Living Room
SMART Speaker
I want information about...
- how to access information easily
- support with daily routine
What can it be used for?
A smart speaker is a small speaker or a speaker with a small screen that connects to the internet and links to an app on a mobile phone. It can be spoken to and will respond by speaking, it can also be controlled and made to do things from the app that it works with. Usually you have to say a specific word called a wake word before speaking to the smart speaker or it will not respond. Smart speakers with screens can also be controlled in some ways through touching the screen and will show information on the screen. Functions vary between different manufacturers and not all functions have to be used. They have many different functions, including:
Managing daily life:
- Setting a reminder to do one-off or regular tasks. Examples of this might be a one-off reminder to go to a doctor's appointment or a reminder every night to lock the door before going to bed.
- Set up an alarm, for example, to help wake up on time
- Linking to an electronic calendar to ask about appointments or get reminders of what is happening during that day
- Write a list, such as a shopping list, which can be easily shared with someone else if needed
- Create routines, this is where a specific command or action starts a group of different actions from the smart speaker, an example would be a “Good morning” routine that turns on lights, reads the weather, and starts music. These can either be set off by giving a verbal command once this is set up or to happen after a certain event such as after an alarm goes off
- Voice control other smart technology such as smart light bulbs, smart plugs, smart heating/thermostats or smart televisions
- Connect to a video doorbell and show who is at the door if the smart speaker has a screen
- Connect to a security camera to give alerts when motion is detected or to show what the camera sees on the screen if the smart speaker has one
- Buy items online and track when they are being delivered; to do this you will need a linked payment card and can only purchase from certain companies
- Cooking: Smart speakers can be used to read out or display recipes on the screen with step-by-step instructions. They can also be used to set timers and allow multiple timers at one time which can be given different names
Finding out information:
- Check the weather either at home or somewhere else and either now or in the future
- Listen to the news
- Translate languages in real time or on request
- Finding out about traffic on a journey before setting off
Learning:
- Interactive learning tools
- Help with spellings and maths questions
- Finding facts about a specific topic
- Stories for children
Communicating with others:
- Make phone calls to your contacts through the speaker being linked to a mobile phone; these can be video calls if the smart speaker has a screen and camera and the other person is using a device that also does video calling. They can also be used to call for help in an emergency when someone cannot reach the telephone, for example, if the person has fallen
- Send voice messages to contacts
- Announcements can be sent to other smart speakers in the same house, this is often called a 'broadcast', either through speaking to a smart speaker or from the app. An example of this being used would be to tell someone in another room that you had fallen and needed them to come and help you. This can also be used by someone who has difficulty speaking but can type a message in the app which the smart speaker will then say for them
- Drop into a smart speaker from your app to hear what is happening in the smart speaker's location and to speak through the smart speaker. If the smart speaker has a camera then you will usually also be able to see the location. This can be used for checking on your home or pet when you are not there. It can also be used for communication by a nominated friend or family member who is given access to your account and has the app, for example, to contact or check on someone who can no longer answer the telephone, but privacy does need to be considered.
Entertainment:
- Play a game or quiz
- Play music
- Tell jokes or facts
- Listen to a book or podcast
- Watch videos (smart speaker with a screen only) from internet sources such as YouTube
- Showing photos from the mobile phone that has the app or cloud based storage
You can find and buy these and similar products by searching 'smart speaker' or 'smart speaker with a screen' on the internet. They are also now widely available from many shops that sell electrical items.
Benefits
- Convenience: Smart speakers can make it quicker and easier to do things within the home and daily life such as turning lights on and off or managing and remembering appointments and lists. They can also be used to make it easier to find things out or to contact other people.
- Increasing Independence: Smart speakers can help some people who experience barriers within their daily life to live more independently. They can be particularly useful for people who have difficulties relating to eyesight, getting around the home or with memory.
- Connect to others: Smart speakers can help to more easily contact others or for others to drop in and check if a person is ok. They can be used to call for help in an emergency when someone cannot reach the telephone for example if they have fallen. This can reduce feelings of loneliness and anxiety about living alone and increase ability to get help if needed.
- Entertainment: Smart speakers can be used to play music or audiobooks, tell jokes, do quizzes and play games. A smart speaker speaks to the person so when someone lives alone this can help to decrease feelings of loneliness.
Things to Consider
- Ease of use: Think about how easy the smart speaker and the app it works with is to use. Smart speakers are becoming easier to set up and will usually guide you through the process but some basic skill is needed to be able to download the app. Sometimes if the person themself will have difficulty setting it up and using it but could give the smart speaker commands to do the things they need it to do a friend or family member has been able to have the app and set it up and control it for them. The person with the app doesn't need to be in the same location as the smart speaker. This does mean giving this person access to the smart speaker account though so its important that it is someone trusted. Smart speakers made by different companies have different wake words and specific phrases need to be used to do certain activities, check what these are and whether the person will be able to remember and say them.
- Suitability: How does the person want to use the smart speaker and does the smart speaker have the right functions to do this? Is a device with a screen and camera or only speaker needed? There are also smart speakers specifically designed for children which have different and reduced features to increase safety and make it more suitable for a child to use.
- Connection: Does the person who will be using it or someone they trust have a smart phone or tablet that the app can be downloaded onto. Wireless internet is required for smart speakers, is this in place where the speaker will be used. It will also need to be plugged in so is there an electric socket near to where it needs to be used. Depending on what it is being used for and how reliable electricity and internet are where the person lives consideration might need to be given about what would happen if Wi-Fi or electric power stopped working.
- Compatibility: Does the person or someone they trust have a smart phone which can have the app and be used to set up the smart speaker. Consider other smart devices and whether these are compatible with the preferred smart speaker (eg video doorbell).
- Cost and Value for money: Consider what type of speaker is required and what features are needed. Check reviews and consider customer support if something went wrong. For some functions such as listening to audio books a separate subscription may be required which can add additional cost.
- Information Sharing: Smart speakers listen to the sounds around them, most should only listen after the wake word has been said but it's important to check the privacy policy. Check who what you say to the smart speaker is shared with and how personal data is used.