Factbox: Google's forays beyond the search box

[Wireless News]

Google Inc announced plans to acquire smart thermostat maker Nest Labs Inc for $3.2 billion, signaling the Internet company's intention to expand into a broader array of devices and bringing valuable hardware design expertise in-house. The following are some of the newer businesses Google has ventured into or dabbled in past years. Mobile software Google's Android operating system, which evolved from a company-led initiative known as the Open Handset Alliance, is now the world's most popular smartphone software and is increasingly adopted for tablets as well. Developed in-house by software engineer Andy Rubin, the software was designed to present an alternative to then-dominant systems such as Apple Inc's iOS and the Blackberry, and spearhead Google's drive into a then nascent field of mobile advertising.

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