INTERNET of STUFF: Google to replace old Dropcams for $0.00 Dropcam, the home video camera company acquired by Google's Internet of Things limb Nest, is giving away new cameras to owners of its old cameras. Dropcam's eponymous products are WiFi-connected cameras that make it easy to log on and peer at whatever it is they see over a video stream. The idea is that you'll buy a Dropcam …
"Few vendors would be as generous in this situation"
To be honest, if Ford decided to flick a switch that means all previously bought cars suddenly stopped working, they'd have to do something similar. Of course, if Google didn't want to do that, they'd just have to keep the old service working without change and switch on a new, independant service for the new cameras.
Alas this is the problem with buying a piece of hardware that needs a connection to the borg back home just to relay video from a camera sitting next to me to the laptop on my lap!
I don't particularly like Google or MS but El Reg seems to be on Google's back these days. /Shrug When MS repeatedly tries to be Google most of the press seems to focus on if it can succeed. Nobody seems to question if we really want another Google built entirely on closed source software. To be fair there's plenty of google's stack that is obscured from us. Still people love free stuff and until they stop loving free stuff there will be companies like Google.
I'm also surprised that there isn't more trepidation at the idea of Google Fiber... Guess people really love their free stuff really fast too.
Google has been much more successful at being evil than Microsoft during the past decade. Watching Microsoft try to be evil is like trying to watch a drunk who can barely stand try to fight someone. It is more humorous and sad than anything.
If Microsoft shows it can once again do new and innovative evil like Google then people will begin to be worried about them once again.
All profit making companies have the same basic requirement to screw customers over. Otherwise they do not make a profit. Charging customers cost price for products is simply not an option.
Microsoft is no more evil than a schoolyard bully, clearly out to make a profit with well known techniques. The one to watch out for is somehow making a huge overwhelming profit while claiming not to be screwing customers over.
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