Google has announced that it has acquired Nest Labs, a company that operates in the field of home automation, offering products such as thermostats and smoke detectors controllable via the Internet, for $3.2 billion in cash. According to the press release, the company will continue to operate under the direction of its co-founder Tony Fadell, who a few years ago was one of the creators of the iPod when he worked for Apple.
Google has announced the creation of the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA), a coalition that aims to bring you the Android platform in cars. This alliance includes the car manufacturers Audi, GM, Honda and Hyundai but also the processors manufacturer NVIDIA. The OAA intends to bring together the know-how of the various companies that form it to create a common platform to drive innovation to make technology in the car more secure and intuitive for everyone.
Google has decided to open the counteroffensive against the Rockstar consortium, which in October 2013 sued Google and its partners Asus, HTC, Huawei, LG, Pantech, Samsung and ZTE for alleged violation by Android of some patents owned by the consortium. According to Google, Rockstar’s lawsuit has placed a cloud on Google’s Android platform; threatened Google’s business and relationships with its customers and partners, as well as its sales of Nexus-branded Android devices.
Google has confirmed that it has acquired Boston Dynamics, a company specializing in building robots for civilian use but also for the U.S. military. The company also develops the human simulation software DI- Guy. The robots designed by the company are generally quadrupeds but it recently developed Petman, another project funded by DARPA that is bipedal instead.
