Corporate mergers are never as random as they seem. Many thought it quite odd that Google paid a (not so) small fortune for Nest Labs. What would Google need a thermostat manufacturer for? It seemed to make no sense at the time, and to some it still may not. At the end of the day, it is just another way for Google to collect more data about your habits. That is not necessarily a bad thing, provided Google is being forthright in their intentions. For some who like their hardware predictive it's actually a nice benefit. But, for me, I will adjusting my thermostat manually, thank you.

Another acquisition that surprised some was Toshiba's acquisition of OCZ. After all, OCZ had become a strictly enthusiast line, and Toshiba hasn't exactly been known as an enthusiast manufacturer. So how would this fit together? One thing that is important to note is that OCZ pulled out of mainstream for wholly financial reasons, not technology reasons. They were still capable of making the best mainstream drives on the market, they simply couldn't compete with the purchasing power of a Samsung or Sandisk in order to be price competitive. Obviously, that is not an issue for Toshiba, who also happens to manufacture NAND. From the start, it was a given this meeting of Toshiba's stature and OCZ's technology would somehow result in a mainstream product. About the only question left was whether it would wear an OCZ badge or Toshiba badge.