In a $3.2 billion deal that expands its beachhead in the business of “connected homes,” Google (GOOG) said Monday it will buy Palo Alto startup Nest Labs, which has made a splash in the tech world by taking an Apple (AAPL)-style approach to designing normally humdrum devices.
The deal adds a new dimension to earlier efforts by Google, which has dabbled in “smarthome” technology before. Nest makes sleek, cutting-edge smoke detectors and “self-learning” thermostats that let you monitor your home furnace and air conditioner with a smartphone app, mercurynews informs.
