Last February, Astro Teller, the director of Google’s (GOOG) secretive research lab, Google X, went to seek approval from Chief Executive Officer Larry Page for an unlikely acquisition.
Teller was proposing that Google buy Makani Power, a startup that develops wind turbines mounted on unmanned, fixed-wing aircraft tethered to the ground like a kite. The startup, Teller told Page, was seeing promising results, and, he added proudly, its prototypes had survived all recent tests intact.
Page approved Google X’s acquisition of Makani, which was being completed for an undisclosed amount at press time. He also had a demand. “He said we could have the budget and the people to go do this,” Teller says, “but that we had to make sure to crash at least five of the devices in the near future.”
As the polymath engineers and scientists who work there are fond of saying, Google X is the search giant’s factory for moonshots, those million-to-one scientific bets that require generous amounts of capital, massive leaps of faith, and a willingness to break things. Google X (the official spelling is Google [x]) is home to the self-driving car initiative and the Internet-connected eyeglasses, Google Glass, among other improbable projects.
The biggest moonshot of all may be the skunk works itself: With X, Google has created a laboratory whose mandate is to come up with technologies that sound more like plot contrivances from Star Trek than products that might satisfy the short-term demands of Google’s shareholders. “Google X is very consciously looking at things that Google in its right mind wouldn’t do,” says Richard DeVaul, a “rapid evaluator” at the lab. “They built the rocket pad far away from the widget factory, so if the rocket blows up, it’s hopefully not disrupting the core business.”
Since its creation in 2010, Google has kept X largely hidden from view. Over the past month, Bloomberg Businessweek spoke to many of X’s managers and project leaders, who work with abundant resources and few of the constraints that smothered similar corporate research efforts in the past. “Anything which is a huge problem for humanity we’ll sign up for, if we can find a way to fix it,” Teller says.
The Latest Bing News on:
Google’s Secret Lab
- Dexter’s Laboratory DVD Release Date Set for Cartoon Network Serieson May 9, 2024 at 12:35 pm
Did someone just order an omelette du fromage? Cartoon Network’s Emmy Award-winning animated series, Dexter’s Laboratory, is finally getting a complete series collection on DVD, available for purchase ...
- Apple hires 36 ex-Google experts to set up its secret AI lab in Zurich- Key things to knowon May 2, 2024 at 7:28 am
While Apple's primary AI operations are based in California and Seattle, the company has expanded its footprint with new offices in Zurich, Switzerland, focusing on AI research. Recent acquisitions of ...
- Apple is Poaching AI Talent from Google for its Secret Lab in Zurichon May 1, 2024 at 9:30 am
Apple has intensified its focus on AI by recruiting dozens of experts from Google and establishing a secretive European laboratory in Zurich.
- Apple Poached Dozens Of Google’s AI Experts To Bolster A Secret Research Labon May 1, 2024 at 7:22 am
It appears Apple has been poaching Google's seasoned AI experts for its Zurich Vision Lab, a secretive Apple research facility in Switzerland. The snagging of one of its biggest competitor’s AI talent ...
- Apple reportedly has a secret AI lab in Switzerland: Here’s what they do thereon May 1, 2024 at 12:24 am
Apple gears up for AI revolution at WWDC with iOS 18. Secret AI lab in Switzerland, Google talent onboard, and major app upgrades expected!
- What is Vision Lab? Report says Apple poached Google staff for secret Zurich AI teamon April 30, 2024 at 10:59 pm
If reports are to be believed, Apple is planning to create a secret AI lab called 'Vision Lab' in Zurich and has been recruiting AI experts from Google. The Zurich team is tasked with developing AI ...
- Apple poached three dozen Google experts to open a secret AI lab in Zurichon April 30, 2024 at 11:38 am
The Financial Times analyzed hundreds of job listings, LinkedIn profiles, and many studies over the last several years and found that Apple has recruited at least ...
- Apple is poaching dozens of AI experts from Google and building a secret AI labon April 30, 2024 at 7:40 am
Apple is spiriting away dozens of Google’s artificial intelligence experts to a secretive Swiss laboratory, according to a new report.
- Apple lures AI specialists from Google and has a secret lab in Zurich — Financial Timeson April 30, 2024 at 5:37 am
According to Financial TimesApple has lured dozens of AI experts from Google and created a «secret European laboratory» in Zurich. A new team of emp ...
- How this ‘secret lab’ in Switzerland and these employees ‘poached’ from Google are leading Apple’s AI effortson April 30, 2024 at 5:12 am
Apple is ramping up its efforts to build its artificial intelligence as the big tech arms race intensifies, and to turn things around Apple is poaching dozens of AI experts from Google and ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Google’s Secret Lab
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Google’s Secret Lab” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
GOOG
- Google Drive Full? Here's How to Save Money on Digital Storageon May 11, 2024 at 3:00 am
G oogle Drive, Google's cloud storage service, has over 2 billion active monthly users, according to Google partner Patronum. If you're one of those people, you might know you're
- Google earnings: parent company Alphabet's financial history and revenueon May 11, 2024 at 1:48 am
Google's earnings are reported quarterly by its parent company, Alphabet. Learn about the company's financial history and revenue sources.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
GOOG
[google_news title=”” keyword=”GOOG” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]