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Thanks to  lockdowns, voice assistants are . Add that to the slew of new products from and as we enter the fall, and this is an exciting time for Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart displays add an even more compelling angle: they offer video chat, touch controls, screen for streaming and much more. I for one have already sent an to my mother-in-law so she can drop in to read my kiddos books every couple of days this December.

But which smart display is best for you?

The smart display industry has flourished in recent years, with the  and the  (formerly the Google Home Hub) at the forefront of the screen wars. In addition, Amazon’s new will be adding a new contender to the field soon. It makes sense that there are almost a  on the market: They’re a great combo made up of the always-listening voice assistant (like you’d find in a ) and a touchscreen for watching videos, controlling  devices, adding things to your to-do lists and more. The  even adds in that can display personalized bits of information whenever it recognizes you.

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The best smart display available today

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There are plenty of considerations that go into which smart display is right for you. Do you want one that offers video chat and video calling? Or that connects with Amazon’s Alexa or the Google Home app? Does it need to be able to control your smart light bulbs and smart plugs? Is audio performance a factor (in case you need music for a dance party)? These are all factors you should keep in mind.

If you’re looking to upgrade your current smart speaker, or you’re just starting your and you find the touchscreen appealing, here are the best smart displays available now. We’ll update this list periodically.

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You can often find the Nest Hub (formerly called the ) , making it an affordable entry point for the category. It’s also the smartest and best overall, making the lower price even more appealing. 

Thanks to the built-in , the Nest Hub responds to all of the same voice commands as the smart speaker. The touchscreen is a little small at 7 inches, but the adaptive brightness makes pictures look particularly great. Google will even customize a slideshow of family pics as your screensaver.

You can also control your smart home devices, like your smart doorbell, with an intuitively designed control panel. Unlike most of the other smart displays (and unlike its new big brother, the ), the Nest Hub doesn’t have a camera, but that might be a bonus if you have and want to put it on your bedside table. The colorful fabric design allows the device to blend in anywhere, though the touchscreen comes in particularly handy if you want step-by-step help through a recipe in the kitchen.

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For a long time, the Nest Hub occupied pride of place on this list, thanks to its photo display aesthetic, pleasant user interface and more naturalistic voice assistant. But as we venture ever deeper into the coronavirus pandemic, the Echo Show 8’s camera — and its ability to video chat — becomes a more important deciding point for would-be customers. And that’s one feature the Nest Hub simply doesn’t ha.

Chris Monroe/CNET

If you want a 10-inch touchscreen powered by Google Assistant, the Lenovo Smart Display looks elegant and features the same smarts as the Nest Hub. Lenovo actually offers three different models with 10, 8 and 7 inch screens. The 10-inch $250 smart display has a bamboo back that’s particularly well suited for the kitchen.

The Lenovo Smart Display was actually the first smart display to debut with Google Assistant built-in and it’s still one of the best. You still get Google’s smart-home control panels and terbaik Sumatera recipe guides, plus the Lenovo display has a camera for video calls and a physical shutter to cover it if you want privacy.

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The London market rallied after two major banks said now was the perfect time to buy British stocks.

The FTSE 100 rebounded 1 per cent, or 74.31 points, to 7371.46 while the FTSE 250 rose 0.9 per cent, or terbaik Sumatera 193.21 points, to 21,645.71 after JP Morgan analysts said London-listed firms looked ‘exceptionally cheap’. 

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley said there was a ‘compelling case’ for buying stock in FTSE 350 companies, as UK equities were ‘more defensive’ than global peers.

The assessment from the Wall Street banks was echoed by AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, who noted that the lack of tech stocks in the FTSE 100 may now be a blessing amid a sell-off.

He said: ‘The FTSE 100 remains an outlier in global markets due to the construction of its index.

‘For years it was criticised for lacking exciting fast-growth tech stocks.That’s now worked to its advantage. Being dominated by the banking, energy and tobacco sectors means the FTSE 100 has been one of the best performing major indices globally this year.’

<div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS money" data-version="2" id="mol-b4e29c50-47dc-11ec-9a77-cf595fc01a8b" website REPORT: Footsie boosted by banks&apos; rallying cry to buy British

The Prince of Wales took a trip down memory lane this afternoon, visiting Aberystwyth University, where he was a student more than 50 years ago. 

The royal, 73, looked on jovial form as he donned a mask to officially open the institute’s new Veterinary Education Centre.

Charles arrived just after midday on Friday at the university, which sits on the north Welsh coast, to speak to the first cohort of veterinary students who began their studies in September this year.

Reminiscing about his own time at the university, he quipped: ‘I have a horrifying feeling it’s 52 years since I was here.But I have very special memories of that time.’

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The royal wore a snug-looking camel-coloured coat to keep warm in the brisk temperatures, and while indoors he followed the university’s mask-wearing policy, donning a mask with a Turquoise Mountain design, referencing one of the charities he supports.  

It’s been a busy few weeks for the Prince, who visited Jordan and Egypt in November before heading to Barbados to mark the Caribbean country becoming independent of the British Commonwealth on November 30th. 

Today, travelling solo, the Prince was greeted by the Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed, Sara Edwards, the University’s chancellor, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, and vice chancellor Professor Elizabeth Treasure, along with other local dignitaries. 

He unveiled an official plaque to mark the official opening of the school. The centre on the Penglais campus has been opened jointly with the Royal Veterinary College as Wales’ first and only School of Veterinary Science, and funded by £500,000 in donations from alumni.

Those who attend will spend the first two years at Aberystwyth University followed by three years at the Royal Veterinary College’s Hawkshead Campus in Hertfordshire.

They will also have the opportunity study specific areas of veterinary science through the medium of Welsh.

After touring the centre, the Prince even got the opportunity to sign the same visitors’ book he wrote in when he enrolled as a student in 1969.

Gifts including Bara Brith tea bread, made by 15-year-old Aberystwyth resident Elin Gore, and pots of honey from bees that live on campus, were presented to him.

During his time in Aberystwyth, Charles learned Welsh, even giving his July 1969 investiture speech in the language.

Prior to the unveiling, Charles said: ‘I’m very glad indeed to have this opportunity of coming back to Aberystwyth.I have a horrifying feeling it’s 52 years since I was here. But I have very special memories of that time.

‘I’m delighted to have a very small part to play in helping to open it (the school) having met some of the students and pts terbaik sumatera interrupted their studies most successfully.

‘I do hope they will have great success in the future and the school will flourish.’

Vice chancellor Treasure said: ‘This has been a long time in the planning.Veterinary school this year, and a nursing school next year. Both will be hugely important for Wales.’

The Prince of Wales will also visit the family-run Hafod Hardware store on Friday afternoon to celebrate independent businesses and show support for the local high street.

The shop is known for creating a Christmas advert that went viral in 2019, featuring four-year-old Arthur Jones, who starred as the store manager.The video was watched almost three million times on YouTube.

The hardware store is one of the oldest businesses in Rhayader, dating back to 1895, and is now one of the ‘must-see’ attractions of the town.

It would be ridiculous to fine NSW parents who keep their children home from school because they are concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on other health conditions, the premier says.

While reassuring parents and kampus terbaik di lampung students schools were safe environments, Dominic Perrottet promised the health department wouldn’t punish those who stayed away during the Omicron wave due to existing health concerns.

“When we talk about parents being concerned and … anxious, particularly in circumstances where their children may have underlying health conditions, we’re certainly not going to be fining parents,” the premier said on Tuesday.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Online learning would continue but “that will be the exception, not the rule”, the premier said.

He wants parents to feel confident in the safety of schools, with twice-weekly rapid antigen testing and a mask mandate for older students.

“As has been very clearly set out, kids do better at school in the classroom. We know that,” Mr Perrottet said.

“We cannot have a situation … that we take away the opportunity for our children to succeed in life.”

Support was available for those with underlying health conditions, NSW Education Secretary Georgina Harrisson said.

“We were doing that before the pandemic … there were times when a child going through treatment may miss a period of school and we would, of course, support them to continue their learning,” she told reporters.

Following the Delta wave lockdown, term four attendances exceeded the average for 2019, she said.

“Our data shows parents do want their children in school,” she said.

“Obviously, we will take a sensitive and appropriate approach in working in partnership with our families at the start of this year.”

Term one begins for most NSW students on February 1, with students in the state’s west heading back on February 8.

RAT testing is expected to run until the end of February.Seven million test kits have been delivered to the state’s 3000 schools.