[NewScientist] Nest thermostat acquisition is Google’s home invasion

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On Monday, Google announced the second-biggest acquisition in its history. The tech giant shelled out $3.2 billion for smart-thermostat manufacturer Nest Labs of Palo Alto, California. […]

[Sara Watson at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society] « Imagine Google Now knows you’re on your way home, » suggests Watson. « The thermostat can predict that you’re going to be home in 10 minutes and it can get the heat going. » […] « Google’s entire data policy skews towards a consolidated view of one consumer. It seems pretty likely that that would be a future direction for any acquired company of Google’s, » she says.

Whether or not that does happen, some are already expressing concerns over how smart-home companies might « profile » those who use their technology. […]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24881-nest-thermostat-acquisition-is-googles-home-invasion.html