Google Invites Itself into Your Home

"On Monday, the [Google] said it was acquiring Nest, a maker of smart smoke alarms and thermostats, in a move that gives Google a strong foothold in a hot new market known as the “connected home,” reports Zach Miners. "The idea behind the connected home is to connect heating systems, lighting systems and appliances such as refrigerators to the Internet so that they can be made more efficient and controlled from afar. In the process, companies can collect more data about people’s habits, something Google loves."

”This is a new area for Google, representing a desire to take advantage of all devices,” said Ben Bajarin, director of consumer technology at Creative Strategies, a market intelligence and research firm. “Google wants its own platform for this world of connected things.”

At Forbes, Parmy Olson also sees a connection to the company's ongoing interest in energy management. With the purchase of Nest, Google acquires the company's "small but growing" energy management business, "meaning that Google itself will now play a role in managing energy efficiency programs across wide swathes of home and even counties – something that Google has been keen to do for some time."