Page 32 - Seniorstoday March 2024 Issue
P. 32
Technology
A Beginner’s Guide to Voice Assistants:
Seniors Edition
Smart voice assistants lend a helping hand in streamlining our somewhat
strained relationship with technology, writes Karishma Joshi
In households everywhere, wake words or balance, they’re quickly becoming a
trigger phrases like “OK Google”, “Alexa”, mainstay in our homes—not to mention
and “Hey Siri” are thrown around, setting integral members of family life.
the tone for hands-free modern living— How do you access voice assistants?
goodbye buttons and complicated finger Voice assistants are typically housed
toggling. in smart devices that connect to your
Smart voice assistants lend a helping home Wi-Fi. The most basic devices are
hand in streamlining our somewhat smartphones and tablets, with iOS users
strained relationship with technology. having access to Siri, Samsung users to
How exactly do they achieve this, you Bixby, and most Android phones to Google
may ask? By combining voice recognition Assistant.
mechanisms, natural language processing, Next up are smart speakers. A key
and AI, and responding to our queries in a player in this category is Amazon’s voice
natural human-like manner. assistant, Alexa. Amazon’s speakers
Contrary to popular opinion, the role of include the much-acclaimed Amazon Echo
voice assistants goes far beyond playing and its other variants, Google is known for
the occasional song or announcing weather its “Nest” speakers, and Apple has its range
forecasts. of “HomePods”.
From integrating with various smart Depending on the speaker brand you opt
home equipment and doubling up as for, you will get access to its respective
burglar deterrents to checking our bank voice assistant. But here’s where things
32
