Google consolidates Home and Nest smart home initiatives

Fresh from Google IO 2019 is the news that Google Home and Nest devices are now consolidated into a unified smart home hardware and software initiative. The first product under this brand is the Google Nest Hub. A 10-inch smart display with Google Home functionality as well as a camera for video calls (or for security when you're away), this device can be anyting from a smart-speaker, kitchen TV, or digital photo frame.

Coming to Canada for the first time, the Google Nest Hub comes in a variety of colours including, chalk, charcoal, aqua and sand. Google says You can buy Hub for $169, and starting today, you can pre-order from the Google Store.  Google also has some deals for pre-orders of the Nest Hub between May 7 and May 27, Customers will get a Google Home Mini for free. Starting today, pricing for Google Home speakers will be $129 and Google Home Max will be $399.

Apple updates Clips app on iOS with retro effects and a new camcorder feature

Apple has just updated the Clips app on iOS. The slick and easy to use video creation app is ideal for creating shareable short videos and effects. The latet version can simulate a vintage camcorder, there are also 8 new posters, various retro-style banners and 3D effects plus the ability to create original songs in GarageBand and sync them with your newly created videos. Clips is available in the App Store now.

Arguing the merits of an update to iPhone SE

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

I recently re-activated my iPhone SE as I missed the device's small form factor and exquiste build quality. after updating to the latest version of iOS and installing my favourite apps and services, I marvelled at how good this two year old device still rocks.

A lot of it is iOS 12, which runs smoothly on older hardware. The iPhone SE's small 4-inch display and lower resolution is less demanding on the hardware and I found performance and battery life to be outstanding.

The iPhone SE is basically a souped-up iPhone 5 with iPhone 6S specs and an improved 12-megapixel camera. The iPhone SE, like the iPhone 5S before it, is impeccably balanced and precisely engineered. It really stands above other iPhone designs. Solid stainless steel and glass enclosure, a headphone jack and no unsightly camera bump.

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SourceCode: Samsung ushers in new Foldable segment

We can argue about the exorbitant price, the limited availability at launch, and how no one really needs the Samsung Galaxy Fold but that would diminish what Samsung has accomplished in giving the world an entirely new Foldables category.

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

While Samsung’s most recent Unpacked event focused mainly on their rather iterative update to the Galaxy S line with multiple Galaxy S10 handsets raising the bar (and the price) of what Samsung flagship smartphones can offer, this moment clearly belonged to the all-new Samsung Galaxy Fold.

Being the first folding smartphone from a leading manufacturer (and available in April 2019), the Galaxy Fold puts Samsung in the driver’s seat of an entirely new product category, one that, if developed properly, might eclipse smartphones and tablets in terms of future-facing functionality.

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