On Monday afternoon, Google announced plans to acquire Nest, a hardware developer known for their internet-enabled home appliances, including a thermostat and a smoke detector. The $3.2 billion purchase continues Google's move towards more vertical integration, controlling both hardware and software production. Google has been an investor in Nest through their Series B and C rounds of funding, and the company previously spent more than $12 billion on Motorola Mobility a couple of years ago. Google gets another entry point into people's lives besides cloud services, television, smartphones, laptops, payment platforms, etc. Now, they can also tell when your house is chilly.



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