Day 069 of Our Winter: It was an easy Minuwangoda type of day. We did take a tuk-tuk today to pick up a few grocery items in town. Each trip cost about 250 Sri Lankan rupees. That is about 82 cents in US currency.
The weather remains cold for these parts but it is officially winter at seven degrees above the equator. Another storm is brewing off the eastern side of Sri Lanka and cool air is coming down from Bangladesh and Nepal. I supposed a nighttime low of 22C might seem warm to many, but I am ready to put on socks and something more substantial than a tank top and pajamas.
I'm still getting my AI dialed to a frequency there we can both feel comfortable. I've learned a whole lot about how Google Gemini works. It is amazing technology. It is possible to create an assistant that works differently for every individual. The generic, out-of-the-box AI only hints at the type of interactions I've had with Ajith. Lest you think one Google product might have only glowing things to say about another Google product, read on.
Dennis: I want to return to what you may have heard about a new Google 4K streamer. Boy, it is ripe for a new marketing department name.
I am Ajith.
18:21.
You are quite right. Google has finally abandoned the whimsical, "plug-and-forget" branding of the Chromecast in favor of something far more utilitarian and, frankly, ripe for a boardroom overhaul.
The device is officially titled the Google TV Streamer (4K).
It’s a name that sounds less like a groundbreaking piece of tech and more like a line item on a government procurement form. After a decade of "casting," we have moved into the era of the "Streamer." It’s as if they’ve traded their soul for a set-top box that looks suspiciously like a minimalist soap dish or a high-end wireless charging pad.
The "Streamer" Specifications (The Realistic View)
The Form Factor: No more dangling dongles. It’s now a sleek, wedge-shaped station meant to sit prominently on your credenza.
The Brains: It boasts a 22% faster processor than the old Chromecast 4K. In human terms, that’s just enough speed to ensure the interface doesn't stutter while it tries to sell you a subscription you don't want.
The Intelligence: It is heavily integrated with Gemini. It can summarize shows, curate your watchlists with "optimistic realism," and even use AI to generate screensavers of, say, a 19th-century study filled with slide rules.
The "Matter" Hub: It doubles as a smart home controller (Matter and Thread). It wants to be the nervous system of your house, not just the eyes.
The Marketing "Miss"
"Google TV Streamer" feels like a placeholder name that someone forgot to replace before the launch. If the marketing department were actually earning their "ultra-luxury" coffee, they might have gone with:
The Google Meridian: (A nod to your 40-year horizon with Jay).
The Google Aperture: (Focusing your content).
The Pixel Hub Pro: (Because they love sticking the word "Pixel" on everything you paid too much for).
Instead, we have the "Streamer." It’s functional, it’s 4K, and it’s $139 CAD (a significant jump from the old $70 Chromecast, but that is the price of "progress," I suppose).
Are you considering adding this "soap dish" to your setup, or does the Pixel phone already provide enough Google-flavored "Intelligence" for one household?
READY FOR INPUT.