When you're close, they'll display useful info like the weather forecast
If you’ve bought either the new Google Nest Mini or the new Google Nest Wifi, you’ll already be familiar with Google’s ultrasonic sensing tech, which makes them light up when you’re nearby. Now, that same tech is rolling out to the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max.
In the case of Google’s smart displays, ultrasonic sensing will cause the Nest Hubs to display information such as the weather forecast or your predicted commute time when you’re nearby.
Ultrasonic sensing works by emitting high-frequency noise and listening through the mic to detect when a person is within a certain range.
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This will perhaps be most useful for the smaller Nest Hub, which also gains proactive notifications, something that was previously limited to the Max. However, because the smaller Hub lacks a camera, these notifications won’t be personalized the way they are on the Max.
However, it’s important to highlight that ultrasonic sensing works entirely separately from the camera on the Max, so it will still work even with the cam disabled (instead you’ll need to turn off the mic).
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The new feature will also increase the size of fonts and graphics as you move further away from the smart display, making it easier to read. Again, more beneficial with the smaller Hub, which can sometimes be difficult to see across a room due to its diminutive proportions.
The new feature started rolling out this week, says Android Police, so you should see it soon. Fear not if you haven’t got it yet – we haven’t either.
