In conjunction with Google's decision to rebrand its display-enabled Google Home Hub devices under the 'Nest Hub' branding, the company has now officially launched a revamped variant called Nest Hub Max. As its name implies, the new IoT gadget is larger than its 7-inch counterpart, featuring a 10-inch HD touchscreen alongside a few other key improvements. Announced via Google I/O 2019, the new Nest Hub Max bears a lot of similarity to its smaller counterpart. Its primary purpose is as a means to access Google Assistant and control other IoT products, serving as a Google Photos-connected digital photo frame when inactive. Google says the 10-inch panel means the new hub can serve as both an AI-powered IoT gadget and as a television for small spaces such as a kitchen. That means users get the Voice Matching functionality found in Google Home and Nest Hub via assistant but in a format that's larger and easier to see at a distance with more space for gesture controls What's in a name? … [Read more...] about Google Nest Hub Max Brings Home Bigger Features, Security
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Samsung Galaxy Watch Active review: Great hardware let down by erratic tracking
Samsung makes some of the best smartwatches around, but they tend to be big, bulky and aggressively styled. The Galaxy Watch Active is just as well equipped as other Samsung wearables but trades the rugged aesthetic for a more demure style. It also comes at a noticeably smaller price. The Galaxy Watch Active delivers almost everything you’d get in a bigger, more expensive watch at a price most of us can actually justify. There are, however, a couple of things you need to know before you decide to buy one – like the fact its activity tracking is trash right now. Let’s dive right into our Samsung Galaxy Watch Active review. About this Samsung Galaxy Watch Active review: I’ve been using the Galaxy Watch Active for two weeks. It’s running One UI version 1.0 on Tizen OS version 4.0.0.3 and software version R500XXU1BSB7, paired to a Pixel 3 over Bluetooth.Show More Buy it from Samsung The big picture The Galaxy Watch Active is not Samsung’s first foray … [Read more...] about Samsung Galaxy Watch Active review: Great hardware let down by erratic tracking
More countries can now integrate YouTube Music with Google Home
Since YouTube Music, Google Assistant, and Google Home hardware are all owned by the same company, you’d think making them all play nice together would be a no-brainer. However, Google has the peculiar habit of taking quite a while before integration within all its systems works smoothly. It also has a peculiar habit of not telling anyone when it finally does institute that integration.Case in point: YouTube Music and Google Home hardware. Previously, users of the Google Play Music replacement service could integrate with Google Home — assuming they lived in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, or Mexico. Any other country and integration wouldn’t be possible. Now though, Google has officially updated that list to be much more comprehensive. As of today, here are the countries where the integration of YouTube Music and Google Home hardware is possible: United States United Kingdom Australia Mexico Canada Denmark France Germany Italy Japan Netherlands … [Read more...] about More countries can now integrate YouTube Music with Google Home
How ET phones home: What today’s Interplanetary Internet Service looks like
NASA did it again—the agency’s InSight probe successfully landed on Mars after an entry, descent, and landing maneuver later dubbed "six and a half minutes of terror.” The moniker fits because NASA engineers couldn't know right away whether the spacecraft had made it safely down to the surface because of the current time delay (roughly 8.1 minutes) for communications between Earth and Mars. During that window of time, InSight couldn't rely on its more modern, high-powered antennas—instead, everything depended on old-fashioned UHF communications (the same method long utilized in everything from TV antennas and walkie-talkies to Bluetooth devices). Eventually, critical data concerning InSight's condition was transmitted in 401.586Mhz radio waves to two CubeSats called WALL-E and EVE, which in turn relayed the data at 8Kbps back to huge 70 meter antennas on Earth. The CubeSats had been launched on the same rocket as InSight, and they followed along on the trip to … [Read more...] about How ET phones home: What today’s Interplanetary Internet Service looks like
Optus also blames NBN for profit drop
Optus has announced a profit drop of AU$147 million year on year for the nine-month period to the end of December, falling to AU$431 million, with the telco citing lower National Broadband Network (NBN) migration payments. Underlying net profit also dropped by 15 percent to AU$488 million, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) decreased by 3.4 percent from just over AU$2 billion to AU$1.95 billion. Despite this, Optus said it has "strong sales momentum", with operating revenue up 5.2 percent to AU$6.8 billion and Optus CEO Allen Lew pointing to growth across mobile subscribers and the launch of its commercial 5G service. "We are proud to be first in market with a 5G home broadband service," Lew said. "Our customers can continue to expect more innovation, entertainment services, value-added solutions including cybersecurity, and game-changing customer experiences in the future." Earlier this week, Optus switched on its fourth 5G mobile tower, … [Read more...] about Optus also blames NBN for profit drop