Home
News
You are here

Apple, Google, and Microsoft all vying to purchase home automation company

17comments

By Michael Heller

Published: Dec 20, 2012, 4:07 PM

Apple, Google, and Microsoft all vying to purchase home automation company

Home automation is one of those things that always sounds great, but also never really seems to show up. We've seen cartoons about the House of Tomorrow for a long time now, but aside from refridgerators that can tweet, and maybe options to control heat or lighting, most houses don't have much as far as automation. But, it looks like three tech giants are looking to get serious as Apple, Google, and Microsoft are all reportedly vying to purchase a home automation company.

The company is called R2 Studios, and while the company hasn't released many actual products yet, it did release an Android app last year that let users control heating and lighting systems in their homes from a mobile device. It also owns patents related to interfaces and controlling electronic devices (and that may be the real key for at least one of the companies involved in this rumor).

Microsoft has been talking about home automation since Bill Gates was showing off his pimped out crib, but that was close to 10 years ago, and any products from Redmond are still just vaporware. Google has been showing some very interesting stuff over the last couple years with Android@Home, and Android has been making it into more and more household appliances, especially Samsung appliances (which aren't necessarily compatible with Android@Home), so it is the company that seems most likely to make good use of the R2 Studios acquisition.

Apple is the odd one out, because the company has never really shown an interest in home automation. The closest the company has gotten is having an employee release a thermostat (#12 on the list in the link) through his own company. And, unless Apple is going to really break its tightly controlled ecosystem and allow other appliance manufacturers to start making "Apple" products, it's hard to imagine what Apple would get from the deal beyond the R2 patent portfolio.

source: WSJ via The Verge

$349

$799

$450 off (56%)

Mint Mobile now sells the Google Pixel 10 with a massive $450 discount. The promo is available on select color variants with 128GB of storage. You also get a 12-month unlimited data plan for $180 instead of $360.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$524

$999

$475 off (48%)

Grab the pro-grade, compact Pixel 10 Pro at Mint Mobile with a 12-month unlimited plan, and you can save a huge $475. The data plan comes with a discount, too: 50% off, to be exact.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$499

$1199

$700 off (58%)

The high-end Gemini AI-enhanced Pixel 10 Pro XL is now available with a mind-blowing discount. You can now save $700 on the phone, plus 50% off unlimited 12-month plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$1399

$1799

$400 off (22%)

The foldable Pixel 10 Pro Fold is another standout holiday offer. Right now, you can get the device for $400 off at Mint Mobile. On top of that, you save $180 on 12-month unlimited data plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

View Full Bio

Michael Heller is known for his clear and informative articles on mobile technology. He explores important topics such as the rollouts of 5G networks and the advancements in mobile payments, offering readers insights into the evolving tech landscape.