<story><title>Google&apos;s new business model</title><url>http://stratechery.com/2014/googles-new-business-model/</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>notatoad</author><text>&amp;gt;That is why I ... am inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt with regards to Nest data.&lt;p&gt;What is with the paranoia over Nest&amp;#x27;s data?  Yes, google is a data-hungry company.  but Nest doesn&amp;#x27;t collect any valuable data that google doesn&amp;#x27;t already have.  Sure, the motion sensors in a nest thermostat can sense when somebody is in your house, and what the temperature is.  But Google already has your cell phone, they know where &lt;i&gt;you&lt;/i&gt; are at all times, that&amp;#x27;s a hell of a lot more valuable than knowing whether somebody is currently inside whatever building where you installed your thermostat in.&lt;p&gt;I suspect that the nest acquisition is about finding new uses for all the data they have, not about collecting more data.  Google already knows, without installing sensors in my house, when i leave for work.  they know when i&amp;#x27;m heading home, and when i go on holidays.  That all seems like information that a home automation system would love to have access to.</text></comment>
<story><title>Google&apos;s new business model</title><url>http://stratechery.com/2014/googles-new-business-model/</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>evv</author><text>Google clearly has an unprecedented (well, maybe except for sun..) set of technologies on the horizon. Between network infastructure, mapping, energy, robots, and now home automation, their dominance in the future is easy to forsee.&lt;p&gt;However, there was no mention about Google&amp;#x27;s rise to power being centered around a focused set of high-quality web services. And now they are starting their &amp;quot;3rd business model leg&amp;quot; of consumer devices before they have truly mastered their second, the SaaS market. I find it funny how the OP quickly glances over Apples unprecedented focus, althewhile highlighting and admiring Google&amp;#x27;s unwarranted diversification.&lt;p&gt;The obvious question is: can Google get away with it all, or will they fail without focus? They have managed to stay cohesive so far, but as the author rightly points out, Google&amp;#x27;s true diversification has only just begun.</text></comment>