With Nest stripped for parts, can Google’s new AI-powered Google Home win back users?
The speaker spotted at Google’s Pixel event could be called the Google Home Speaker -- reviving the original branding of Google’s smart speakers, which was dropped in 2019 in favor of Nest.
Code spotted by 9to5Google suggests the new name. The speaker is expected to arrive on October 1st.
Google says it has completed its transition of Nest products to the Google Home App, a process it started in 2023.
The company announced it has added hot water controls for UK/EU users of Nest thermostats, one of the last major features still available only in the Nest app. Hot water boost, scheduling, and temperature settings will roll out in the coming weeks, allowing Nest users to control all their Nest devices through the Google Home app.
In the first public demo of the new universal language for smart locks, I used a Samsung Galaxy S24 to tap-to-open a Nuki smart lock. No app necessary, and no need to unlock the phone first.
Aliro is based on Apple’s NFC Home Key technology and will support UWB unlocking, allowing any smartphone to securely unlock any door lock, regardless of ecosystem or brand. The Aliro standard is scheduled to launch later this year.
It’s a bucket list item for a tech journalist slash tennis fan. So, when I heard the Acemate Tennis Robot was coming to the IFA tech show in Berlin, I was first in line (like, literally off the plane and on to the court).
It was surprisingly fun, and the bot easily kept up with me using its two 4K binocular cameras and omnidirectional wheels. But I didn’t enjoy its post-match critique quite as much.
It’s officially Day 1 of the IFA 2025 tech show, and I made a beeline for the Smart Home hall, where I’ll be checking out new products from Govee (like these fetching new pendant lights — coming soon), Aqara, Reolink, Aeotec, Shelly, and more.
Stay tuned to our IFA story stream for all the news.
