“It’s no wonder some people are freaking out over Google’s $3.2 billion Nest Labs acquisition: it’s another step towards a future when Google has enough access to lives of high-income consumers to gain psychological insights that no company has ever possessed,” Tero Kuittinen writes for BGR.
“Nest’s Learning Thermostat can track movements and activity of people in their homes, an ability no doubt improving by leaps and bounds,” Kuittinen writes. “If you combine this with analysis of email and search patterns, as well as smartphone GPS mapping of movement outside the home, you get to an exceptionally sweet spot for building an intimate profile of not only current consumption patterns, but of likely future choices as well.”
“Of course, granting Nest access to your life will be entirely voluntary and Google will inform you of the privacy issues in exhaustive detail. Most people won’t mind — just as most people don’t mind combining Gmail, YouTube and search information into an intricate psychological profiles,” Kuittinen writes. “This does not have to be sinister. Isn’t it more pleasant to receive ad messages that actually suit your interests? What if Google can actually improve your life by accurately reading your mental state and helping you buy services and products that are a good fit?”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Feuds, funding and a fed up Fadell: Why Apple didn’t buy Nest – January 14, 2014
Did Tim Cook blow it by not snapping up Nest before Google? – January 13, 2014
Google to buy Nest Labs for $3.2 Billion – January 13, 2014
Tony Fadell introduces Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector – October 8, 2013
Tony Fadell, Father of the iPod: From Apple to Nest Labs, always a designer – July 24, 2013
Apple Store to sell Tony Fadell’s Nest Learning Thermostat, report claims – May 25, 2012
‘Father of the iPod’ Tony Fadell shows off his new project: Thermostats – October 25, 2011
