Google has announced that it is rolling out an update for its Nest Wifi and Google Wifi lineup of routers that will boost the overall network performance if they are on slow internet connections. The company claims that following the update, users will notice faster device connection speed on wireless networks, aside from improved stability.
Google Nest Product Manager, Sanjay Noronha, mentioned in a blog post that the optimizations introduced by the update will ensure that their “Wi-Fi will better support multiple video calls, gaming sessions and more simultaneously.” He didn’t go into technical details as to how the performance boost will be achieved, but added that devices will move to faster Wi-Fi radio channels.
Moreover, the update will further optimize the priority device feature, making sure that the priority device on the network always gets the maximum bandwidth. The update will be seeded and installed automatically, which means no action will be required at the end of Google Wifi and Nest Wifi users in the companion Google Home app.
Today’s deals include the 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple Watch Series 5 and more
Deals. Let’s start with the fact that Visible just confirmed that they have inventory for the iPhone SE, meaning you can get the phone for as little as $184. Watch our review for details on how to get the deal while supplies last. Speaking of Apple, with the 16in MacBook Pro which is currently $209 off for the Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage variant, leaving it at $2,190. The Apple Watch Series 5 is also $50 off, leaving the 40mm variant for $349. The Fitbit Versa is $50 off as well, leaving that for $150 shipped. Finally, the Jabra Elite 65t are also $50 off, leaving them at $99.99. We have more deals on Beats headphones, Bose headphones and Fitbits and more.
The new Chromecast could arrive with a new name and Android TV
A new report claims that the Chromecast might be going through some changes soon. Apparently it will now be called Nest Cast and it will run full blown Android TV. Instead of having the content cast directly from your phone or other device, users would be able to use a remote to interact with the interface, just like TVs with Android TV. It will also be able to stream games through Stadia, sources aren’t certain when we are getting this but we might see it at Google I/O. Oh and other reports say that Android TV is gonna now become Google TV as well. Stay tuned.
Apple could give us a foldable MacBook or MacBook Pro in the future
Apple has put out several foldable patents over the years for both the iPad and the iPhone and now we have a new one for the Mac. The ‘Planar Hing Assembly’ patent shows a design for a MacBook Pro-style device which would have a ‘single piece body with a seamless appearance that includes a bendable portion, capable of having a smoothly curved shape’. The biggest problem is that in this bendable portion you still have mechanical components that have to be in communication with the rest of the device, doing things like connecting the keyboard to the display. Apple would fix the problem of having this bendable piece work by stacking layers that can transition from an uncompressed to a compressed state. This bendable hinge could be even more reliable than current hinges if done right, but we’ll see if we ever get it.
Xiaomi sends launch invites for Poco F2 debut on May 12: Reports
Yesterday we discussed how we should be getting a POCO F2 Pro soon and according to Android Authority, they got an invitation from Xiaomi’s Spain PR agency to an Event on May 12th for a ‘second generation’ product. We also have a leaked invitation on Twitter for an event on May 12th at 2PM in Madrid, with the invitation looking like the teaser we showed yesterday. We’re expecting the phone to be powered by the Snapdragon 865, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, reportedly starting at €649.
Microsoft’s new Surface Headphones 2 are coming with improved battery life
Microsoft Surface Earbuds finally arriving on May 12 with a lower $199 price tag
Microsoft Surface Book 3 is official: 10th Gen Intel CPU, new NVIDIA GPUs, and up to 32GB RAM
Microsoft Surface Go 2 with slimmer bezels, more power goes official for $399
Microsoft just announced a substantial list of products today, starting with the Surface Go 2 and the Surface Book 3. Starting off with the Surface Go 2, it features options from a Pentium Gold to a Intel Core m3 with slimmer bezels in the same chassis as the older model. Specs go from 4 to 8 Gigs of RAM, 64 Gigs of eMMC or 128 Gigs of SSD storage and price starts at $399, going up to $879 for the maxed out variant. Now, the Surface Book 3 brings a similar design as well but with way better internals. It brings Intel’s latest 10th gen processors, it goes up to 32GB of RAM with what Microsoft claims to be the fastest ever SSDs. You get to choose the graphics between the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Max Q, GTX 1660Ti or Quadro RTX 3000 on the business model. It comes in two sizes, 13.5in and 15in with a promised 15% boost in performance. The 13.5in starts at a hefty $1599 while the 15in will cost you $2299. They also announced the Surface Headphones 2 which now offer a darker color option along with the ANC it’s known for, letting you manually adjust the level of Noise Cancellation you want through 13 different levels. The interesting thing is that they now cost $249 instead of $349. Oh and the Surface Earbuds that look like gages.. Yeah those are finally available and ugly as ever.
Story of the day:
These could be the new Samsung Galaxy S21 camera specs
We have a new report from Taiwan that hints to Samsung testing some interesting camera specs for the Galaxy S21. The report claims due to the Galaxy S20 being notorious for its focusing issues, that’s gonna be a major priority. It also says that one of the development models is rumored to bring a 150MP main sensor, a 64MP telephoto, a 16MP wide angle and a 12MP macro sensor. The report even mentiosn that the company might drop the ToF, which is quite interesting at a time when there’s so much bet for AR. Apparently two versions of this model are being tested, one with Optical Image Stabilization on the main sensor, the telephoto and the selfie camera. The other one has OIS for the main sensor, the telephoto and the wide angle. Samsung is also reportedly working on ramping up their work on higher resolution sensors to make room for the 150MP sensor.
Basically, this move could obviate the need for a Google Home speaker, unless users actually want decent speakers. Also, more flexibility for more features.
We were questioning how long Black Friday really was going to be today and yesterday and the past week and for all of eternity. Amazon was and is one of the culprits perpetrating the perpetuation of a dark day in American commerce. But past the weekend, it will keep its website tendencies to where it belongs: on Cyber Monday… week.
The e-marketplace is announcing more than 75,000 deals over the next seven days. A lot of the deals on Amazon devices remain as they were since a week ago — that includes 99 cent Dash Buttons with $4.99 credit for whatever product you’re getting, at least 20 percent off Alexa devices and Fire tablets starting at $33.33. And don’t forget, if you have an Alexa device, ask around for some elusive, exclusive deals.
Of our interest are only a couple of deals such as the Sonos PLAY:1 Compact Wireless Smart Speaker for $149 (though it’s already $50 off direct from Sonos), up to 30 percent off some HP laptops and a Nest Cam for $163.98, even though it’s $149 today.
You know what, the more we look into these deals, the more we find ourselves a little bummed — it’s more Black Friday. But keep watch on specific Deals of the Day — that’s where the real, unannounced magic happens.
If you own both an Apple Watch and a Nest Thermostat, the two can finally interact with each other.The Nest app for iOS, version 5.6, now lets you adjust the temperature settings from your wrist, something Android Wear has had for a while. On the phone and tablet side, you can now track Dropcam Pro activity in 1080p (with automatic quality ...