SmartSpeakers: Amazon Echo

Smart speakers is a new category with smart home features. Amazon and Google seem to be the most popular brands. What is a smart speaker? A smart speaker plays music (hence speaker) and does a lot of other cool stuff. Alexa is the name of the assistant with the Amazon Echo smart speaker. The Amazon Echo is a voice-activated, internet-connected �smart speaker� with a built-in virtual assistant named Alexa that can answer your questions, control your smart home devices, and follow your instructions. Amazon calls the Echo a Star Trek computer for your home. The Amazon Echo is called into action after you say �Alexa�. However the wake word could be changed to �Computer� or �Echo� . Here are 6 ways to put Amazon�s virtual assistant Alexa to work:

1.General knowledge including the day�s news headlines.

2.Music playback-works with Amazon Music, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. Can play songs, artists, albums, or podcasts on request.

3.Smart-home control-include robot vacuums, Wi-Fi-enabled appliances, home security systems, smart lights, thermostats, and more.

4.Alarms & Timers-Can use Alexa as an alarm clock or as a kitchen timer for food.

5.Calling & Messaging-You can call landlines and mobile numbers in US, Canada, an Mexico.

6.You can also add Skills that teach Alexa new tricks like ordering pizza or hosting a trivia night. You can ask Alexa to enable new skills if you know the skill you want.

The Google Home (affiliate link) smart speaker has a very clean and minimalist look. The top is white plastic and the bottom part is mesh fabric. The top has a touch pad control with LED lights for volume and other controls. There is only one physical button on the unit that disables the microphone in case you want privacy. The setup is simple: you need a WiFi signal and the unit can be set up from the Google Home App. The Google home is basically a:

1. meteorologist

2. Music DJ

3. game show host

4. encyclopedia, and more all rolled into one.

You can ask it about random facts, the weather, directions to a specific destination, the best Chinese restaurants around you and so on. You can also ask it to set reminders and alarms, call or text people and even make shopping lists. The speaker as �Jarvis� can read the news in the morning if you want. When you come home you can tell �Jarvis� to turn on the lights and play some relaxing music. �Jarvis� cannot call a cab or make hotel or flight reservations like the Amazon Echo. To control Google home you say �OK Google then command or Jarvis and then the command if you change the operator�. Google Home is slightly easier to use than Amazon Echo. However the Echo supports more home devices. In conclusion the prices are similar and rather inexpensive: Amazon Echo is $99 and the price for Google Home is $129. Amazon and Google are really driving the future. You have to pay a lot more to get a smart home with appliances and lights with other features. But if you have the money or the need like the review helping the elderly man turn on lights with voice command to go to the bathroom at night go for it. I have the feeling that this is just the start of smart assistance.