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Nest

NEST Labs Acquired by Google Inc.

by Alex David Jimenez

PALO ALTO, CA – On January 13th of this year, Google Inc. acquired the infant company NEST Labs for an astounding $3.2 billion dollars. The deal came only three months after NEST released its second product, the NEST Protect©. Google, a goliath of a company worth roughly $200 billion dollars, jumped at the opportunity to purchase the rapidly growing NEST before other giants like Facebook and Yahoo! had the chance.

Tony  Matt
NEST Labs© Founders Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers

NEST Labs was founded in 2010 by engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. Both Fadell and Rogers were employees of Apple Inc. at the time, boasting high-level positions at the company (Fadell has been called the driving force behind the original iPod). They took a large risk leaving Apple to start their own business – one which today has most decidedly been worth the effort. In 2011, NEST introduced their first product, the NEST Learning Thermostat©. The product was a success, offering a new and more modern application to heating and cooling, and utilizing WiFi technology to give users access to their home thermostat with their smart phones or tablets. With the success of the thermostat, Fadell and Rogers engineered their second product, released just this last October – the NEST Protect©. The Protect introduced a new-age look and functionality of the common smoke detector. Sales began to boom with the release of their second product, and Google Inc. saw the potential of the business.

NEST Learning Thermostat
NEST Learning Thermostat

The NEST Learning Thermostat and the NEST Protect both utilize WiFi capabilities, a component in modern technology which is becoming more and more prominent every day. The thermostat is revolutionary in that it essentially “learns” by way of remembering your particular habits and routines in the way you heat and cool your house. The temperature you are comfortable with becomes the norm, and the NEST will adjust it for you, saving you time and energy. At the same time, you can view and adjust the temperature of your home or office from you phone, even when you are not there. This comes in handy when you have a pet or children at home and want to be sure they are comfortable.

NEST Protect
NEST Protect

The NEST Protect is a brand new way of protecting yourself from fire and carbon monoxide. The product basis is the same, sensing smoke and chemicals and alerting you. However, it is far more advanced – in a sense, it’s smart. The Protect talks to you; If smoke is detected, it will first tell you that it senses smoke. If you’re simply burning toast, you can wave at the NEST Protect and it will hush itself- no more screaming alarm from simple cooking. The device is connected to WiFi and communicates with your smart-device. If there is smoke or carbon monoxide detected in your home when you’re not there, NEST will tell your phone. You can act immediately and contact emergency services. If the NEST Protect battery is low, your phone is alerted. No more chirping. Essentially, The Protect is revolutionary because it talks to you, and doesn’t rely solely on screeching loud obnoxious alarms.

Currently NEST Labs products are available only in the United States, though are expected to become a global product soon. The NEST Thermostat and NEST Protect are available through nest.com and found at sever retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowe’s.

Filed Under: TECHNOLOGY, U.S. Tagged With: Apple, billion, Google, Nest, Nest Protect, Nest Thermostat, Palo Alto, smoke detector, wifi

Gadgets: The Good, The Bad and the Coming Soon

by Alex David Jimenez

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We’re well on our way into 2014, and with each milestone we pass, the future becomes more, well, nerdy. Nerdy, that is, in the sense of existing on a more technology and algorithm-based plane. The planet around us is growing smaller as more and more of our OS and HTML obsessed brains grow just a little bit larger. The tech world grows faster every day, and it shows. The late 2013 is no exception to the rule, having given us many bright new gadgets, as well as many dull ones.

In a nutshell, here are the better, best, and not-so-good #gadgets of 2013, (as well as the rising stars to watch in 2014) including smart phones, tablets, laptops, gaming systems, wearable tech, apps, mobile operating systems, and other miscellaneous gadgets.


Smart Phones 2013

Winner: Apple iPhone 5s

Runner-up: HTC One

Loser: Blackberry Z10

The one to watch in 2014: Motorola Project ARA

gadgets
Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Tablets 2013

Winner: Apple iPad Air

Runner-up: Google Nexus 7

Loser: Microsoft Surface RT

The one to watch in 2014: Amazon Kindle Fire HDX

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg - financesonline.com
Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Laptops 2013

Winner: Apple MacBook Air 13″

Runner-up: Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus

Loser: Google Chromebook Pixel

The one to watch in 2014: Asus Taichi

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg - financesonline.com
Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Gaming Systems 2013

Winner: Sony Playstation 4

Runner-up: Microsoft XBox One

Loser: Ouya

The one to watch in 2014: Oculus Rift

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Wearable Tech 2013

Winner: Pebble Smartwatch

Runner-up: Misfit Shine

Loser: Samsung Galaxy Gear

The one to watch in 2014: Google Glass

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Mobile Apps 2013

Winner: Waze

Runner-up: Blackberry Messenger

Loser: Twitter #Music

The one to watch in 2014: Tinder

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Mobile OS 2013

Winner: Android 4.4 KitKat

Runner-up: Apple iOS 7

Loser: Blackberry BB10

The one to watch in 2014: UBUNTU

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

Other Gadgets of 2013

Winner: Google Chromecast

Runner-up: NEST Project

Loser: Hapilabs Hapifork

The one to watch in 2014: Leap Motion

Graphic courtesy Alex Hillsberg – financesonline.com

All graphics are courtesy Finances Online and designed by Ruby Media Corporation

 

 

Filed Under: OPINION, TECHNOLOGY Tagged With: 2013, 2014, Apple, asus, best, Blackberry, chrome book, chrome cast, gadgets, Google, HTC, ios, Leap Motion, microspft, Nest, pebble, playstation, Samsung, tech, technology, Twitter, waze, worst, xbox

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