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Google's new speaker and your smart home questions

The Vergecast

19 HOURS AGO
The Vergecast

The Vergecast

19 HOURS AGO

Shownote

Google is shipping its first smart speaker in six years, and we're starting to test it. The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to explain why the Home Speaker matters, whether Google actually cares about the smart home, and more. Then, she help...

Highlights

In this episode, the hosts dive into the world of smart home technology, starting with hands-on impressions of Google's first new smart speaker in six years. They explore the device's design, sound quality, and what it signals about Google's broader strategy. The conversation then shifts to listener questions, tackling the role of AI in smart thermostats and the surprising potential of Ikea as a major player in the smart home ecosystem.
02:17
First impressions of sound quality and design
04:49
Google's new smart speaker is a crucial opportunity to get it right.
12:51
Basic smart home functions remain unreliable
19:20
Thermostats were ahead of the curve.
27:49
Ikea is the sleeping giant in the smart home

Chapters

First impressions of Google's new smart speaker: sound, design, and what it means for the smart home
00:00
Is Google really committed to the smart home? A look at the new speaker's place in the lineup
04:49
AI upgrades for smart home control: Will Gemini and Alexa Plus actually make things better?
10:06
Smart thermostats and AI: Were they already smart, and what are the risks of forced updates?
19:20
Ikea as the sleeping giant: How Matter could make it a smart home powerhouse
27:49

Transcript

David Pierce: Hello and welcome to the Vergecast, the flagship podcast of ultra-wideband door locks. I'm your friend David Pierce, and today on the show, we are answering your questions about the smart home. We get a lot of questions about the smart home. ...