Tag: nest
Louise Fletcher of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest passes away at age 88
Google Home can now use Nest speakers to detect your presence
Google Home no longer needs to lean solely on smart home devices like thermostats to know whether or not you’re around. Home’s optional presence sensing feature can now use interactions with Nest speakers and smart displays to help detect activity in your abode, letting it perform automated actions. If you talk to your Nest Audio or tap your Nest Hub, for instance, Google may know to turn the lights on. Second-gen Nest Hubs can also use their Soli radar sensor to tell when you’re close.
You can enable presence sensing in the Google Home app for Android and iOS by visiting the Features section in the settings. Detection is strictly opt-in, and Google stresses that ambient noise won’t trigger presence cues. Cameras, doorbells and the Nest Hub Max won’t switch devices between “home” and “away” modes.
The expansion makes presence detection considerably more useful. Until now, you needed a Nest Guard, Nest Protect, Nest Thermostat or Nest x Yale smart lock in tandem with your phone’s location. While those are frequently good indicators, they don’t always tell the full story — you might lock the door when someone is still at home. The use of speakers and displays could make Google’s smart home automation more reliable, particularly in unusual scenarios.
Why it Matters that I just saw a Google Nest Hub control an Apple HomeKit smart plug
Matter, the upcoming standard that’s attempting to give the smart home a single unifying language, is almost here — and I was just treated to an early demonstration of the kinds of cross-platform compatibility that it should enable in the future. The demonstration was given by Eve, which produces a range of smart plugs, radiator valves, lighting, and security devices.
Historically, Eve has only ever worked with Apple’s HomeKit smart home platform. This is because it didn’t want to use cloud-to-cloud platforms, preferring to keep its devices on locally-controlled platforms for privacy and security. Eve has had an iOS app but no Android app, and it didn’t support Samsung’s SmartThings, Amazon’s Alexa, or Google Home. So it was notable to…
7 features we’d like to see in the Google Nest Audio 2
Google lovers, the Nest Hub Max is on sale for $72 off
SAVE $72: As of Aug. 31, Google die-hards looking to venture into the smart home realm can pick up the Google Nest Hub Max on sale for just $157 at Walmart.
The Google Nest Hub Max is an all-in-one smart home powerhouse. If you’re a Google lover taking the leap into the smart home realm, it’s a solid (albeit expensive) way to test out the many facets a home hub can offer.
Normally, we’d recommend the more affordable Nest Hub ($100) over the Nest Hub Max ($229) for its value. But as of August 31, the Nest Hub Max is seeing a rare $72 discount from its MSRP at Walmart. That drops the usual price down to just $157.
The Hub Max is essentially a larger version of the Nest Hub smart display, with a 10-inch HD touchscreen, better speakers and sound quality, and a built-in Nest camera for video calls and home monitoring. It makes for a welcome addition to your kitchen or living room. (We’d avoid placing it in a bedroom.)
You can ask Google Assistant to show you the weather, display directions via Google Maps, play your favorite playlists, control your other smart home devices, video chat with your mom, and more. And with the Nest Hub Max-exclusive Face Match feature, the built-in camera can detect who you are and show you information that’s only for you — ideal for families where multiple people use the hub.
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New Google Nest router with Wi-Fi 6E, Thread, and Bluetooth LE pops up in FCC filings
Google appears poised to launch an updated Nest router equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth Low Energy, and Thread mesh networking radios later this year, according to a new FCC filing. It has the model number A4R-G6ZUC, which is similar to IDs assigned to not only the previous Nest Wifi but also the Nest Mini, Thermostat, and even the Google Glass.
In June, a source confirmed with 9to5Google that a new Google / Nest router was on its way, and now the outlet says it has confirmed this is the model number for that device.
The filing’s internal and external pictures remain confidential and unlisted but break down the wireless technology onboard as well as an “Internal Proprietary Antenna Solution consisting of 6 antennas”:
- 2 x 2.4GHz / 5GHz…
Google’s New Nest Wi-Fi Router Embraces the Future
In June, rumors started swirling that Google was getting ready to finally release an all-new Nest Wifi router that embraces the future by featuring Wi-Fi 6E. Now, it looks like that device just cleared FCC approval, hinting at an upcoming release.