The technology industry will most likely be talking about the Internet of things in the coming days. Google, Apple and Samsung have reportedly been making great strides in this sector. The innovation in recent technology has shied away from mobile devices and computers, and has moved towards appliances and wearable devices like watches that have hardware and software that will make them more interactive than ever before.
Google is reportedly buying Dropcam (small video cameras that you can set up inside your house, so that you can see what is happening while you aren't home) via its Nest home thermostat unit. Nest refers to a Google unit that creates smart thermostats. Dropcam has recently announced a security feature that lets its cameras detect moving people in their homes. An alert will then be sent to your smartphone app or email account by the cloud-powered software.
Apple discussed new apps at the developers' conference that will allow you to control devices in a person's household to their iPhone. The software will make the iPhone a do-it-all remote that can turn on and off anything in a person's house. These things range from lights, appliances, and even security systems. According to the Financial Times, Apple had already filed patents for such devices.
Samsung had health-related press event on May 28. They have also released the Gear Fit Smartwatch that can track how many steps you have taken and your heart-rate. Samsung is also looking to make a big move with the potential acquisition of SmartThings for around $200 million. SmartThings sells $100 hardware hubs and provides a cloud platform to allow gadgets out on the market talk to each other on one application. Towards the end of 2014, SmartThings aims to offer paid apps similar to what the App Store offers. The deal has not yet been closed, and Samsung has not yet commented on this topic, but this is a sign that the tech giants are seeing opportunities and trying to grab them.
Read more: What To Expect From Apple’s Upcoming iWatch
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