Tech

Google Nest Audio review: A steal at $100 – Engadget

Published

4 years ago

October 9, 2020

In a lot of ways, smart speakers are the ideal home stereo for the streaming music generation. Telling an Amazon Echo to play whatever song was on your mind for the first time was a bit of a revelation. And music remains one of the most-used and most crucial features of any smart speaker. The only problem is lots of them sound terrible.

Sonos, Google, Apple and Amazon all have smart speakers where music quality is paramount, but a $200 Echo Studio or Sonos one is a tough sell next to a $50 Echo Dot or Nest Mini. Google is trying to fill the gap between those two extremes with the $100 Nest Audio, a speaker that effectively replaces the original Google Home that arrived four years ago. That speaker was meant to be a jack of all trades Google Assistant device, but the Nest Audio has a focus on music quality that wasn’t present in the original. Google piled on praise for the Nest Audio’s ability to deliver music “the way it should sound,” so I’ve spent the last week deciding if a rather diminutive speaker meets those lofty claims.

Engadget Score

Poor

Uninspiring

Good

Excellent

Key

Google

Nest Audio

Pros

Good audio quality
Sounds great when two speakers are paired in stereo
Attractive minimalist design
Comes in five colors
Google Assistant remains a solid option for smart home control
Reasonable price

Cons

Some music fans will want larger speakers with better audio quality
Music service support is somewhat limited

Summary

For $100, the Nest Audio offers dramatically better music quality than what you get from small speakers like the Nest Mini. It’s not the best-sounded smart speaker on the market, but for most people it’ll be a major upgrade and it won’t break the bank.

Be the first to review the Nest Audio?
Your ratings help us make the buyer’s guide better for everyone.

Write a review

Gallery: Google Nest Audio review photos | 15 Photos

Hardware and setup

That small size was the first thing I noticed when unboxing the Nest Audio. It’s hard to get a sense for how big it is from Google’s promo pics and videos, but it’s less than 7 inches tall and only 3 inches thick. It’s slightly bigger than the original Google Home, and about the same height as the Sonos One, but much thinner (the One is about 4.7 inches thick). That small size means the Nest Audio is easy to tuck away wherever you want, but it also made me question if it could sound as good as Google promised.

Like all of Google’s current speakers, it is covered with audio-transparent cloth that comes in five colors: Chalk, Charcoal, Sage, Sand and Sky. (I got the boring but versatile “Chalk” option.) Nest Audio is the first of Google’s speakers that is entirely covered with cloth, which adds a nice uniformity to its appearance. The front has four LEDs that activate when you’re talking to the speaker, and the back contains a power port and mute switch. Finally, there are invisible touch-sensitive buttons on the top to play or pause audio and adjust the volume. Sadly (but not surprisingly), there’s no audio input jack like there is on the Home Max, so you won’t be able to use it with a turntable or other stereo equipment.

If you’ve set up a Google Assistant device before, nothing has changed. You do it through the Google Home app for iOS and Android; Just plug in the Nest Audio, open the app and go through the simple instructions that get your speaker connected to WiFI. You’ll also pick your preferred music service.

If you haven’t used a Google speaker before, it’s worth noting that you can’t use a few of the more popular music apps: Apple Music and Amazon Music are not available.Google Assistant does work with YouTube Music, Pandora, Deezer and Spotify. Not having access to Amazon or Apple is a bummer — but between Spotify and YouTube Music, most Nest Audio users should be covered. Besides, pretty much every music app on Android will let you cast to the Nest Audio, even Apple Music.

Once that’s all set, you can start asking Nest Audio to play whatever you want to hear, whether it’s music, podcasts, audiobooks or streams from apps like TuneIn or IHeartRadio. The experience isn’t very different from what the Google Assistant has done for years, which isn’t a bad thing. Google does say that the Nest Audio should be faster at commands like skipping songs and adjusting volume because of the ML hardware engine, which processes some commands on-device rather than in the cloud. I didn’t notice a difference compared to the Home Max, which is the Google Assistant speaker I use the most. But my colleague Cherlynn Low says she noticed a significant improvement over the original Home.

I will say that the Assistant isn’t always the best at identifying the music I ask it to play, though, an experience corroborated by our Managing Editor Terrence O’Brien. Telling it to “play some music I like” always pulled up “That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars, while asking it to “play Metallica’s self-titled album” would pull up a specific song from the record followed by a bunch of other random Metallica tunes. Some of that appears to be due to the Assistant not understanding what I was looking for, but it also had to do with the music service I was using. When I asked for the self-titled Metallica album on Spotify, I got just what I expected.

Audio quality

From a feature perspective, the Nest Audio is basically identical to the Nest Mini and other Google Assistant speakers — so what I really wanted to know was how it sounds. My initial impression wasn’t overwhelmingly positive. Right out of the box it sounded a bit muddy, especially at lower volumes. Specifically, mids and highs mushed together, though the bass performance was clearly better than what you’d get out of the original Google Home or Nest Mini. That’s thanks to its dedicated 75mm woofer and 19mm tweeter; the Google Home and Nest Mini make do with a single driver.

For context, I spend most of my days listening to either a single Apple HomePod ($300), a pair of Google Home Max speakers ($600) or a pair of Sonos Play:1 speakers (Play:1 is no longer available, but two of the sonically identical Sonos One SL costs $360). Expecting similar sound from a $100 speaker that’s much smaller than those isn’t really fair.

Google Nest Audio smart speaker — Sonos Play:1, Nest Audio, Apple HomePod and Google Home Max

After spending some time with the Nest Audio, I gained an appreciation for its sound quality. For a relatively small, single speaker, it succeeds at offering drastically better audio than you’ll get from options like the original Google Home, the Nest Mini or Amazon’s older Echo Dots (I haven’t heard the new one yet). As a speaker meant to be affordable while offering good music quality, I think Google hit the mark.

Turning the volume up to between 50 and 80 percent gave some noticeable thump and increased clarity to electro-pop like Chvrches or The Japanese House, and it did a good job at reproducing the distinct layered guitars of Metallica’s black album, even though it’s not a stereo speaker. A delicate song like “Beatrice” by Dizzy built to a wonderful crescendo with vocals coming through strong and clear. The unusual instrumentation of Gustavo Santaololla’s score for The Last of Us Part II was another good test case, as the baritone and bass guitars used throughout had enough low-end to come through with power. Overall, the bass presence isn’t massive, but it’s noticeable.

That said, the Nest Audio can’t compete with a single Sonos One. When properly tuned using the company’s TruePlay algorithm, the One is much louder and offers fuller, more distinct sound. But again, we’re talking about a speaker that costs twice as much. What Google pulls off here for $100 in a compact space is impressive and far exceeds what it did in 2016 with the Google Home. But if you’re an avid music listener you might benefit from a larger speaker.

Google’s Home Max and Apple’s HomePod both listen to and dynamically tune their sound — that keeps the bass from getting overly boomy when a speaker is up against a wall, for example. The Nest Audio, on the other hand, doesn’t continuously tune itself. Instead, Google tuned the speaker in its labs and in test homes using data from more than 2,500 simulated placements of the speaker.

The speaker does have some adaptive software, though. Media EQ analyses what you’re listening to (music vs. podcasts, for example) and adapts the audio to best fit the content. Ambient IQ, meanwhile, adapts the Assistant output based on background noise so you can better hear it in a noisier environment. I can’t say I noticed much of a difference, but I mainly used the speakers for music.

Probably the biggest issue I had with the Nest Audio was simply that its three-microphone array wasn’t as sensitive as those in the HomePod or Home Max. I often had to repeat myself a few times to get the speaker’s attention while playing back music. And one time, the speaker made the grave mistake of thinking I wanted the volume at 100 percent when I was just asking it to turn the volume down. In case you were wondering, the Nest Audio can be painfully loud at full volume.

That’s doubly true when pairing two Nest Audio speakers in stereo. Basically all smart speakers let you do this now, so it’s not an unexpected feature, but it improves the entire Nest Audio experience in a notable way. Obviously, stereo separation is important for serious music listeners, but having two speakers going simultaneously means everything simply sounds better, with vastly improved presence, bass response and overall volume. If you have a larger living room that you want to fill with sound, I’d recommend shelling out for two of these speakers and running them as a stereo pair.

Competition

At this point, the smart speaker market is pretty crowded, but there aren’t a lot of speakers in the $100 range that have the Nest Audio’s focus on sound quality. A natural comparison point is Amazon’s new, spherical Echo, but we haven’t had a chance to test it yet. That said, I’ve been fairly impressed with the audio improvements Amazon has made to its Echo products over the years — if you prefer Alexa over the Google Assistant, there’s a good chance that the new Echo might be the better option.

If you up your budget to $200, though, speakers like Amazon’s Echo Studio and the Sonos One provide even better sound quality. No surprise, given that they cost twice as much and are significantly larger than the Nest Audio. But if you’re looking to spend that much, two Nest Audio speakers give you the flexibility of running in stereo or setting up a multi-room system.

Wrap up

While the Nest Audio didn’t immediately impress me, I think Google’s execution is smart. It’s not trying to replace larger, high-quality speakers like the Sonos One or its own Home Max. Instead, it provides a huge audio quality upgrade over small, cheap speakers like the Nest Mini and is significantly better than the original Google Home, without pushing the price into the $200 range. Google’s also selling them in a pair for $180, which makes a stereo or multi-room setup easily attainable. That said, price is still the bottom line for most people, so I expect the Echo Dot and Nest Mini to remain the more popular options.

If you care at all about music, though, I urge you to consider the Nest Audio instead. Smart speakers are not a necessity, they’re a luxury, so budget an extra $50 and enjoy your music with improved bass and an audio presence that goes far beyond what you’ll get from a budget device. While the Nest Audio isn’t the best I’ve ever heard, it’s better than what lots of people currently use to listen to music. The combination of “good enough” sound quality and a low price point make it one of the best smart speakers you can buy.

In this article:

speaker, nest, nest audio, google nest audio, google assistant, google, smart speaker, review, gear

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

Source link

Tech

Ottawa orders TikTok’s Canadian arm to be dissolved

Published

2 days ago

November 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.

The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.

However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”

Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.

“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.

“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”

The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.

At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.

A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”

Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.

Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.

Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.

Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.

While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.

Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.

The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.

— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

Source link

Health

Here is how to prepare your online accounts for when you die

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?

It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.

Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:

Apple

The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.

For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.

You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.

Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.

Google

Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.

When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.

You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.

There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.

Facebook and Instagram

Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.

When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.

The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.

You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.

TikTok

The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.

Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.

It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.

Passwords

Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?

Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.

But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.

___

Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.

Source link

Tech

Google’s partnership with AI startup Anthropic faces a UK competition investigation

Published

2 weeks ago

October 24, 2024

Anne Joseph

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.

The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.

The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.

“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”

San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.

Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”

“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.

The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.

Source link