Google Home Speaker is finally here—and it's worth a look

In this week's Installer, The Verge's David Pierce highlights some of the tech, games, and services worth your attention—starting with Google's long-awaited smart speaker.

The Google Home Speaker#

Nine months after its announcement, Google's Home speaker is finally available for $99. Pierce finds it a solid choice for the price: "for its size and $99 price it's a very serviceable speaker," especially if your needs are basic voice commands like calendar management and Spotify playback. The speaker runs Gemini, Google's AI assistant, though Pierce notes some lingering concerns about Google's commitment to the smart home category overall.

Other picks this week#

Games & Entertainment: The new Star Fox remake for Nintendo Switch offers a "pretty faithful" take on the original, while Deltarune Chapter 5 just dropped with substantial new content. Avatar: The Last Airbender season two has also arrived on Netflix and is generating positive buzz.

Smart Devices: Meta's new glasses come in cheaper and lower-profile styles, though Pierce wishes for a stripped-down version with just essential sensors. The Atonemo NTS Radio Player is praised for its beautiful design and support for both streaming and traditional radio.

Video & Productivity: Jason Schreier's YouTube channel digs into why live-service games keep failing, while creator Christopher Lawley shared his iPad Pro setup—featuring Obsidian for notes, Final Cut Pro for video, and Claude for automating administrative work.

The full roundup, available at The Verge, also includes recommendations from the Installer community on everything from 3D printing to over-the-air TV.