Google Nearby could add home and device automation to Android

Post the WWDC announcements, we have an idea of where iOS is headed and Apple’s plan is to wrap up your peripheral life around the iPhone. That’s why there’s such a big push towards health with HealthKit and home automation with the HomeKit API and platform. In fact with the new APIs, we can say that iOS has pulled slightly ahead of Android in terms of what one can do with the OS.

But Google I/O is still around the corner and we are certain Google will respond with a feature or two that attacks the very same segment. There’s no doubt at the moment that health and home automation are the next big frontiers, especially after both companies have realise their dream of bringing their OS to the car.

Google’s answer to HomeKit is Nearby, which has surfaced through an exclusive scoop by Android Police . The website claims that Nearby will automate a lot of activities and actions, without the user having to interact with the phone. According to the app, which was accessed by the website, “Nearby lets you connect, share, and do more with people, places, and things near you. When Nearby is turned on for your account, Google can periodically turn on the mic, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and similar features on all your current and future devices. Google+ and other Google services need this access to help you connect, share, and more.”

That may immediately scare a lot of people. What do you mean Google can turn on the mic when it wants? But step back and look at two of Google’s acquisitions in the recent past and you will start to see a picture emerge.

For one, Google purchased Bump , which lets two devices know they are close by and transfer files or data through an ad-hoc connection. Second, Google bought SlickLogin , a password verification service that’s said to be a big part of Google’s ecosystem play. With Nearby, Google could effectively allow computers and devices to sign-in to services, by using SlickLogin’s proprietary tech, which uses a combination of sound, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to sign users in . Google has already tried Easy Unlock for Chrome OS, a feature that has been shelved since, but allowed users to device the Chromebook by having their phone nearby.

It’s not totally unlike iBeacons , which are also location-based activity triggers. So on a device with Google Nearby enabled, third-party accessories could send alerts and notifications and if given the right permissions, could also trigger actions. Like Android Police says, “It’s easy to imagine Nearby coming in handy for extremely targeted Wallet offers, reminders, or other location-based interactions, but the important part here is that a user wouldn’t need to interact with their phone or tablet to let other devices know they are around. Switching on Nearby once would allow the functionality to work with all of a user’s devices.”

The biggest possible application and one that Google will likely exploit after the WWDC announcements is home automation and Internet of Things. For example, a vending machine will immediately deliver your favourite soda based on your proximity, if it has Nearby functionality baked in. The machine will recognise your device and trigger the action, while charging your Google Wallet or PayPal account. Or how about a garage door that opens on your command, or better still when your phone is just around the corner? Google’s teased such a feature when introducing Android Wear .

With Google’s acquisition of Nest, Nearby can be delivered as an OTA update, allowing a home to use the thermostat according to individual preferences. So the room remains cool when only grandma is around, but the Nest turns up the heat when it’s grandpa.

Apple announced Continuity at WWDC and Google is also taking that on with Nearby. The obvious takeaway from a location-aware, proximity-based service is a rival to Continuity. Yes, Google has only a smidgeon of the PC experience that Apple does, but Chromebooks have become a formidable category with most major PC makers backing the OS . It makes sense for Google to expand the functionality and tie it in to Android. Though it remains to be seen whether Google will pin Nearby to Chrome OS alone or whether it will be baked into Chrome the browser, which would significantly increase the potential adoption and make Nearby cross-platform.

According to the report, users on Nearby will be able to choose who and which service they are visible to, similar to any social media profile. This is a crucial privacy step and there are hints that users will be able to completely opt out of Nearby, just like they can with Google Now.

There will be plenty of debate on the privacy aspects but location reporting and tracking has been on Android for years now, so Nearby is merely expanding on the same data. So essentially Google will be asking your device one or two new permissions to toggle certain radios, but the core of the Nearby service is already likely enabled on your device, if you are using Google Now to its fullest potential.