ChromeOS ending independent ‘Lacros’ browser effort in light of Android future

The new Nest Learning Thermostat has arrived after nearly a decade, and with it, another step towards the death of the old Nest app in favor of Google Home. But that’s not your only option.

With the new Google TV Streamer, the company released a new Voice Remote that has Chromecast with Google TV compatibility.

A long-awaited feature is coming to Google TV with the release of the company’s new Streamer, a Home Panel that can control your smart home and view live feeds from Nest Cam.

The first Chromecast was announced in July of 2013 with the goal of letting people stream content from phones to televisions. With the launch of the Google TV Streamer, Chromecasts are no longer being manufactured.

While Gemini is the future on phones, Google Assistant will remain on smart displays and speakers thanks to Gemini updates meant to improve the experience at home.

The most iconic Nest product of all time is the Nest Learning Thermostat, but in the years since Google took over the brand, the product hasn’t seen a refresh, despite being a sore thumb in the modern Google lineup. Now, that’s finally changing.

After sticking with the dongle form factor for over 11 years, Google’s next streaming device is going a different route. The Google TV Streamer is a 4K set-top box that’s more expensive than the Chromecasts that it replaces.

Some US states have built out their own apps for digital Driver’s License and ID Cards. California is one of those cases, but will soon add support for ID cards in Google Wallet on Android.

The monthly “Google System Release Notes” primarily detail what’s new in Play services, Play Store, and Play system update across Android phones/tablets, Wear OS, Google/Android TV, Auto, and PC. Some features apply to end users, while others are aimed at developers.

Work on bringing the Gemini assistant to more form factors beyond the web and phones continues with a new mention of “Gemini on earbuds.” 

The DOJ has ruled against Google in a lawsuit regarding payments to ensure search engine prominence on certain devices. The decision reaches a head after the case nears 4 years in progress.

Google is rolling out the latest Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 update with the August 2024 security patch today. Like last month, it arrives in the afternoon before the phone and Tablet updates.

With the Pixel 9 series, Google is rumored to be releasing an exclusive Pixel Weather app.

A new update to Quick Share looks to have appeared on some Galaxy devices. The update brings a higher daily file size cap, upping it from 5GB.

Though AI has been synonymous with high-end phones in the last year or two, Samsung might be pushing to bring its own Galaxy AI to the mid-level Galaxy A series, starting with a couple of existing devices.

As we first reported last month, the long-awaited replacement for the Chromecast with Google TV is the “Google TV Streamer,” a set-top box. According to a new report, the Google TV Streamer 4K will cost roughly twice as much as Chromecast, at least in Europe.

In just over a week, we’ll know for certain just what the Pixel 9 series has to offer. That said, leak have given us an idea of the Pixel 9 color options – here’s what you said was your favorite.

Ahead of the radical departure that is the Google TV Streamer, the next Chromecast with Google TV update (June 2024) is rolling out.

In recent years, Google has been working to make Android apps smaller. As a result of that change, the process of installing (sideloading) Android APKs outside the Play Store might have an additional step.