Google just announced a slew of features coming to Google Home, and one of them will come in particularly handy for Google TV users with Nest Cams guarding their households. Coming soon, Nest Cam feeds will get picture-in-picture support on Google TV devices, perfect for keeping eyes on your home while streaming your favorite shows. The long-awaited feature will make it easy to see who's at your door while in the middle of a binge-watching session, and you'll also be able to check the backyard or other Nest Cam-monitored areas without pausing the video. Google TV devices will soon get picture-in-picture support for live Nest Cam feeds. The new picture-in-picture mode is coming first to the Google TV Streamer, and you'll need to be in Google's public preview program.

The writing was already on the wall, but now it's official: The Google Assistant era is over. In a blog post Friday, Google announced plans for Google Assistant's final phase-out, starting on mobile and continuing with tablets, cars, and mobile-connected devices such as headphones and tablets. Finally, Google Assistant will be going away on Nest smart speakers and displays as well as on Google TV devices. Google Assistant's replacement will, of course, be Gemini, Google's entry in the generative AI race. Gemini itself will become the new assistant on Google mobile devices such as phones and tablets, while a "new experience powered by Gemini" is coming to smart speakers and displays.

This week at CES, Google presented an early look at new software and hardware upgrades coming to Google TV devices. The new features include the integration of Gemini, Google's AI model, to the Google Assistant, as well as a new ambient experience. New smart TVs with Google TV will also gain far-field mics and proximity sensors to support the new software perks. If you've used a Google TV or Google streaming device, you may have already used the "hey Google" prompt to search for shows to watch. With the addition of Gemini, those "conversations" should now feel more natural.