Gemini for Home is confusing us all – but Google has answered some of the biggest questions from users (www.techradar.com)

Google has clarified key details about Gemini for Home, the AI that replaces Google Assistant on new and many older smart-home devices. The basic Gemini upgrade is a free over‑the‑air update that enables natural queries (for example, “are the bedroom lights on?”), device search and standard voice controls. Google is also consolidating paid services into two new Google Home Premium tiers (Standard and Advanced) that replace Nest Aware: they add Gemini Live conversational capabilities, AI‑driven automations, AI search across video clips, an AI‑generated Home Brief of events, summarized motion notifications, and up to 60 days of camera video history. Existing Nest Aware subscribers will be migrated to the new plans, which are also bundled into Google AI Pro and Ultra; US pricing maps to the prior Nest Aware levels ($10/month Standard, double for Advanced), with similar regional pricing suggested. Rollout is staged and partly US‑centric: an early‑access program for cameras and doorbells is live in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland (sign‑up through the Google Home app), smart speakers will see early access in the US by the end of October, and wider country support is coming later. Most Google speakers and displays made since 2015 are eligible, but third‑party device support is limited (Walmart Onn devices are confirmed compatible). The revamped Home app promises faster, more stable management. For the AI/ML community this is notable for embedding more conversational models and on‑device video search into consumer home products, shifting more capability behind subscription tiers and raising practical questions about latency, privacy, storage duration and cross‑vendor interoperability during a slow, fragmented rollout.