Page 33 - Seniorstoday March 2024 Issue
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get interesting. Smart speakers are workaround would be to create a separate
increasingly becoming smart hubs, account for your speaker.
seamlessly connecting all your devices or If privacy is a concern, using your email
IOT (Internet of Things). account rather than one synced with
The result? Setting an auto-shut timer for another individual’s device is advisable.
your air conditioner and dimming your Remember, your command history can be
bedside light is only a matter of vocalising a accessed through email, and you wouldn’t
few crisp commands. want your relatives stumbling upon
According to Statista, the global market requests like, “Alexa, will you flatter me?”
share of Amazon Echo is 65%, followed by Once your email ID is in place, the next
Google Home’s 26% and Apple HomePod’s must-have is a Wi-Fi connection. This
19%. In India alone, the statistics depict connection not only ensures prompt
Amazon Echo owners as a whopping responses but creates a medium through
61%, with Google Home (28%) and Apple which your smart devices can effectively
HomePod (14%) as the next two popular communicate with one another.
choices. Research firm TechARC’s Smart Homes
of India report found that 92% of all
consumers with connected devices such as
smart bulbs, speakers, or televisions use
voice features to communicate with these
gadgets. Whoever knew?
How to set up your voice assistant smart
speaker
Let’s break down the setup of the three
greats—Amazon Echo, Google Home, and
Prerequisites for setting up your home Apple HomePod.
assistant smart speaker
Setting up a home assistant involves more Amazon Echo
than just plugging in and chatting. While Start by plugging your Amazon Echo
we may wish it were that simple, a decent speaker into the wall. Upon doing so, a blue
amount of pre-work is required. But with ring will light up at the top, followed by a
guided instructions and some help, you can “Hello” from Alexa. To continue with the
reap the benefits in no time! setup process, download the Alexa app.
If you don’t have an email address, it’s On the app, tap the Devices icon at the
time to create one. You could get help bottom right to connect the speaker to your
from a relative or friend or watch a basic home Wi-Fi. And there you have it.
YouTube tutorial on how to create an email All that’s required now is to “wake” the
account. Doing so is essential since your speaker by saying “Alexa”, followed by a
smart speaker will get linked to it. command or question. What’s more, you
Note that you may receive frequent (and can train her to identify different people’s
often bothersome) alerts when you link voices in your house so that it delivers
your smart speaker to an existing email personalised output in terms of music,
synced with your mobile phone. The audiobooks, and reminders. On the Alexa
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #57 | MARCH 2024 33
