With Nest in & Motorola out, Google now looking to acquire wearable tech companies
Google's evolving hardware portfolio could change once again with the acquisition of a wearable technology company, as the search giant is said to be contemplating potential purchases, according to a new report.
Google's interest in potentially acquiring wearable technology companies was revealed this week by the Information, which cited three unnamed sources apparently familiar with the company's plans. No specific acquisition targets were identified, but Google Chief Executive Larry Page is said to be "serious about making a move."
The news comes after Google announced a major shakeup in its hardware divisions. The Mountain View, Calif., company purchased Nest Labs, maker of a smart home thermostat, for $3.2 billion, while it also sold off its Motorola Mobility hardware division to Lenovo for $2.91 billion.
The new report also reaffirmed existing rumors that Apple is working on a wrist-worn smart watch that would track user information such as fitness and sleep patterns.
Moves apparently being plotted by both Google and Apple are yet another sign that competition is about to grow in the emerging wearable computing market. To date, perhaps the most successful wearable product has not come from a major tech company, but instead from startup Pebble, which is set to launch its own smart watch appstore.
Of course, Google wouldn't be entirely new to the wearable market, as the company has offered developers test versions of its Glass headset for some time. The company plans to make Google Glass a product available to the public at some point in the future.
Until then, Google has been hyping Glass with an "Experience Tour" making stops around the U.S. The tour gives enthusiasts the ability to test out Glass for themselves, even if they are not a member of Google's developer community.
This month Google also revealed a new smart contact lens that could track glucose levels for diabetics. The wearable contact lens would obtain glucose levels from a user's tears, making it easy to track potential health concerns without the need for invasive testing.
Google's interest in potentially acquiring wearable technology companies was revealed this week by the Information, which cited three unnamed sources apparently familiar with the company's plans. No specific acquisition targets were identified, but Google Chief Executive Larry Page is said to be "serious about making a move."
The news comes after Google announced a major shakeup in its hardware divisions. The Mountain View, Calif., company purchased Nest Labs, maker of a smart home thermostat, for $3.2 billion, while it also sold off its Motorola Mobility hardware division to Lenovo for $2.91 billion.
The new report also reaffirmed existing rumors that Apple is working on a wrist-worn smart watch that would track user information such as fitness and sleep patterns.
Moves apparently being plotted by both Google and Apple are yet another sign that competition is about to grow in the emerging wearable computing market. To date, perhaps the most successful wearable product has not come from a major tech company, but instead from startup Pebble, which is set to launch its own smart watch appstore.
Of course, Google wouldn't be entirely new to the wearable market, as the company has offered developers test versions of its Glass headset for some time. The company plans to make Google Glass a product available to the public at some point in the future.
Until then, Google has been hyping Glass with an "Experience Tour" making stops around the U.S. The tour gives enthusiasts the ability to test out Glass for themselves, even if they are not a member of Google's developer community.
This month Google also revealed a new smart contact lens that could track glucose levels for diabetics. The wearable contact lens would obtain glucose levels from a user's tears, making it easy to track potential health concerns without the need for invasive testing.
Comments
Saw my first pair of Google Glass in the wild at Sundance this year.
How freaking dumb do you look wearing those things?!!
A lot.
/No clothes the emperor has.
And Motorola had no expertise in this area? Buying Moto was a bad idea for the price in the first place. Selling it for the price they received was an worse idea.
The only reason Google bought Motorola Mobility was for their patents. Once they figured out their patents were useless and they couldn't protect them, Motorola became useless to them so I'd say the only option was to sell it, even if it was for a loss.
Yes they may have some projects in that area. Google is keeping that part too, the Motorola Advanced Technology group. It's not going to Lenovo.
Yes they may have. Google is keeping that part too, the Motorola Advanced Technology group. It's not going to Lenovo.
Hopefully the A.T.G. has project Ara the modular phone system. There was promise there.
...because? Your medical information is already being shared between insurance companies, financial companies, credit bureaus, health providers, marketing firms and such. Google on the other hand doesn't share very well.
From Blue Cross privacy policy for instance:
"What Information We Collect and From Whom We Collect It:
We collect personal information about you that includes your name, address, Social Security number, health, and financial information. This information is obtained from the forms you fill out, from telephone or person-to-person interviews with you, and from your agent. We also obtain your personal information through claims documents, payment history and other records available to us to determine which products and services are appropriate for you. We may also receive personal information about you from our affiliates and other companies.
What Information We Share and To Whom We Share It:
We may share your information, even after you are no longer our customer, with our affiliates as well as companies we do business with. We only share your information that we are allowed to by law. For example, we may share your information with persons, such as your agent, or companies who perform marketing or other services for us related to the products and services we provide you. We may also share your information with other financial institutions with which we have joint marketing agreements to provide our products and services.
We might as well get ready for embedded tracking devices like you see in the movies. Just inject them into our bodies and Google will know where everyone is and what they're doing. Wait, Google already knows all of this and they give the NSA and all its advertisers all that information!
I don't wear a watch anymore, no glasses except for driving, and no adornments (tats, piercings, earrings, etc.). I'm the minority so wearable technology will come and people will continue to wear anything they can to make them stand out. Of course, I can't wait for the anti-wearable technology to come out that jams every device around me so people (and government types) don't get to invade my personal privacy by documenting my every move.
What is the point of this article exactly?
It should be obvious to anyone following the money (definitely not the Android crowd) that Google is moving on from Android and the phone space as it's prized baby of sorts into robotics, home automation and wearables. They've peddled their drug to get their ads and services out there, grabbed up a ton of share and now on to the next thing. Like most things not search related, it'll end up stale or forgotten or ultimately nixed or merged with something else in the next few years.
<...> I can't wait for the anti-wearable technology to come out <...>.
Great : you have invented a new business ! (I'm serious)
They don't share my medical records. Unfortunately it's a given that our names and addresses are shared.
Google do share info with partners, like financial companies, logistics companies, vendors, ...
They also use your data recklessly by allowing random folks to see my son's protected videos on google +, allowing people to email me without my address, showing my photo for advertising purposes by default, and ignoring do-not-track user policies. ... to point out a few.
What an ignominious end to the company that invented the mobile phone.
Best
And neither will Google...
I think so too. Perhaps Apple should make anti-tracking solutions. Everyone may want one once every little thing starts analyzing us. XD