Google drops a newly updated smart display - Nest Hub (2nd Gen)

I dunno if I like how Google's been just calling "Pixel Buds 2nd Gen" or "New Nest Mini" ... gotta find a better naming convention.  It's a good thing they make good stuff.

As I've said before, I love my smart home items, they've really come in handy more than once and made this whole situation at least somewhat easier to deal with being stuck at home.

One of my favourites is the smart displays.  We have the Nest Hub Max upstairs in the kitchen and it's great as a bit of a security camera, listening to music, being a central portal for our smart light switches, and watching Netflix while washing the dishes.  We put our Nest Hub (1st gen) downstairs next to my wife's craft centre where she can cast CBC Gem or other Shaw TV shows while she makes her crafts.

Well, now there's the 2nd generation of the Nest Hub, and I like it.  


It's not 'ginormous' like the Max where it doesn't need to be.  I did kinda wish it had a camera so we could use it for our family virtual meetings, but not necessary.

What the new version does have (aside from enhanced speaker quality like how the nest mini upped the quality from the home mini) is Soli Radar inclusion.

What this will allow it to be able to sense things in a room, not so much see them with a camera, but sense; and then it can be used for 'gesture control', but also interestingly enough: guessing your sleeping habits.

Now, I'll admit, something watching me sleep sounds odd, but you have to remember, it's not a camera, it's the soli radar, it's just sensing 'stuff' happening.  Things moving, light levels... and then it uses that to make a guess about how well you slept.  You'll see a report first thing in the morning.

I'm very curious as I've always tried to do that with different watches, but was never comfortable sleeping with them on.  Same with some phone apps, but they need you to have the phone on the bed next to you - that's a good way for me to end up knocking my phone onto the floor - no thanks.

The new Nest Hub is available for preorder now for $129, which is a pretty decent deal for a stationary tablet essentially that has all the power of Google behind it!

What’s New

  • The new Nest Hub’s speaker is based on the same audio technology as Nest Audio and has 50 per cent more bass than the original Hub. You can connect it to YouTube Music, Spotify or to  subscriptions such as Netflix and Disney+. 
  • Understand your sleep with Sleep Sensing, which uses Motion Sense (powered by Soli low-energy radar technology) the Nest Hub will analyze how the person closest to the display is sleeping, based on their movement and breathing. Every morning you’ll get a personalized sleep summary to help you create a more tailored bedtime schedule.
    • Sleep Sensing is completely optional with privacy safeguards so you’re in control. 
  • The new Nest Hub comes in a variety of colours to complement any room in the house: Chalk, Charcoal, Sand and the new Mist. It is also designed with 54 per cent recycled post-consumer plastic.

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