In 2017, Google launched a small, relatively inexpensive smart speaker called the Google Home Mini. This UFO-shaped speaker offers users direct access to Google Assistant at a price point lower than the larger Google Home speaker. According to a new report, Google plans to update that device, launching it as the 'Nest Mini' with major new features.
Google's acquisition of Nest in 2014 set off some red flags but, for a few years, the tech giant let the nascent smart home company be its own man. It eventually "reabsorbed" Nest after a turbulent market period and then "rebranded" Nest into Google Nest to become a home for all of Google's smart home products. Now Google has kicked off the process to transition Nest owners to become Google users but said owners should probably wait a while before making such a big step.
Smart thermostat maker Nest has gotten a lot of criticism after it was acquired by Google. Users and fans expressed even more fears and disappointment when Google practically signed its death sentence when it put all its smart home products under the Nest brand. Most worried about the privacy implications of devices that constantly monitor people's presence and activities being under Google's great eye. Nest is now making a change to its line of cameras to address those concerns but has ended up infuriating users instead.
Virtual assistants are definitely handy when it comes to things like home automation, but they could still use a lesson in situational awareness. Today, Google Assistant is getting just that, at least within the context of Google Home. Now, when you ask Google Home or Nest Hub to turn off your lights, it won't play its usual response where it confirms that it's turning off said light, but with a simple chime instead.
Due to the low number of users who were controlling their smart thermostats using smartwatches, Google has ended Nest app support for Wear OS and Apple Watch. Google confirmed that the removal was due to only a 'small number' of smart thermostat users taking advantage of the support, saying that its team will instead focus their time on voice interactions and the mobile apps.
At I/O 2019 last week, Google announced that Nest would be its single brand not just for existing Nest products but also for its other smart home devices, like the Home smart speakers. It was meant to consolidate the branding strategy and lessen confusion but, as with any reorganization, it produces more confusion at the start. Now Google is providing details on how that transition will proceed, especially with the Works with Nest platform.
Google revealed the Next Home Hub today, and with it, they re-shuffled their branding for smart home products. Now we've got a bigger Nest Hub Max (with 10-inch screen) and the smaller Nest Hub. This larger device is akin to a device released before, by Google, albeit without the camera.
Google brought Nest back into the fold last year, and now it has announced that the smart home brand is being rebranded as Google Nest. The decision was announced during the Google I/O 2019 keynote today, marking the latest change for Nest. Before being absorbed into Google, Nest existed as a separate company under Alphabet. The rebrand joins Google's announcement that its Home products are being moved under the Nest brand.
Google has a new smart display, the Nest Hub Max, a bigger, camera-enabled sibling to the renamed Google Home Hub, which is now the Nest Hub. The new Nest Hub Max has a 10-inch touchscreen now, focused on multi-user households, as well as the option of face recognition so that individual people see the information that's most relevant to them.
Late last week, listings for what are probably the Pixel 3a and 3a XL appeared on the Google Play Developer Console. As those listings are meant for app developers to learn about specifications for devices they don't physically have on-hand, they more or less confirmed that Google is indeed plotting a pair of mid-range Pixel 3 phones. Apparently not satisfied with just one unfortunate leak, Google has leaked the phones again, this time through its online store.
Facebook can probably take a short breather thanks to Google. The search giant may be the latest target of scorn and inquiries over something that could have probably been easily avoided with a footnote or an inconspicuous line of text. Google has been sent a letter from the US Senate Commerce Committee demanding answers regarding the existence of a microphone on its Nest Secure system that remained undisclosed until earlier this month.
Earlier this month, Google made an announcement that seemed nothing short of magical. It proudly announced that its Nest Secure system can now also moonlight as a Google Assistant smart speaker using the Nest Guard base. That's almost surprising because few if not none of the Nest Secure owners were even aware that the hardware was capable of performing that feat. That's because Google and Nest didn't disclose that the base station had a microphone inside in the 18 months is has been in the market.