Google Predicts Ads in Odd Spots Like Thermostats

[Mackin USA]

In a December letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission, which was disclosed Tuesday, the search giant said that it could be serving ads and other content on "refrigerators, car dashboards, thermostats, glasses, and watches, to name just a few possibilities."

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/05/21/google-predicts-ads-in-odd-spots-like-thermostats/?mod=e2fb

[Brad]

They might serve one ad only once.

[BoL]

Safe to say privacy isn't in Google's version of the future.

[Rooftop]

I'm not sure I'd read too much into that.  To me that is two arguments:

#1 Mobile as a definition is becoming obsolete (I've heard this from G in a number of forms. They don't seem to even talk mobile any more - but more about living in a multi-device world. I've heard the thermostat example in relation to ads before, but also shoes, airline overhead bins, non-screen devices etc).  I don't think that means they see those as likely ad platforms, but they are behind the idea that everything is a touch point for the internet.

#2 We don't want to disclose shit.

Nest would be a shitty place to put an ad anyway. Half the point is that you don't need to look at the actual hardware and when you do you are hardly in a purchase frame of mind.  Ad on the app that controls it - for sure, but that doesn't make headlines.

[DrCool]

>Nest would be a shitty place to put an ad anyway.

If I was walking by that thing or my refrigerator or dishwasher or anything like that and a big ad popped up to order a pizza I would definitely give it thought. Impulse buys like that make me think this sort of advertising would have legs.

[danieljack]

Google even suggesting ads on Nest is pretty disgusting to me. When I pay for a device from a company that is where they should be getting their profit - don't bait and switch and then serve ads to me.