The Nest Learning Thermostat is getting a long wait for an upgrade

The Google TV Streamer: Where Are We Going? How Will We Get There and Where We Are Going? A Conversation with Ms. Is She

The strategy of the Google TV Streamer is to have the software have artificial intelligence in it. You will be able to control your smart home through your TV screen. And yes, it’ll be faster than the often laggy Chromecast. It’s a more premium model than what we’ve been releasing before. I talked to her about the thinking behind the device, which goes on sales in late September.

On the software side, Google is tapping Gemini to provide viewers with “full summaries, reviews, and season-by-season breakdowns of content” as you browse. Otherwise, it’s the same Google TV interface as before, which already provided personalized recommendations and helpful context like Rotten Tomatoes scores for movies, so the new AI features aren’t exactly game-changing. Imagine if you will a screensaver that isgenerative in nature and shows when the tv streamer is in ambient mode, which sounds like a lot of use, but never use again. The ambient mode can also showcase your Google Photos albums, which I’ll definitely use.

On the back of the Streamer are several ports where you can connect cables for Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, and USB-C for power. A gentle curve on the back of the device blocks any wires from sight. There’s also a button that, once pressed, makes an audible ping on the remote to help you find it. (It’s probably between the couch cushions.) The remote is a bit longer than in the last generation of Chromecast With Google TV. Some buttons have moved to be more ergonomic; volume, for example, is now on the front rather than the edge of the remote. Also new is a customizable button that can open your favorite app or Google’s Home Panel.

Google has doubled the amount of RAM in the Google TV Streamer, which could play as much of a role as the CPU bump when it comes to ensuring smoother day-to-day performance — and keeping it that way after a year or two. The Chromecast with Google TV had been known for faring okay right out of the box, but then it started getting laggy over time. Google’s decision to stick with Wi-Fi 5 on a streaming device is unfortunate, but at least there’s a built-in gigabit ethernet jack.

The device comes in two colors: white and hazel, which are exclusive to the Google Store. Unlike the Chromecast, which could be hidden away behind your TV, the Google TV Streamer is designed to sit underneath it and be seen — without standing out from your other home decor. The device that is put out in the open is because it includes a Thread border Router and support for Matter.

Both devices have a bit of artificial intelligence spruced in—Google Assistant is getting some assistance from the company’s Gemini large language model—along with long-awaited hardware improvements, and elegant designs that better blend the tech into your home. A week before the Made by Google event, where the company is expected to announce new phones and accessories, they arrive.

The third- generation Nest Learning Thermostat has been available for nine years, but it’s finally time to get the fourth model. The company launched its latest thermostat today. It arrives on the same day as a next-gen version of Google’s iconic Chromecast streaming dongle—now called the Google TV Streamer.

So Google decided to focus on a higher-end device, and it viewed the Nvidia Shield — long praised as the most performant Android TV streamer — as something to strive toward. The price and performance of the Shield was what we are going to be focusing on with the Streamer. That’s why we’re very excited about it,” Govil-Pai said.

Some of the commenters were frustrated that, even after the announcement, there was only a 22 percent boost in processor speed. It is possible that this thing will still benchmark underneath the Shield. Why not just drop a Tensor chip into it?

It comes down to cost and keeping the Streamer at a price that’s acceptable for average consumers. “We don’t know if there’s functionality that would actually convince people to buy pricier price points than this, but the market is generally telling us right now people are probably not ready for it,” Govil-Pai said.

And even if there is eventually a higher-priced living room device from Google, it sounds like horsepower won’t be the main justification. “Over time, do we have enough functionality, let’s say from a Gemini perspective, that actually make it worthwhile to spend even more money? She said that they would definitely look at it. “But at this point, I think this is the competitive price point that we want to play at.”