Google is sharing a review on all its small and big features
that it released in 2021. The major launches by the company in the past year included
the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, a new Nest Hub, new Photos and accessibility features
and more.
One of Google’s first updates in 2021 was new, improved
emoji designs, followed by a feature for its Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones
called Wait Times. The feature shows current wait times of businesses or customer
services when you call them, as well as the projected wait times for the rest
of the week to help decide when to make a call.
Next, a new tool was added to Google’s Fitbit Premium called
Daily Readiness, that tells users how ready they are for their next workout,
and also advises them to prioritize recovery if needed. The Fitbit Luxe was
also updated with features like Active Zone Minutes and a Stress Management
Score.
As for the Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell, the new Activity
Zones feature added to them allows users to set up specific areas for their devices
to pay attention to.
In addition to that, a series of Watch With Me for Google TV was released, that teams up with celebrities to share their favorite shows and movies with viewers.
Google also released the Smart Home Directory website which
makes it easier for users to understand their smart home functions by showing
what kinds of products and systems work with Google Assistant. It also lets users
filter products by categories and prices, and features reviews as well.
Another major release from Google last year was of its second-generation
Nest Hub that came with a feature of Sleep Sensing, which analyzes the movement and breathing of the
person in the designated sleep zone and consequently provides information on their
sleep hygiene. Additionally, it offers customized tips on improving sleep. Moreover,
the Nest Audio and Nest Hub Max were updated with the Guest Mode feature with
which visitors can ask Google Assistant questions, use timers or play music.
The new Translate Filter for Google Lens was also released, offering
options like highlighting text and copying, and listening to or searching to
find more detailed information about specific phrases.
Google’s latest accessibility tools were also a major update
with the new Select-to-speak feature designed for Chromebook. It allows users to
select text to hear it spoken out loud in a number of languages and accents. Other
options include speeding up, slowing down, and pausing the voice.
Lastly, Google Photos’ auto enhance feature was improved with
an update of Real Tone that enhances color and lighting for all photos.
