Do you remember the first versions of Siri?
At the very beginning, it seemed that these virtual “helpers” got things wrong more often than they got things right. There were autocorrect fails, calls you tried desperately to hang up when you saw that she picked the wrong “Sarah.”
Thankfully, Siri got better as time went on. Then, Microsoft announced their version (Cortana). It wasn’t until 2014 that these virtual assistants got their first standalone devices, via Alexa. What are smart speakers if not constantly evolving?
Learn more about how these smart speakers can help you and simplify your routine below.
The Evolution of Smart Speakers
The technology industry has been working on voice recognition since the 1960s. In fact, you hear mention of it in the 60’s situated show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
While they started back then, it took until 2011 for them to have any breakthrough you’d recognize. Siri came to the market in April of that year.
Google came in a year later with “Google Now,” while Microsoft didn’t introduce Cortana until 2013. As we mentioned above, these speakers had a long way to go in terms of correctness and competency.
It wasn’t until Alexa started in late 2014 that smart speakers started to get their own devices. Back then, Alexa was only available to prime members.
She didn’t become as popular as she was until late 2015 or early 2016 when they rolled out the less expensive Echo Dot. People started buying into voice assistants slowly at first; then, the market exploded with Alexa’s European release and Google’s launch of Google Home (Date sources).
Now it feels like more people have a smart speaker than don’t.
What are Smart Speakers Like in 2022?
Alexa and Google Home are getting smarter every day. In fact, every time you use one of these virtual assistants, their knowledge improves for you and everyone else.
Now they can distinguish between the voices of household members, remember preferences, and even aid in your routine. Are you using yours to its fullest potential?
How to Use Smart Speakers to Make Life Easier
Most of us ask Alexa to set timers for us, check the weather, and play music. But did you know they’re so advanced at this point businesses are using them for voice search SEO marketing? Here are some things you can ask your smart speaker to do:
- Start your nighttime routine
- Find the closest restaurant near me (this is voice SEO)
- Close your curtains (with smart accessories)
- Find your cell phone
- Act as an intercom
- Monitor your loved ones (Alexa Care Hub)
- Create a music alarm
- Tell you a story
- Read your calendar
- Reorder items
And the list goes on. Tell your smart speaker you want to create a morning or nighttime routine to get started linking different tasks together.
Simplify Your Routine with Smart Speakers
If you’ve been holding out on getting a smart speaker for privacy reasons, you might want to take another look at the data. Our smartphones listen and track us more than Alexa and Google Home ever could.
These devices are more helpful than ever, and they’re only getting better. We wonder what the answer will be to “what are smart speakers like” in ten years from now.
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