CorysTechTime

  Nest introduced a host of new devices last week. In a surprise and after a brief leak on the online Google Store, Google Nest announced a follow-up to just about every device in their current home security lineup. Each product is designed beautifully and I am looking forward to getting my hands on them. The news wasn't all good at least for me as there was one glaring omission. Before I get it to that one device I feel is now missing from their lineup. Let's first cover what was announced. Available now, you have the Nest Cam (battery) for $179 and the Nest Doorbell (battery) for $179. Listed as coming soon are the Nest Cam (indoor wired) for $99 and the Nest Cam with floodlight for $279. Now...The one device I was hoping to see unveiled is a follow-up to the Nest Guard home security system. I have the current model from 2017 and even though it works great it does, however, show its age occasionally when the Nest Detects it connects to wirelessly lose their connection with th

  Last Monday, Google teased the Pixel 6 and yes the Pixel 6 Pro. I prefer the XL nomenclature but that's neither here nor there. Pixel 6 series sports a radical new design that's reminiscent of the Nexus 6P with the rear camera system stretching all the way across the back of the device. The Pixel 6 will be all Google inside and out with the company also announcing Google Tensor their own in-house chip.  This year's Pixel release seems to be a re-boot of some sort. All-new design, new camera system all powered by their in-house chip. Google says we'll see improvements to existing AI/ML features along with some new ones. Details are non-existent on specs but I didn't expect to hear that now anyway. Google has to save something for the big reveal, right? With the Pixel 6 series, it feels like Google is hitting its stride with its hardware division, to me. It's been a long time coming and with Android 12 just around the corner, I can see a major shift tilting in G

Last week, Google teased that the Pixel 6 series will be the first devices to sport their new in-house chip, Google Tensor. The announcement focused on Google's AI and ML prowess and how Tensor will help in these areas and push the bounds of what's possible in a modern-day smartphone. In the blog post, Google touts advancement in computational photography and also mentions the Titan M2 security chip for even greater security.  Details are light on the CPU and GPU on the new SOC but I am sure we will hear more about that when the Pixel 6 and  Pixel 6 Pro are announced this fall. I'm excited for what's to come and Google gave me just enough to more than peak my interest. It looks like the Pixel 6 series will be quite the shift of what we are used to seeing from Google and Google Tensor is at the heart of that. Source Google Tensor

  I've been living with the new Pixel Buds A for about 2 months now and have some thoughts. The Buds A checks nearly all the boxes for a set of truly wireless earbuds. Good sound, great connection, hands-free Assistant, excellent minimal design, and solid battery life. I can go on but you get the point. The Pixel Buds A is literally everything I wanted the Pixel Buds to be. Pixel Buds was just too buggy and I am glad that Google went with another chip that allows for each bud to receive a Bluetooth stream from your phone or tablet.  There are two things that stand out to me that make the Buds A an instant hit IMO. The sound and the features Google were able to leave in at this price point. The sound is absolutely amazing, especially at this price point. Music sounds very detailed and crisp while keeping the bass prominent with pretty deep lows. As for features, you get Hey Google, Adaptive Sound, and Android Fast Pair. There is also in-ear detection to pause music when you take the

  If you didn't already know the Nomad Pixel Buds A-Series case is now available on the Google Store. I had no clue and decided to look on a random Monday and there they were. The case its self is nice. I like the blue color and the feel of the leather material. Pixel Buds A fits perfectly in the Nomad Rugged case which is what you would expect and it has a lightpipe for the LED on the front of the case. The Nomad Rugged case is exactly what I was looking for. I tend to rock cases on all of my devices because I can have butterfingers more than I would like to admit. I find the $30 dollar price point to be fair for the premium case but you may be able to find something cheaper that will suit your needs. I gravitate to build quality and premium materials so don't mind paying a little more. I believe the Nomad Pixel Buds A-Series case is worth a look if you are in the market. https://store.google.com/product/nomad_leather_case?hl=en-US

  Yesterday, when I was doing a little cleaning, minding my own business, I noticed that the OG Nest Hub in my kid's room was rebooting and installing an update. But this did not seem like the average update due to the amount of time it was taking. I knew the update was significant and it was most likely Fuchsia. Google somewhat announced on Twitter last month that Fuchsia OS would be rolling out to the first-gen Nest Hub over the coming weeks and months. Everything looks exactly the same and you probably would not be able to tell if your Nest Hub received the update and I believe that's the point. Google has been working on Fuchsia for quite a while now and this is the first device to run the OS in the wild. Google does not tout any performance gains, however, the Nest Hub seems to be more responsive and smoother when navigating the UI with touch. I also noticed faster loading times when launching videos on Youtube or my Nest cameras. It's not every day a major tech firm l

  It's not every day Google advertises on its homepage but that changed today with their newest product on full display. Clicking the link takes you right to the Google Store Pixel Buds A page where you can learn more about the product or purchase them if you are so inclined. Putting the Buds A in such a prominent position tells me Google is confident in the device and wants (needs) visibility by as many potential buyers as possible. I like the move and hope Google does more of this in the future. Link(s) Pixel Buds A

  I received my Pixel Buds A this week and have been enjoying much more than I thought I would. More on my experience in a future blog post. Having the new Buds A made me want to revisit the OG Pixel Buds from 2017. For what it's worth the OG buds was an underrated and a solid product for me.  There were some design cues borrowed from the OG buds that are alive and well with the 2020 and 2021 Pixel Buds and Buds A. The outer circular design of the earbuds is genius along with the swipe gestures for volume and taps for play and pause. The OG buds also featured the fast pair capability that it later improved and enhanced. Then there was the headlining translation feature that I never used but it was there. It wasn’t all good though. The case was somewhat of a nightmare. Wrapping the cord around the inner part of the case was not ideal and proved not to be reliable. There was also the issue of having to push down the buds into the case to make sure the leads on the case and the buds t