Google Nest Hub's sleep tracking will be free for one more year

Source: Google

In the markets where Google's Sleep Sensing feature is available, it'll remain free for an extra year. Initially, Google planned to integrate the feature built into the Google Nest Hub 2nd-gen into Fitbit Premium this 2023. But now, on its product page, it mentions that the sleep tracking will be "free of charge through 2023." The company is likely to work on improving the feature before charging for it. So, you can hold off on that Fitbit Premium subscription if you haven't subscribed yet.

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Amazon wants to monitor your sleep with radar, too

Google Nest Hub (Source: Google)

Google's latest Nest Hub can track your sleep with the help of radar. It looks like Amazon wants in on this tech. The company received an FCC waiver that allows it to use 60GHz radar for sleep tracking. The company isn't shy about drawing comparisons to Google, citing the Pixel 4's radar as an example when asking for the waiver.

As Engadget noted, the tech can be used for gesture navigation, which can be helpful for people with speech or mobility impairments that prevents them from using conventional commands.

Amazon hasn't specified much about what products will use radar tracking. But it described the devices as "non-mobile," suggesting they could be placed permanently on, say, your nightstand like its Echo devices. We're going to watch for any updates from the company on this front.

Google might be working on a new Nest Hub that supports Soli gestures

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Google Nest Hub might be getting a refresh two years since its debut in 2018. The tech giant registered an "interactive device" at the Federal Communications Commission in the US. According to 9to5Google, the "interactive device" classification is used by Google for other smart devices like the original Nest Hub, Nest Mini, Nest Audio, etc. So, we're assuming a new Nest Hub is on its way. It'll have a screen, Bluetooth support, Wi-Fi connectivity, Zigbee support, and, more importantly, Google's Soli radar gesture technology.

The Zigbee smart home networking standard can help integrate this new device with your other smart home devices. And Soli might introduce gesture support. The FCC filing notes that it uses the same broader 58-63.5GHz range of frequencies as the Pixel 4, which could suggest it will use more precise gestures than the Nest Thermostat that uses Soli for motion detection.

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Netflix is now available on Nest Hub devices

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It's taken some time, but now Netflix can be streamed on Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max devices. All you need to do us connect your account inside the Google Home or Assistant apps. If you're wondering why it took so long for Netflix to come to the Nest Hub ecosystem, it's because Netflix is one of the companies that are reluctant to certify these kinds of devices for streaming videos. It is possibly because they think the picture quality isn't up to par, or that people might not be interested in watching on these 7- or 10-inch displays.

Source: Engadget