The Assistant Takeover

Our voice is now the most important tool to connect to technology.

Have you ever shouted out the phrase "Alexa, what is the weather like?" in the middle of your living room at 6am wearing PJs and holding fresh coffee? I certainly have and while that may have been strange in the 90's it is commonplace now. Most houses are now equipped with some sort of virtual assistant that is listening in just waiting for you to say their name.

The big three are:

1. Amazon Alexa - Alexa integrates onto all Alexa-enabled smart devices sold on amazon.com and through an easily downloaded app on many devices.

2. Apple Siri - Siri comes enabled on all Apple devices including iPhones and iPads.

3. Google - Google smart assistant is available on all phones with the app along with smart devices sold at assistant.google.com.

All three function with the same features just in somewhat different manners. I have experience using Alexa with my smart devices. The first function I ever found for my Alexa Echo Dot was to ask it to play music. It pairs with the music that amazon provides and has been able to play anything I could ever think of. I can now have a song pop into my head in the kitchen while I am elbows deep in baking and ask Alexa to play it without a problem. 

I used only this feature for quite a while, being a timid jumper myself. Eventually, I started keeping the grocery list on Alexa. I would grab the last of something out of the pantry and it was so easy to just say out loud "Alexa, put spaghetti on the grocery list." There is even a new printer Amazon is testing to print out sticky note versions of your different lists. 

The last main feature that has changed my household is the "Drop-in" feature. After the members of my house found the uses for Alexa they all wanted an Echo dot in their own rooms. Each dot is named for the person and has this new feature where I can say "Alexa, Drop-in on Logan's Room" and I will immediately be connected, like a phone call, to the Echo in my son's room. As a busy mom, this has been a lifesaver!

If you are part of the minority that does not have a virtual assistant on hand, you may want to think of getting one. How many times a day have you ever thought how handy it would be just to have someone following you around with a notepad taking notes. That future has come!

Katharine Lane is a college student at American Public University working towards a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a focus on Technical Management. Previous jobs include being a dance instructor for young kids and working as an online personal assistant. Currently, she manages being a single mother while working as a caregiver for those with dementia.