Month: March 2021

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  The Nest Hub blasts radar waves all over an unsuspecting sleeper. [credit: Google ]

Google has announced a sequel to the Nest Hub (formerly the Google Home Hub): the "second-generation" Nest Hub. It looks exactly like the existing Nest Hub—with the same design and 7-inch display—but with better sound and a few extra sensors. The headline feature is the inclusion of Google's Soli Radar technology, which enables air gestures and sleep tracking.

Like the other second-gen Nest Audio speakers, the Nest Hub 2 has better sound. "The new Nest Hub's speaker is based on the same audio technology as Nest Audio," Google's blog post says, "and has 50 percent more bass than the original Hub." Also like the second-gen speaker hardware, the new Hub comes with "a dedicated on-device machine-learning chip which moves some Assistant experiences from our data centers directly onto the device, so responses to common commands become faster over time." Google notes that the on-device ML is available in the US only.

Soli is the main new addition. Google's in-house chip was previously included on (and then removed from) the Pixel line. The technology is interesting: Google miniaturized radar into a chip small enough that it could be shoved into an electronic device. The early demos promised to capture "sub-millimeter motions of your fingers," allowing for gestures like spinning a virtual dial or tapping a button. In the path to commercialization, Google had to cut down these lab prototypes, and now Soli can only detect big, arm-waving gestures, which are a lot less useful. Soli was a flop on the Pixel 4 because it offered inaccurate gestures that didn't provide much value compared to the giant touchscreen on a phone, which had clear labels and better accuracy.

Enlarge / The logo for Google's app and content marketplace, Google Play. (credit: Google Play)

Today, Google announced a major change to the revenue-sharing structure of Google Play apps—one that could significantly alter the fortunes of independent developers or small companies who rely on the Android platform's app store for revenue.

Starting on July 1, Google will take a 15 percent cut of the first $1 million in annual Google Play revenue from Google Play that a developer earns. That's down from 30 percent previously. The 30 percent figure will still apply to all revenue over $1 million each year.

Google claims that 99 percent of developers with apps and content on Google Play will experience reductions in fees paid to Google of up to 50 percent.

Enlarge / Cruise CTO Kyle Vogt and Voyage CEO Oliver Cameron. (credit: Voyage)

Two weeks ago, I wrote about reports that Cruise—a self-driving venture co-owned by GM and Honda—was on the verge of buying startup Voyage. Now it's official: Cruise is acquiring Voyage.

Voyage's strategy was to launch its first self-driving taxi service at the Villages, a massive retirement community in Florida. The Villages is large enough that people need a car to get around, yet many of its residents are at or near the age where they can't drive safely. The community had a speed limit of 25 miles per hour, reducing the risk that anyone would be killed if a self-driving car malfunctioned.

In a piece two years ago, I suggested that focusing on a relatively easy application of self-driving technology like this could allow a startup like Voyage to succeed while their larger rivals floundered. I argued that once a company like Voyage has a viable commercial service in a limited area, expanding over time to a larger area and higher speeds would be relatively easy.

Enlarge / Cricut is neither the first nor last internet-connected device to alter the deal after the fact and tell you to pray it doesn't alter it further. (credit: Aurich Lawson | Lucasfilm)

Yet another company that makes Internet-connected devices is drawing the wrath of customers by demanding a monthly subscription fee long after users have already sunk hundreds of dollars into its products. This time around, the company is Cricut, which just told customers they'll lose the ability to upload more than a few patterns per month unless they start paying up.

What’s Cricut?

Cricut makes crafting machines that make precise detail work possible for millions of users. It's like the inverse of a printer: instead of putting your design onto paper, it slices your design into paper, card stock, vinyl, fabric, or other materials. The devices and accessory kits are sold far and wide in specialty craft and fabric stores such as Michaels or Jo-Ann, as well by mainstream retailers such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon. The devices sell at base prices of $179 and up, not counting the costs of required tools, accessories, and refills.

You control the machines by using a program called Design Space on your phone or computer. The principle hasn't changed since home desktop publishing software hit in the 1990s. You put a pattern in Design Space and the Cricut cuts the pattern into the material you've loaded into it. Users can access a vast library of patterns and templates through Design Space; some are free, while others cost anywhere from a few cents to several dollars each.