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Google Nest Hub review

REVIEW – Remember a few years ago when digital photo frames were a popular gift? These days people don’t want a gadget that can only do one thing, they want a jack of all trades, and that’s what the Google Nest Hub aspires to be. Let’s take this photo frame on steroids for a spin.

What is it?

The Google Nest Hub is a digital photo frame, speaker, smart home control hub, digital assistant, and more.

Hardware specs

Display: 7” LCD touch screen
Speaker: Full Range Speaker
Microphones: 2 mic array
Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support
Power: 15W adapter
Ports: DC Power Jack
Dimensions & Weight: 7.02 in W x 4.65 in H

What’s in the box?

  • Google Nest Hub
  • AC power adapter

Design and features

The Google Nest Hub is a small touchscreen tablet that has a built-in stand so that it’s always at the perfect angle for viewing video and photos.

At the top of the display are two far-field microphones with an ambient light sensor between them.

On the back edge of the Nest Hub is a mute switch at the top and on the side is a volume button.

The Google Nest Hub is available with a Sand, Aqua, Chalk, or Charcoal material covered stand that has a small Google badge attached in the center.

A power port is located at the bottom of the stand. It uses a proprietary connector instead of a USB-C cable. Oh well.

The bottom of the stand has a bright orange rubber pad that keeps the Nest Hub from sliding around when you’re interacting with the touch screen.

Setting up the Nest Hub

You’ll need a mobile device with the Google Home app to get the Nest Hub up and running.




The Google Home app is where you configure settings like the clock style, which photos albums you want to as a backdrop slideshow when the Hub is idle, and connecting a variety of other devices that can be controlled with Google Assistant.

What can it do?

Although the Nest Hub is marketed as a digital photo frame, there’s a lot more to this device than just being able to view your latest vacation pics. Let’s check out the main features.

Digital photo frame

Let’s start with the main feature which the ability to show your favorite images on the 7inch display. To use this feature, you’ll need to have your images already stored in Google Photos. Then in the Google Home app, you can specify which albums you would like to show and you can create live albums images of your family and friends that will automatically update as new images are added to your Google Photo archive.

As a digital photo frame, the Google Nest Hub has a nice looking display (although small at only 7 inches) that is crisp and vibrant. The display uses an ambient light sensor to adjust the brightness so the images look good in any lighting conditions.

I like that the slide show includes the current time, the name of the album where the images are coming from, and the current weather / temperature.

If you have images in portrait orientation, you can configure a setting where it will show multiple images on the screen like the ones you see above. You can also swipe either direction in the center of the screen to see the previous or next picture.

You can also tell the Hub what images to display just by saying “Hey Google, show me pictures from my vacation in California”. At least that’s what it’s supposed to do. It was really disappointing when the Nest Hub informed me that it could not show images from that account when I used this voice command. With a little research, I discovered that if you have a Google Suites account, which I do, that this feature doesn’t work. <sniff>

Smart home hub

You can also use the Google Nest Hub as a smart home hub for all your connected devices like Nest thermostats (which I have), security cameras, and many more.

On any screen, you can pull down from the top for a dashboard of your connected devices. From there you can interact with them either manually with your finger, or with your voice by saying “Hey Google, show me my porch camera”, or “Hey Google, turn up the temperature”.

I found that I was able to easily control my older Nest Thermostat buy using the onscreen controls or my voice.

Using the Nest Hub to see live footage of from my Wyze security cams wasn’t quite as easy. A lot of times, I’d see a blank screen like I show above.

Eventually, after pausing, and playing, the live view would show up on the screen. One cool feature is associating commands like “show my camera…” and “play a video of…” to a specific screen like a TV. My Vizio TV happens to have Chromecast built-in, so I could use my voice to cast a video to the TV which would then automatically turn on and start playing. The only downside is that once you associate another display with the Nest Hub, it’s difficult to get a video to show on the Hub’s display instead of the TV.

Streaming music

Using the Google Home app, you can associate streaming services like Google’s Music service, Spotify, and Pandora with the Hub. Then you can just say “Hey Google, play music from Post Malone”.

The Google Nest Hub isn’t going to impress an audiophile, but for a small speaker, it sounds pretty good. Having the album art and song titles right there where you can see them is nice too.

You can also swipe up from the bottom of the display to get access to touch buttons for volume and brightness, or you can use the physical buttons on the back of the display.

Assistant

Since I use an Android phone, I already use Google Assistant on phone, so using it with the Google Nest Hub is not different other than the fact that you have a nice large display to see the results.

Asking questions like “Hey Google, what’s the weather like today” brings up a nice display and sound effects like birds chirping in the background.

I did run into another G Suites problem when I try the command “Hey Google, what appointments do I have today?”. I’m told that the command isn’t available but that she’s learning new commands all the time. Gee thanks Google… not.

Another assistant feature is the ability to create routines that you can trigger with your voice like saying “Hey Google, good morning”, or “Hey Google, I’m home”.



Using the Google Home app on your mobile device (it sure would be nice if you could also use the Hub to customize these features too) you can create a list of things to happen once you say the trigger words to launch a routine.

One annoying issue I’ve run into is that saying “Hey Google” to interact with the Google Nest Hub would also trigger any Android phones or tablets also in the same room. At least when I would ask to play music or video, it would only play through the Hub and not all the devices at the same time 😉

Alarm clock

If you long swipe from the left edge of the screen, you can put the Google Nest Hub into clock mode which just shows the time of day. You can also use commands to set alarms, to turn the Hub into your bedside alarm clock. The only downside is that you can set different alarm sounds for the alarms.

Watching videos

You can ask the hub to play videos from on Youtube by saying something like “Hey Google, play Taylor Swift videos”. I found that works great for the first video but then it will usually switch to playing some other videos. For example, I asked it to play Sam Smith videos and it played one and then switched to playing Taylor Swift videos.

What I like

  • Simple setup
  • Easy to use
  • No learning curve if you’re already used to using “Hey Google”

What I’d change

  • Make all the Google Assistant commands work with GSuite accounts

Final thoughts

As a digital photo frame and smart home controller, the Google Nest Hub is an affordable device with enough features to keep you happy. It has a nice display, decent speakers, and you can control most features just with your voice. As long as you’re not a GSuite user like I am, it’s a useful gadget for your home.

Price: $99.00
Where to buy: Google
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Google. Please visit their site for more info.

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Google Nest Hub review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 6, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank review


REVIEW – I probably have a dozen different brands and type of power banks, with each newer one having better specs and more capability than the previous one. I love the convenience of power banks and I am always interested in the ones with multiple powering options and well-designed versatility. The  Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank is the latest to join my collection. Let’s see if it is worthy of membership into my Power Bank club.

What is it?

The Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank is a slim, sleek and powerful 100AC, 94.72Wh Power Bank that is equipped with features like wireless charging, high-speed Power Delivery, USB-C in/out ports that can power and charge phones, tablets, DSLR cameras, laptops, and other devices.

What’s in the box


1 x Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank
1 x USB-C to USB-A cable
1 x USB-C to USB-C Cable
1 x Micro USB to USB-A
1 x Lightning to USB-A
1 x User Guide
1 x AC Wall Adapter

Design and features

Specifications
Charge times:
USB-C PD Source(60W): 2.5 hrs.
Wall charger(45W): 3 hrs.
USB-A (2.4A): 9 hrs.
Nomad 14: 14-28 hrs.
Nomad 28: 7-14 hrs.
Boulder 50: 4-8 hrs.
Battery:
Cell chemistry: Li-ion NMC
Cell type: 18650 by LG chem
Single Cell Equivalent Capacity: 25600mAh @ 3.7V
Lifecycles: Hundreds of Cycles
Shelf-life: Charge every 3-6 months
Management system: Charging and low battery protection built-in
Ports:
Wireless Qi (output): 5W max
USB A ports (output): 5V, up to 2.4A (12Wmax), regulated
USB-C PD ports (input/output): 5V,9V,12V,15V,20V up to 3A (60W each,100W max), regulated
AC inverter US (output): 110V, up to 0.9A (100W max), 60Hz, modified sine wave
AC inverter Int (output): 220V, up to 0.45A (100W max), 50Hz, modified sine wave
Solar charging port (input, 8mm diameter): 14-22V (50W max)
Weight: 2.0 lbs. (898 g)
Dimensions: 7.5 x 1.0 x 5.68 in (19.0 x 2.54 x 14.4cm)

Features

    • Two High-Speed Power Delivery Ports: At 60W each, these USB-C Power Delivery ports provide rapid power for laptops, phones, and more.
    • Integrated 100W AC: Take the outlet with you, on the plane or in the wild, for serious power anywhere you need it. Perfect for keeping cameras and laptops charged.
    • Qi Wireless Charging + 2.4A USB: No matter the phone, there’s a wicked fast, convenient charging solution designed for you. USB ports are useful for devices with proprietary charging (fitness trackers, watches, etc.).
    • Interactive OLED Display: Check power in and power out, get detailed port information, and even set roles for ports.
    • Four Rugged Cables Included: Included are the cables, you need to get the job done, and an incredibly easy way to store them for later. Includes Lightning, Micro USB, USB-C, and USB-C to USB-C.
    • Recharge from the sun: Connect a compatible solar panel. Charge time is dependent on the size of the solar panel. The Nomad 28 Plus will fully recharge the Sherpa 100AC in about 7-14 hours.
    • Use included cables: Recharge from a USB source in 8 – 10 hours. Fully recharges from the wall in about 3 hours using the Sherpa Power Supply accessory (not included).
    • Recharge from your car: Recharge from your car 12V adapter in about 3-5 hours.

On the front of the device, there are all of the connectivity ports and the display. From left to right as shown below, there is an 8mm DC input charging port, 2 in/out USB-C Power Delivery ports, the LED Informational Display, 2 USB-A ports, and the AC port.

On the back of the device, there is a cooling fan and on the top flat surface of the device, there is the Qi Wireless charging interface.




On each of the two sides of the device, there are short connectivity cables that are housed in slots designed for their storage and safekeeping. On one side there is a USB-C to USB – C cable and on the other side, there is a USB-C to USB-A cable.



Goal Zero also included a wall adapter that has 2 built-in ports that include a 45W power delivery port and a USB-A smart port. The prongs for the AC plug can be folded in for storage.


 

Performance

The Goal Zero Power Bank comes well packaged and is basically a plug and play device. When I received it and plugged it in to charge, it was already charged at over 90%. I left it charging for an entire day and when I checked it, the charge was 99%. At first, I was surprised that it was not at 100%, but it has achieved 100% after subsequent charges.

The photo below shows the LCD display during charging.

The display provides a lot of information on status and input/output as well as the options as you toggle through the screens that provide information for the customizable functions. In the photos below the first one shows the display when there is no load, and the last one shows the display hours later after using a tablet while it was plugged into the AC port.
You can click here to read the user guide and get more information including details of the customizable options.


I really love the Qi wireless charging this device offers in addition to all of the other power/charging options. I use it every night to charge my iPhone 10X Max smartphone.

I use the ports exactly as they were set up when I received the device since they meet all of my needs as they are. I like the individual buttons to turn on/off the Qi wireless charging function and the AC power, etc.

My only concern with this Power Bank is shown in the photo below. If you are using a wall adapter that is wider than the device then it is no longer level, and the bigger the adapter the higher off of the surface the device will be.

What I like

  • The build quality
  • The versatile connectivity ports
  • The sleek design
  • The power delivery capacity
  • The Qi wireless charging

What I’d change

  • Maybe the ability for the built-in AC port to be able to swing upwards to accommodate larger AC adapters.

Final thoughts

A few of the power banks that I own are quite versatile, but none as versatile and portable as this Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank. The dual in/out USB-C power delivery ports along with the regular USB ports and the AC port make this perfect for my use. The Qi wireless charging takes it over the top for me. The only minor issue that I have with it is that the obvious way to use it is flat on a surface, and since the AC port is slim and fixed, anything AC plug that is thicker than the device raises it off of the surface and puts the weight on the AC plug. It can also possibly make using the Qi wireless charging difficult if the level that it is raised to is too steep. Otherwise, this Power Bank is a win and gets a well done and two thumbs up!!

Price: $299.95
Where to buy: The Goal Zero website and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Goal Zero.

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Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 6, 2019 at 9:00 am.

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MEATER Block wireless meat thermometer review

REVIEW – Last year I reviewed both the MEATER and MEATER+ smart wireless meat thermometers. I have used them many times over the past year, even purchasing a few as gifts for family and friends. As the story goes, MEATER announced the Block around the middle of last year but has taken over a year to bring it to market. The Block enables you to monitor the internal temperatures of four pieces of meat simultaneously. Allowing you to precisely cook each piece (hopefully) exactly as desired. Let’s see if it was worth the wait 😉 .

What is it?

The Block unites four (4) MEATER wireless probes under one control unit. The Block communicates with each of its numbered probes then passes that temperature data to your smartphone helping you cook your food to perfection. Not only is the hardware very well done but so is the MEATER app and ecosystem, all working together to cook your meal with much less worry or guessing.

What’s in the box?

  • 4x MEATER probes
  • 1x MEATER Block charger
  • 4x AA batteries

Hardware specs

  • Store and charge your MEATER probes
  • 50 hours of continuous cooking with 4x AA batteries
  • Real wood to match any kitchen or outdoor decor
  • Crisp OLED display with touch capacitive control
  • Built-in speakers for audible alerts
  • Max outdoor operation temperature: 140°F
  • Dimensions: 132mm L x 39mm W x 157mm H

Design and features

The MEATER Block combines four (4) MEATER+’s into a single device that not only stores, charges, and monitors each probe but can also acts as a standalone, disconnected wireless thermometer and cooking assistant. While surprisingly minimalist, the control screen does a solid job of bringing the MEATER ecosystem to you even when disconnected from the App or Net.

The build quality of the Block is excellent, made from the same bamboo as the MEATER and MEATER+. The designers have embedded the control screen into the right side of the Block and a stainless steel foldout stand for propping the Block upright on your counter or BBQ.

Like the original MEATER and MEATER+, the Block’s probes are wireless with dual sensors created with the sole job of helping you cook your food to perfection. The probes are made from stainless steel and hardened, heat resistant plastic. Best I can tell, the probes themselves have not changed, much if at all, since the original MEATER was released last year.

Probe Specs

  • Stainless steel, water resistant and easy to clean
  • Wireless up to 165 feet (50 meters)
  • Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connection
  • MEATER Sense™: 2 temperature sensors in 1 probe
  • Maximum internal temperature: 212°F (meat)
  • Maximum ambient temperature: 527°F (cooker)
  • Rechargeable: Over 24 hours of continuous cooking
  • Dimensions: 130mm length and 6mm diameter

The part of the equation that has changed/been improved from the original is the bamboo charger (both the Meater+ and the Block) also acts as a repeater to boost the signal from the probe and thus the overall range.

Each of the probes is numbered, enabling you to keep better track of doneness of each piece of meat. As you can see, the numbers go from 1 thru 4 and are machined into the base of each probe.

Each of the routered slots securely hold and charge the probes.

The MEATER Block is powered by four AA batteries, providing 50 hours of continuous cooking before needing to be replaced. The back cover is held in place by small embedded magnets.

The MEATER Block probes have to be inserted into the meat beyond the line machined into the metal casing to protect the main sensor from damage due to high temperatures.

The ambient sensor is meant to monitor the cooking temperature of the oven or BBQ. It is located in the black plastic end of the probe.

Setup

Alright Houston, we have a problem…as this review saga goes, I had struggled to and discovered a relatively large stumbling block setting up the MEATER Block.

No matter how much/hard I tried, I could not, for the life of me, get the Block connected to our WiFi router. I confirmed our password, attempted to log the Block into our network countless times, moved the Block to within a few feet of our router, put in fresh batteries, reset the device, etc. After all of that, I consulted the MEATER support page and found that Asus routers often have issues with products like the Block using the IoT. The support page suggested turning on an unlocked guest network to see if the Block could connect to that…sadly that was a failure as well. Plus I purchased the Asus router specifically because it was more secure and really did not want to punch holes in that security just to get the Block connected. To confirm I didn’t get a bad review unit or that I was doing something wrong, I connected the Block to several other routers and all of them connected quickly and easily, just as expected.

Performance

Well, this setback forced me to dive deeper into the MEATER Block’s standalone mode. The standalone mode allows you to use the Block when there is no WiFi or smart device connection. The Block communicates with all four of its probes via Bluetooth and the tiny screen displays the cooking status of up to all four pieces of meat.

The black control panel with its tiny OLED screen enables you to program each of the probe’s cooking profile just like the MEATER app on your smartphone. You select the type of meat (beef, chicken, pork, etc), cut of meat (filet, prime rib, loin, etc), and doneness (rare, medium-rare, medium, medium-well, well) and the built-in MEATER database leads you thru the cooking process, similar to the App. That said, while the built-in interface works well enough and is a great backup plan, the App is easier, quicker, and more intuitive to use.

Like the App, the Block’s screen shows a status bar/doneness graphic while on the grill, when to remove/rest the meat, and when the meal is ready to eat. I set one probe to rare, medium-rare, and the third for medium. the latter two turned out perfectly but the rare one was a bit over done.

What I like

  • Well made and thought out design
  • Monitors four (4) pieces of meat @one time
  • Truly wireless
  • Excellent range (improvement over the original)
  • Water resistant, dust-proof, easy to clean
  • Built-in dual sensors
  • Excellent app/ecosystem/standalone mode

What I’d change

  • Won’t connect to my router/limits functionality

Final thoughts

Even with the struggles and very frustrating time I had trying to get the MEATER Block fully operational, this well done, wireless multi-probe thermometer system came through. The MEATER ecosystem is excellent and I wish I could have gotten it working. But I am glad I was able to try out the standalone mode as a backup since I have used the App quite a bit over the past 18 months. Just bad luck that I recently purchased a router that does not play nicely with the Block. Overall, I would still recommend MEATER products and ecosystem to those wanting to take the stress out of cooking and grilling. The Block is a nice upgrade/enhancement in the MEATER lineup, enabling you to monitor multiple pieces of meat vs just tracking one and guessing on the rest.

Price: $269
Where to buy: The BLOCK is available directly from Meater.com and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by MEATER.

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MEATER Block wireless meat thermometer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 6, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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More than a Billion Android Phones Could Be Hacked with a Text Message

Being hacked remains a top concern of many, regardless of what type of a device they are using. With most of us having a smartphone in our pockets at any given time, having our phones hacked is always a concern. It can’t be much scarier then to know that you could be hacked by someone sending just one text message to you. A major security flaw in Androids has left over a billion devices vulnerable to such a hack. Android Text Hack The Check Point Software Technologies cyber security firm researchers identified the security flaw… Read more

Posted by / September 6, 2019 / Posted in News

How to Fix an External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Mac

If you always connect your external hard drive to Mac to run Time Machine backupa, there are times where you will notice that the external hard drive doesn’t show up in your Mac. If you are facing this issue, here are some fixes for you. The Basics Most problems with drives on a Mac are caused by a poor connection, so the first step to troubleshooting the problem is to ensure your drive is actually connected to your Mac properly. If there’s a light on the drive, is it turning on? If it’s a spinning disk, do you feel the drive spinning through the hard… Read more