Google Foresees Ads On Your Refrigerator, Thermostat, and Glasses

New submitter waspleg sends news of a letter Google sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission in which the tech giant laid out its vision of an ad-filled future. They wrote, "We expect the definition of “mobile” to continue to evolve as more and more “smart” devices gain traction in the market. For example, a few years from now, we and other companies could be serving ads and other content on refrigerators, car dashboards, thermostats, glasses, and watches, to name just a few possibilities. Our expectation is that users will be using our services and viewing our ads on an increasingly wide diversity of devices in the future, and thus our advertising systems are becoming increasingly device-agnostic."

Comments

Nope.

[danomac]

First thing I'd do is disable networking on these devices.

Re:Nope.

[NapalmV]

Then you'll see only the same old built-in ads forever.

Re:Nope.

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

Just render the ad screen unusable. Why the hell do appliances (especially a fridge) need a screen for?

Exactly! The first time I saw ads on my new TV set, I smashed the screen with a baseball bat. Since then, problem solved. No more ads!

The programs suck though...

Re:Nope.

[BasilBrush]

What does a printer need a screen for? Printers used to get by with maybe 3 LEDs for status. Anything more than that was given as status on the computer it was connected to, providing you had more than a basic driver.

But now, the cheapest sub $50 printers have screens built in. (And a scanner too)

Screens have got so cheap, there's no reason not to include them in cheap devices, if they can come up with the slightest excuse. A consumer might chose the device with the screen over one without if there's little difference in price.

And in Google's dystopia, the ones with screens could actually be cheaper, subsidised by the advertising.

The excuse they'll use to market fridges with screens will probably be some connection to home shopping. Finish the milk? Show the barcode to the built in camera, and the screen will offer the option to order another.

The camera would be more of a cause for concern, given that people aren't always dressed in the kitchen. Especially given today's news that LG are spying on consumers with their smart-TVs.

Re:Nope.

[Burdell]

What does a printer need a screen for?

How else will it tell you "PC LOAD LETTER"?

Re:Nope.

[mlts]

Even better, buy a fridge that doesn't have a screen. Kitchen appliances are going on 60 years without requiring screens, Internet connectivity, or some companies to push ads to them for basic functioning. We don't need them now.

If one wants to pay for a better refrigerator, doesn't mind venting it, and has either propane or natural gas, buy a two-way (gas/electric) fridge. That way, your stuff stays cold even if there is a multi-day power outage. That is far more useful in the long run than any electronic doodads. If one really wants a screen on the fridge, a low-end Android tablet is a couple C-notes, and $5 gets you a roll of double-sided tape.

Re:Nope.

[Obfuscant]

Or "Cyan toner low", or "Fuser needs replacement" or any number of other status outputs. Or to make setting the IP address parameters easier. Or to display help to the newb user who needs to change a toner but doesn't know how.

Simple stupid inkjets plugged into one computer don't necessarily need a screen, but a good networked one does.

Re:Nope.

[pr0fessor]

Your drone strike will start after this brief advertisement.

Re:Nope.

[Obfuscant]

I can diagnose that too.

It helps if you quote at least enough context so people know what you mean by "that".

If the browser won't connect, it's power or network. The lights let me decide which.

Yeah, the little lights will tell you that the subnet mask is set wrong, or that the IP address isn't what you thought it was, or that the HTTP port is disabled, or ...

Impossible

[PvtVoid]

I have Adblock on my refrigerator.

a future filled with black tape

[rogoshen1]

I foresee a future in which black tape or other opaque adhesive objects will be used to blot out the ads. Maybe I should get a patent..

"a device which obscures the user from seeing mind-numbing and intrusive advertising on products which have already purchased"

Google can shove their ad-laden future straight up their collective asses.

A different race to the bottom

[Kardos]

If adverts get that pervasive, the value of each one is going to decline substantially. If I see 40 adverts before breakfast, I can't possibly buy each and every one of the products. There's only so much disposable income. If this gets pushed out, it's going to be self defeating.

Re:A different race to the bottom

[Overzeetop]

We passed that point decades ago.

better question...

[Connie_Lingus]

...would you be willing to receive a brand new $2000 frig/freezer for free IF it showed ads on it?

that's the real issue...i think alot of people would...hell I probably would.

What is it then?

[SuperKendall]

What is Glass with networking disabled? Just a device to trick people into punching you for no reason?

Re:What is it then?

[lgw]

I was with you up to "no reason".

Mike Judge is a prophet

[Anonymous Coward]

Just watch Idiocracy

The more they advertise, the more I ignore

[ewibble]

I think advertisers are shooting themselves in the foot with this, I have recently noticed just don't believe a word any of them say anymore, Its like I am building up an immunity to them, and they need to create bigger and bigger lies, ops I mean deceptions.

Before I saw a sale advertised as "Demolition", I went in and it was 10% off, well I could negotiate that any time, hardly a demolition sale, now I just don't even bother going in. If I need something I go in sure, but I don't go in because of a sale or stated discount, because they are so likely to be lying that it is not even worth the effort step inside the shop to find out.

My daughter asked me how much I believed the advertisements on TV, and I said not at all, I then started paying attention to the ads and rating if I believed them, and if i thought they where using hiding some important fact from me. The answer was unless it was a public service ad where they where not trying to sell me something, like don't speed, I didn't believe them at all. And even public service advertisements I think they are fudging the truth in order for them to get me to do what they think is best for me.

What we need to do is start charging to be advertised to, I think this specifically applies to junk mail, which goes directly in the bin, since I have to pay to dispose of it.

Re:The more they advertise, the more I ignore

[Oligonicella]

When my daughter was young, we had a little exercise. During the commercials I would ask her "What is it you think they want from you? How are they trying to convince you? Do you think they're lying?" In time, that was the way she looked at all of them. Programmed cynicism.