 203 of 337
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    2385amh wrote: »
    GOOG up 2 Billion + in after hours trading.  This sale is looking less overpriced and more like a free pick up at this point.
    because a Google stock is up 0.62% in after hours trading? :???:
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 204 of 337
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post





    That' scary!



    Time for Google to be regulated? The sooner the better!

     

    You mean, just like there was "the phone company", there should now be "the big brother company"?

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 205 of 337
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    because a Google stock is up 0.62% in after hours trading? image

    http://9to5google.com/2014/01/13/following-nest-acquisition-google-gains-2-3b-in-after-hours-trading/

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 206 of 337
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    because a Google stock is up 0.62% in after hours trading? image

     

    If the point is that $2Bn is not much compared to the google market cap, that's true, but it's like saying that it is wise for me to light Colorado cigars with $10 bills because I can afford it.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 207 of 337
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by TheOtherGeoff View Post

     

    late in the game (working in a classified network during the day), but this.

     

    Once you register your 'nest' with Nest using a google account, and look at the sort of data Nest will be playing with

    - utilities

    - environmentals (is it cold where you live?  hot?)

    - safety/security

    - activity patterns

    - home automation

    This sort of information is gold for google to link to you (and your children's) profile, and crowdsourcing as well (the geo data... you're looking at a nielsen's level sampling).   

     

    All the work I've been doing in trying to protect the electrical smart data grid can potentially be inferred by Google/Nest...  I know when a zip code temp is going up... I know when power outages are in play, the average occupancy of a home, security alarm data for a neighborhood, traffic patterns (given the home usage patterns of zip 12345-33xx to 38xx, we are seeing information that indicates everyone is caught in traffic/at the HS football game/stayed home to watch the royal wedding)

     

    passive crowdsourcing without 'giving up' your private information (until you correlate it with other information, such as your Android phone, your GoogleTV, YouTube use, Google Fiber)

     

    Not that Apple couldn't do the same thing... but it's analytics is less likely to be used as a 'product' sold outside of Apple.


     

    Your "working in a classified network" brings up a thought: until recently, spooks had to go out of their way to bug people's houses. Now, people actually pay money to install bugs. Oy.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 208 of 337
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post





    What's a bit odd is Nest gear is high end. Everything Google and Android is about cheap low end.

     

    That's actually false. HTC One, Sony Experia Z, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (I could go on) are pretty high end devices (you don't have to like them to admit it).

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 209 of 337
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by K2kW View Post

     

    If Jobs was still there in Apple, the NEST would already be pulled from Apple retail stores and the Apple website.


     

    Doubt it. Jobs was apoplectic about Android, supposedly, but that did not stop him from running Google search and Google maps on the iPhone.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 210 of 337
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    2385amh wrote: »
    Where are they getting that figure from and what's meaningful about after hours trading. Tomorrow Google could be way up, flat or down. After hours trading isn't always inductive of where a stock will close the next day.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 211 of 337
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    marubeni wrote: »
    If the point is that $2Bn is not much compared to the google market cap, that's true, but it's like saying that it is wise for me to light Colorado cigars with $10 bills because I can afford it.
    Google stock being up less than 1% in after-hours trading is meaningless.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 212 of 337
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Where are they getting that figure from and what's meaningful about after hours trading. Tomorrow Google could be way up, flat or down. After hours trading isn't always inductive of where a stock will close the next day.

    I'm not saying that this is a meaningful data point for certain however, Nest is a profitable company that makes visually pleasing products which is something Google needs help doing.  It doesnt take a genius to see that Nest has a lot of value to google in terms of inheriting a staff of great designers.  If google stock does stay up 2 billion or goes up even more this deal pays for it self in less then 1 day.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 213 of 337
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    And now I’ll never buy one (much less the three I’d planned). Ever.

     

     

    Because morals can’t be bought.


    Do you use that immoral search engine? Every company including Google, Apple, Microsoft and on and has done something dirty once or twice. I say well played Mr. Fadell for getting Google to pay you so much.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 214 of 337

    I think Nest was under pressure from Honeywell's lawsuits and needed deep pockets to survive.  Google may fade the thermostat and smoke detector in favor of other devices like Google Glass.

     

    The entire Nest Team probably sold their souls to Google for the 3.2 Billon because it was either that or get crushed by Honeywell.

     

    Time will tell.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 215 of 337

    I think it's adorable that people think avoiding Google products will make their lives better because their data are somehow safe from collection.

     

    I agree Nest has a nice interface now, and hope Google doesn't mess it up though.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 216 of 337
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by scalpernt View Post



    Google having granular insight into what the market wants via search queries is going to eventually give them an advantage that Apple should definitely be worried about. In fact, I would be willing to bet that Google has been using search data in all of their strategic decisions and this has helped them make the gains they have with Android as well as other initiatives.



     

     

    That's a very interesting observation.  I would have thought that Google Trends being publicly available would eliminate such an advantage.  Can you expand on exactly what your thoughts were?   I've seen some very clever people using Google Trends to make some accurate projections, but it never dawned on me that Google themselves could be gaining competitive advantage.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 217 of 337
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    2385amh wrote: »
    I'm not saying that this is a meaningful data point for certain however, Nest is a profitable company that makes visually pleasing products which is something Google needs help doing.  It doesnt take a genius to see that Nest has a lot of value to google in terms of inheriting a staff of great designers.  If google stock does stay up 2 billion or goes up even more this deal pays for it self in less then 1 day.
    So Google paid $3 billion for designers who make products that look like Ive and Co. designed them? No wonder Apple wasn't interested since they have the real thing already.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 218 of 337
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    So Google paid $3 billion for designers who make products that look like Ive and Co. designed them? No wonder Apple wasn't interested since they have the real thing already.

    that's right, what benefits one company doesn't benefit another.  Apple already has great designers google doesn't.  So google bought a profitable company for three billion and gained the potential to make all future hardware much more beautiful.  I fail to see why this was stupid of Google.  Keep in mind that I never said Apple should buy Nest.  Google also is now firmly in the internet of things / smart house game.  They are making a bet that this is the next big thing.  Frankly 3 billion dollars is not even very much to google they make about a billion a month in profit.

     

    Also Nest could have some awesome things in the pipeline that we dont know about yet.  Google has been financing Nest since almost the beginning. They basically just recouped all that money plus bought all future profits nest was going to make and got all the patents and staff too.  For a couple months profits I think its a steal really.

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 219 of 337
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post





    Apple features beats headphones all over their stores. Should they buy beats? If Apple wanted nest they would have made a play for them. But they didn't. So either nest doesn't have IP Apple wants or it's like the cnet article said, nest is about design not groundbreaking technology and Apple already owns design.

     

    Your beats analogy is either a bad example, or you missed my point.

     

    Apple could have effortlessly pushed Nest into whatever Apple would have wanted it to be. (Nest has great bones)

    I think the real thing is just that Apple doesn't want to buy an actual product that is already on the shelves. They just want to buy technologies. (Fair enough). But Nest is a better than 'decent' product. And Apple DOES like them. And Apple could have integrated it easily into an Apple home automation system. 

    But I'm sure Apple had their reasons for not buying them.

     

    (This is me making an obvious assumption that Apple was ever in some sort of position where they did, actually, decline an offer to buy. I haven't heard that yet.)

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 220 of 337
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    2385amh wrote: »
    that's right, what benefits one company doesn't benefit another.  Apple already has great designers google doesn't.  So google bought a profitable company for three billion and gained the potential to make all future hardware much more beautiful.  I fail to see why this was stupid of Google.  Keep in mind that I never said Apple should buy Nest.  Google also is now firmly in the internet of things / smart house game.  They are making a bet that this is the next big thing.  Frankly 3 billion dollars is not even very much to google they make over a billion a month in profit.

    Also Nest could have some awesome things in the pipeline that we dont know about yet.  Google has been financing Nest since almost the beginning. They basically just recouped all that money plus bought all future profits nest was going to make and got all the patents and staff too.  For a couple weeks profits I think its a steal really.
    Google's net income in the September 2013 quarter was $2.9B. So they paid more for nest than they make in profit in a quarter.

    http://investor.google.com/earnings/2013/Q3_google_earnings.html
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
Sign In or Register to comment.