Google has a long history of building something interesting, making a lot of big promises about its future, then seemingly forgetting it exists and killing it a few months or years later. Over the last few years, you’d be forgiven for thinking the smart home was one of those things, as Google Home and Nest products seemed to languish behind their competitors. But Google says it’s still in the game, and that Gemini is the key to making the smart home truly great.
On this episode of The Vergecast, David and The Verge’s Jennifer Pattison Tuohy are joined by Anish Kattukaran, head of product for Google’s smart home efforts, to talk about the state of the connected home. Kattukaran explains why Google is so convinced that the current generation of AI technology can change the way we interact with everything in our homes, whether Google wants to be a hardware maker or a platform provider, and why we’re still so far away from the smart home we’re all hoping for.
After that, The Verge’s Victoria Song explains what’s new with Peloton. And by “what’s new with Peloton,” we mean “how Peloton can possibly justify raising fees and selling a $6,695 treadmill.” As it turns out, Peloton believes in AI as much as anyone – and if any company can pull off personalized, AI-driven workouts, it might just be Peloton. Vee walks us through the company’s recent history, why the Peloton vibes are still so strong, and whether the new gear is worth the price.
Finally, Vee helps us answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about whether the multi-smartwatch life is worth it. Vee knows the pros and cons of multiple devices more than most, and helps our caller make the most of their wrists.
If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are a few links to get you started:
