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What is a Smart Speaker?
Smart speakers can be considered as wireless devices that are integrated with a virtual voice assistant software. In comparison to Bluetooth speakers that are capable of only connecting to a single device and to play songs present in the connected device, these wireless speakers not only function as a speaker, but are also capable of connecting to other smart devices that are connected to the same Wi-Fi or network. A smart speaker provides full voice control over the automated and smart home appliances.
The smart speakers are incorporated with state-of-the-art voice recognition system. This enables them to comprehend complex human speech without any problem. These devices generally stay “on” and get activated on hearing the trigger words that are predefined words and that can be changed for the devices. Different companies use different software because of which different speakers have distinct activation words such as “Cortana “ used by Microsoft, “Siri “ is utilised by Apple, etc. Once activated, these devices try to implement the vocal commands given by the user.
Benefits of Owning a Smart Speaker
Over 53 million people use smart speakers in their home as they provide full-function control of all the home appliances available on the same network. These devices were invented for making the repetitive and mundane tasks easy for people and with voice recognition command system they are fulfilling their purpose. Devices like these can be used to perform day to day jobs without any extra instructions. For example - with a single command you can set your smart coffee maker to prepare coffee for you while you are performing some other task or you can command your smart speaker to turn on the garden’s automated irrigation system, etc.
Not only do these speakers provide entertainment, but they are also able to provide information on demand. This is the smart speaker’s most well-known and useful feature. More than half of the people who own a smart speaker use them to check weather forecasts, trending news headlines, road traffic, setting alarms, etc. To some people these may sound like a useless or unproductive use of this device, but for others, it is their need. Not only this, these devices can also be used by disabled people as they work on vocal command and do not require any physical work.
Uses of a Smart Speaker
Innovation and creativity has enabled humans to create objects that not only make your life easy but also are a tool for your entertainment. This same urge forces humans to create devices that serve multi-purposes. Similarly, these smart speakers may appear as a simple device, but if used properly they are extremely handy and have numerous practical uses. Some uses of these smart speakers are:
On-Demand Music
Music is considered to be the fuel of the soul. Some of you are unable to work without the music of your choice and the smart speakers are the best choice for these individuals. As these devices are connected to the internet they are capable of instantaneously providing you with the music of your choice, no matter how old or rare the song might be.
Setting Up Schedule
In today’s fast paced world where time is considered an invaluable commodity, time management is a skill that is of paramount importance in the life of an individual. Everyone on earth has been gifted with only 24 hours in a day, but the difference between success and failure is proper time management. With a single vocal command the smart speakers can be used to plan your daily schedule. They have a reminder function which will notify you of your schedule helping you to finish your planned tasks without fail.
Planning Your Projects
In the corporate world working together with a team of people is a common practice and many problems may occur if the ideas and plans of different members of a team get mixed up. To minimise these problems many project management tools are used. The smart speakers can aid in these situations as they provide various functions such as taking voice notes, memos, showing notifications, archiving messages, etc. The proper and planned use of such tools is critical for the smooth progression of any individual or team based projects as they make working easy and less tedious for the people involved.
Playing Games
Gaming is one of the most loved form of entertainment available to most of you. Being bored might be the worst thing for you and games not only are capable of entertaining you, but also are useful in keeping you healthy. A smart speaker also has the feature of voice enabled games. These are intriguing and innovative games that are sure to entertain you.
Remembering Things
Some of you face problem in remembering the places where you kept your things. These might be trivial things such as car keys to important documents, but it can be very frustrating to not being able to find these things. Smart speakers can be used to remember the position of these things. You just need to vocally tell the device to remember the place where these things are kept.
Listening to Audio Books
Books are an ocean of knowledge for mankind. But there are times when you don’t have the time to sit and read a whole book. Audio books are the solution to situations like these, as they are the whole books in audio format that can be played at any time of the day. Smart speakers allow you to save and listen to these audio books without interruptions using the internet.
Using Multiple Home Appliances
The morning time can be really hectic and confusing. At this time you have to perform multiple tasks in a very short period of time. This problem can be solved by using a smart speaker that is connected to multiple home appliances. You can give vocal commands to the smart speaker to perform various tasks simultaneously such as – ask the coffee maker to make coffee, the water heater to heat up the water in bathroom, etc.
Replacing the Smartphone
A smartphone is a crucial device in everyone's life. It is used to make calls, set reminders or alarms, etc. These functions are also present in the smart speakers and there are vocal commands predefined in these speakers. Therefore, for such functions these smart speakers are completely capable of replacing your smartphones in most scenarios.
5 Things to Consider When Buying a Smart Speaker
Smart speakers are definitely an amazing piece of technology, but that should never be the only reason for you to buy these speakers. Also there are multiple factors that you should consider before buying a smart speaker. Some of these things that you need to consider are:
- Consider Your Ecosystem: Smart speakers can be considered as a hub that connects different devices with the internet. Most of these devices work in conjunction with artificial intelligence software and cloud-based systems. Therefore things like range and device connectivity should be taken into consideration.
- Sound Quality: As most of the functions of smart speakers depend on them being a speaker, you should consider the sound input and output quality when buying a smart speaker.
- Waiting for the Right Time: As most of these smart speakers are in their early phase of development it is better to wait and buy a newer version of the device with better features. Also, many times there are seasonal or festive sales available on these devices.
- Design: This is an interesting one, as design doesn’t only involve the shape or structure of the device, but it also refers to the internal structure and technology used, as these are the things that determine the range and connectivity of the smart speakers.
- Presence of Other Smart Devices: It will be a waste of money if you are buying a smart speaker only for the purpose of listening to music, as these work best when connected to other smart devices.
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Smart Speakers – An Integral Part of a Modern Day Home
Smart speakers have rapidly become an integral part of modern day homes and there is a complete ecosystem of smart devices which function in tandem with smart speakers. We hope this BP Guide would have helped you understand what are smart speakers and why having a smart speaker in your home is a necessity. Stay connected with us for more such engaging content.