Google’s new operating system, “Fuchsia” remains mostly a mystery today. However, one thing is clear and that’s the fact that the company hopes to make it the driving force behind its smart display hardware. Back in June, the Nest Hub Max followed suit in offering a Preview Program for Fuchsia after the original Hub started […]
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Google’s upcoming Nest Wi-Fi has the Wi-Fi 6E that the last one missed out on
While there’s currently no hardware event scheduled for Google to reveal new devices, something with the model number “G6ZUC” has shown up at the FCC today. According to 9to5Google who confirmed that the number correlates with what they’ve been tracking as the successor to the current Nest Wi-Fi router, this model will boast 6E connectivity, […]
Continue ReadingGoogle files lawsuits against Sonos for hotword detection, wireless charging, and more
Remember last May when Google was sued by Sonos for “stealing” its speaker technology? Remember how you weren’t able to control speaker group volume on smart devices thanks to that little kerfuffle? Well, guess what? Google is getting revenge on the company by suing them several times over. It’s not exactly revenge (at least not […]
Continue ReadingChromecast celebrates 9 years with Nest Cam and Doorbell streaming support for Google TV
While Google Play was busy celebrating its 10th anniversary, another Google all star crept up on a huge milestone. Chromecast is now 9 years old (I know, I know, the company couldn’t wait just one more year to round out to an even number?), and with it, a new Keyword Blog post celebrates all of […]
Continue ReadingYou can now view Spotify real-time lyrics on Nest Hub
Spotify introduced real-time lyrics on Android, iOS, TVs, consoles, and the web in November 2021. Now, as reported by 9to5Google, they’re also available on the Nest Hub and other Google Assistant-powered Smart Displays. Spotify’s fullscreen media controls on the Nest Hub now display lyrics next to the bottom-right “favorite” or “heart” icon. Tapping replaces the […]
Continue ReadingA new Chromecast Audio could be in the works, even amidst Google’s legal battles with Sonos
The Chromecast Audio, while not as popular as the standard Chromecast, was still quite popular with niche users, and especially with audiophiles. I remember back when I worked at Best Buy as a Google Expert, there were many people who came in and bought several of them at a time just to have them for […]
Continue ReadingNest Hub Max gets Fuchsia update in Preview Program
The Fuchsia operating system is now making its way to the Nest Hub Max, roughly a year after it launched on the first-generation Nest Hub (originally called the Home Hub), except with a caveat — your Google Assistant smart display needs to be enrolled in the Preview Program. However, the program is available to all […]
Continue ReadingPopular Linux Distro Ubuntu spotted running on a second-generation Google Nest Hub
We’ve already seen plenty of instances where gamers have run Google Stadia on the wildest devices – even on an Android Auto head unit. The level of modding and customization that fans of a piece of hardware will go to is truly inspiring. Today in my Google Discover feed, I happened upon a guy who […]
Continue ReadingNest Hub Max to lose bridging and range extension support for Nest x Yale locks
Google is hard at work making sure all their smart home devices are ready for the launch of the upcoming “Matter” smart home industry standard that will be leveraging the next-gen connectivity protocol. This new standard was developed in collaboration with Amazon, Apple, Samsung SmartThings, and Zigbee as a way to reduce fragmentation and achieve […]
Continue ReadingPixel “At a Glance” widget Nest Doorbell alerts rolling out
The June 2022 Pixel Feature Drop, announced at the start of the month, promised Pixel users new features for the “At a Glance” widget that is a fixture on the device’s home page. Three new widget features were announced as part of that drop: Flashlight reminders, Air Quality alerts, and a Nest Doorbell video feed. […]
Continue ReadingPixel users may have trouble setting up their smart home devices thanks to that Sonos fiasco
Remember that whole big Sonos patent infringement situation back in January that Google found itself in the midst of? Remember how Google also had to make changes to how speaker groups worked and how they were even set up? Well, now, more side effects are going to be affecting users – specifically those with Pixel […]
Continue ReadingMemorial Day Deals: Save on the 2nd Gen Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max at Best Buy
Memorial Day is tomorrow, May 30, 2022, in the United States, and with it, you can pick up a few great deals at Best Buy. In particular, the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max are being offered for a nice discount. Deals like this are fairly common during Memorial Day, and while it’s nothing mind-blowing, […]
Continue ReadingYour Nest Hub will now show the date, time, and weather all at once on the standby screen
Appearing on version 46.32.13.418036576 and Cast firmware version 1.56.290464 of the second-generation Google Nest Hub, as well as on the JBL Link View as per 9to5Google, the time, date, and weather will all now appear simultaneously on the bottom-left of the device homescreen! As you can see in the image above, all three are present […]
Continue ReadingFitbit and Google Fit integration with Google Assistant and Nest Hub gets one step closer
The announcement made during Google I/O regarding the release of the Pixel Watch this Fall revealed that it would combine the best of Wear OS and Fitbit. Naturally, this prompted questions regarding how Google plans to merge both worlds. For example, is the Google Fit app taking over the Fitbit app, or vice-versa? According to […]
Continue ReadingGoogle Assistant can now be activated without a hot word, will be patient with filler words, pauses
Uncovered by 9to5Google in a recent APK Insights deep dive was a feature for the Nest Hub Max called “Look and talk”. Codenamed “Blue Steel” as a reference to the Ben Stiller movie “Zoolander”, the feature was just officially revealed at Google I/O 2022, and it’s a small part of a much larger initiative where […]
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