Google Ramps Up It's Product Business with Nest Labs

Google has announced plans to purchase the smart thermostat company Nest Labs for £2 billion ($3.2 billion). Nest Labs creates a smart thermostat that learns your routine, can understand when the house is empty, and can be controlled via a smartphone, thus bringing cost and energy savings. Another recently released product is a smoke detector called Nest Protect which has numerous features that make is distinct from regular smoke detectors such as alerts to your phone.

In interviews the company founder and CEO, who was previously an Apple Executive, has said that Nest will be run separate to Google but can now use it's huge resources to improve their products faster.

Their acquisition of Nest Labs really proves that Google is becoming more of a products company with it's sights set on automation and machine learning.

This is the latest in a series of recent acquisitions by Google including robotics firm Boston Dynamics and Motorola.

Who's next up for Google? Leave your thoughts below.

This App Pays You to Go To the Gym

We've all done it at some point in our lives - joined the gym and only used it a few times before getting bored. With the new year just around the corner (scary I know) there'll be a huge swathes of people doing it all over again. One app developer now believes they have the cure to this problem - pay people to use the gym.

The app is called GymPact and it's a great idea. It rewards those that exercise and punishes those that don't. The idea behind GymPact, available for free on Android and iOS, is that you pledge an amount of money (you decide how much) and how many days you'll visit the gym or workout at home or outdoors. If you complete your pledge for a certain week then you get paid but if you don't you get charged a certain amount. The money from non-exercisers is distributed to those who do exercise.

Currently, payments are around 30 cents (they're American) per workout completed so if you're good you could earn enough to cover a fair amount of your gym membership.

http://youtu.be/1ZoRT9iYPn4

iPad Event set for 22nd October-314

On Tuesday this week Apple sent out invitations to the media for an event on 22nd October in San Francisco. It's highly likely that a new iPad and iPad Mini will be launched along with a possible announcement on OS X Maverics, and who knows what else.

As the wording on the invitations suggest there'll also be an update to the iPad's smart cover too - perhaps an integrated keyboard or something much more innovative and interesting.

Google Launches Chromecast To Take On Apple TV

Google has announced a very low cost alternative, and what looks like a great competitor, to Apple's Apple TV.

The small dongle simply plugs in to one of your TV's HDMI sockets and allows users to stream content from their smartphone, tablet or laptop straight to their television.

Chromecast is available now in the US and costs just $35 (≈£23) but there's no word yet on when it'll be available internationally. You can buy it here.

Importantly, the device works with not just Android but with iOS and Windows too.

At the moment you can stream content from Netflix, Google Play, YouTube and there's also a Chrome browser.

This isn't Google's first attempt at penetrating in to the lucrative TV/Living room market. Over the last few years there have a been a few little known products such as the Nexus Q and Google TV, all of which completely failed.

I can't wait to try this out but what do you think? Will you be buying one? Comment below.

The 5 Coolest Kickstarter Projects Live Now

Kickstarter is a maze of weird and wonderful projects waiting and hoping for your money to help them get off the ground or to the next stage in development. Here's a round up of the top 5 Kickstarter projects that are live right now.  

1. 3D-Rex: A 3D-Printed T-Rex Sculpture

This sounds like a slightly odd thing and perhaps something for kids but it's actually a really cool wire-frame sculpture of a T-Rex head. I really think it looks like a piece of art.

It's available in two versions; one for the wall and one for the desk. It comes in a range of colours including white, blue, red, purple, pink and black. FYI, the white looks best.

The pledges range from £25 to £295 and all include a sculpture of one size or another.

2. Animal Stackers - A New Kind of Building Block

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K94a0ENTmsY&w=560&h=315]

This one is definitely something for the kids. The idea behind these little animal shaped building blocks is that they're perfect for both boys and girls which apparently is rare in the world of toys.

Pledges of $42 or more will get you a set of stackers.

3. Duinokit - An Electronics and Robotics Arduino Learning Kit

[youtube=http://youtu.be/KhFPKybaoN8&w=560&h=315]

Electronics, programming, and robotics are the future and this kit aims to teach kids (and adults) the fundamental basics of these areas.

The electronics kit is available in two versions; DuinoKit JR. and DuinoKit. Both feature 190 components but the DuinoKit is intended for more advanced users.

You can get your hands on a DuinoKit JR. by pledging $160 and the larger DuinoKit for $265.

4. Handibot: A Smart Digital Power Tool

[youtube=http://youtu.be/DOI2W7qwfqg&w=560&h=315]

Everybody loves tools, especially power tools, and this is the ultimate power tool.

This smartphone/tablet controlled power tools lets your drill, carve, and shape a whole range of materials including wood and aluminium.

It's a bit like 3D Printing but instead of adding material it's removing it.

They've so far raised about double their target but to get your hands on a handibot you'll be pledging $2,400.

5. Are You My Typeface?

This is a book whose storyline follows a lost 'a' searching for it's typeface, it meets a bunch of other typefaces along the way before it finally finds it's own.

This is a really cute book for kids (and maybe adults too?).

The 'Are You My Typeface?' project recently passed it's goal of £15,000 and the author has said if she reaches £20,000 an iOS version will be made.

The best thing is that for just a $15 pledge you can get a hard and soft copy of the book, although it'll only ship to the US at the moment. A $27 dollar pledge will get you international shipping.