January 16 - Google's Home-Invasion

After discovering that Google is teaming up with the NSA and the military, it might feel very tempting to turn your phone and computer off. Are you going to want to turn off your thermostat too? 

It was recently announced that Nest was acquired by Google for $3.2 billion. The company is the maker of a thermostat that makes adjustments according to what your living patterns are. Nest also came up with a fire alarm to link to the thermostat. Many individuals believe that by acquiring this technology from Nest, it will allow Google to find out what we are up to when we are away from the internet.

So why does it feel creepier to learn that Google is making its way into our home via home automation devices than it does a company like Xfinity providing home security? Why does it feel more like Big Brother watching over us?

In Wired, Dan Hanon wrote: It is more than an acquisition, it is an annexation that plants a flag. We are talking about physical territory now, as the internet increasingly and relentlessly continues reaching into our real world. It is very simple: individuals invited Nest to their homes, not Google.