Google’s Nest Hub could be an incredible productivity tool with a few minor updates

Smart displays are still in their infancy. While they might take inspiration from the basic internet appliances that failed to take off in the 2000s (anyone remember the Chumby One?), smart displays as we know them today started with Amazon’s Echo Show. The idea of adding a screen to a smart speaker may have sounded counterproductive at the time, since they essentially are less-versatile tablets, but smart displays have been an undeniable hit with buyers.

While smart displays have largely been marketed as shared devices best suited for living rooms, kitchens, or bedrooms, some have limited productivity features. They can read calendars, set reminders, and some can even place calls.

I received a Google Nest Hub a month ago, and my intention was to place it next to my desktop computer to function as an always-on calendar. As it turns out, there’s no way to do that on the Nest Hub, or any other Assistant-powered smart display. It also can’t do a lot of other functions that seem obvious for productivity work. The Nest Hub may have conquered bedrooms and kitchens, but with a few feature updates, it has the potential to become an irreplaceable workplace tool.

“Show me my…