I read this somewhere recently: “Sensors, sensors everywhere, and plenty of bytes to think”. Despite how incredibly scary it sounded to me, it involuntarily made me re-think this whole “Internet of Things” (IoT) concept. Excuse me while I correct myself. What was once marketed as a frivolous extravagance, is now simply a reality. Plus, that 3.2 billion dollar purchase when Google purchased Nest has generated some new excitement; the “connected-home” notion is getting a lot of attention. For some, the entire idea is all about helping us get things done. But for others, household appliances needing internet-connected capabilities seems over the top. Therefore, if the Nest Thermostat learning your home environmental habits scares you, then don't buy one, correct? It may be that simple. But according to Forbes, in the background “hardware entrepreneurs and large corporations alike are dreaming up new plans to blanket your home in sensors”. Wow! Reading that was a lot to take in. Additionally, considering Pope Francis described the Internet as "a gift from God" this week, I felt it as a sign to reflect on this subject matter.

The Internet is seen as the thing that brings humans together. We use it to communicate and see each other in ways we never could before. Besides resolving communication barriers, providing immense possibilities for networking, encounters, jobs, opportunities, and entertainment, the Internet goes even deeper. But, “deeper” may be the issue here. The more devices we become connected to, the more reason for the following debate to be brought up: Is the Internet using us?

If Google has investments in over 200 companies, why do we care they acquired Nest Labs? Here is where my research came in. Some see this as more than just another buyout, and I'll explain why. Google's new relation to Nest is seen as a validation (to some) that the amount of sensor-related companies they get their hands on perpetually rises. And that tends to make consumers feel uneasy. Reports are stating that existing Nest customers aren't comfortable with the idea of Google having “yet another entry way to their data”. Moreover, if the IoT is going to become mainstream and practical, how will the industry convince consumers the devices aren't insecure and invasive?

Consider investments the company has their eyes on without the word “Google” on it. You know, besides Google Now, Google Plus, and Google Glass. Not just Nest, how ‘bout robotics heavyweights like Boston Dynamics, or the self-driving car? Internet-connected home appliances may be their latest source of “sensor access”, but hey, why not go where the money is? Speaking of, Google very recently got involved in more green investments; 75 million in Texas wind farms to be exact. Due to this bit of news, the latest question has been “Is Google becoming a Green company?”. It's so very easy to be quick to judge. Therefore, give it some thought! I think it's more sufficient to state that Google’s more of an everything company. From robotics, augmented reality, solar plants, and fiber optics, why shouldn't an investor keep on investing?

Now, aside from Google and Nest's love affair, I can get into the real suspicions of the IoT. If you can hack someone’s smart phone, can you hack someone’s fridge? The answer is yes. Devices pose very real threats for personal and corporate security. Therefore, we shouldn’t be too surprised by the uproar regarding the Nest buyout. The machine learning aspect is really powerful. Hence, it's ability to observe and report, all in order to make it more “comfortable”. But something genuinely suspicious occurred just three days after the Nest Labs news. Reports from researchers abruptly emerged regarding “large-scale cyber attacks” on household smart devices, “including internet-connected TVs, speakers, routers, and at least one fridge”. The reports uncovered evidence of potential hackers programming these appliances to send out hundreds of thousands of spam emails. Cyber security experts are suggesting that we could be reaching a point of crisis with embedded systems; that the industries who produce the devices are less than capable of fixing the problem. Anyone remember the couple from Texas who had their internet-connected baby monitor hacked by some crazy person shouting profanities into the device? Yeah, it happens. Should we blame any company in particular for it happening? I don't personally think so. However, I am an individual, and all I have to rely on is what I read and hear about. To their credit, I have hope that some entities will begin to take these problems serious enough. To do this, they would have to withhold corporate effort in regulations that not only protect consumers, but take begin empowering it's users as well.