Microsoft is reportedly testing 1080p xCloud game streaming, a boost from its current 720p cap.
The report comes from Windows Central, which cites “trusted sources” who also sent the publication several screen grabs showing
Hellblade Senua’s Sacrifice streaming at the higher 1080p resolution.
Windows Central says the increased resolution could come from a planned move from Xbox One to Xbox Series X blades within Microsoft’s xCloud-serving data centres, something Microsoft’s Kareem Choudhry confirmed with Stevivor back in 2019.
“We designed [Xbox Series S & X] with the cloud in mind as well, and just as you’re going to see our console product family evolve with that next generation, the cloud is going to evolve along with it,” Choudhry told us at the time.
Recent Nest Hub Max preview software messes with connected devices, but there s already an easy fix
Despite the potential consequences, many of us tend to join preview programs fairly often. Sometimes the early software releases give us new features and improvements well ahead of other users, but from time to time, they have some unfortunate side effects. If you re using a Google Nest Hub Max to provide connectivity to a Nest Detect or Next x Yale Lock, and you ve received a recent firmware update as part of the preview program, there s a good chance those security devices have lost internet connectivity. But the good news: There s a simple fix.
Nest x Yale smart lock becomes dumb with Nest Hub Max Preview Update bug
JC Torres - Dec 22, 2020, 7:54pm CST
As powerful and as magical smart home products may seem, we have yet to achieve a level of reliability to make them truly foolproof. Sometimes, even something as simple as an Internet outage can render a product useless. Even more problematic, however, is when those problems come via software updates that should be fixing bugs or adding features instead. That’s exactly what some owners of the Nest x Yale Lock experienced just recently, though, to be fair, those are pretty much the expected risks of being part of the Nest Hub Max’s Preview Program.
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Here’s an issue only a few folks may come across, but we’re sharing the info just in case. If you own a
Nest Hub Max, as well as a Nest x Yale smart lock, this is for you.
For those enrolled in the software preview program for the Nest Hub Max, Google is advising that a new software update is breaking your Nest x Yale lock’s connection to the internet. How does this affect users? For one, they won’t be able to use their apps to unlock the lock, and in addition, guest codes may stop working properly. Basically, your smart lock becomes a dumb lock. Google states this is happening because the update is forcing some units to connect to the Hub Max for its internet connection.
Nest Hub Max doubles down on video calls with new Zoom support and big Google Meet improvements
For a year defined by videoconferencing, our smart displays have not been able to keep up as a worthy companion mostly because the apps either aren t there or aren t very good. But there s a giant improvement due for the cross-section of Nest Hub Max owners and Google Meet users and even bigger news for those on Zoom.
Zoom is now available through the Nest Preview Program to Hub Max owners in Australia, Canada, the U.K., and U.S.
If you re interested in participating, you can open up the Google Home app, tap on the Nest Hub Max, then Settings, and then, as it is made available, Preview Program. You should also make sure that your Zoom login is linked up with your Google account.