Senior Living News

What Is an Alexa Voice Assistant?

An Alexa voice assistant is a Wi-Fi controlled speaker with a built-in microphone that listens and responds to voice commands. If you have an Alexa device, you would typically say, "Alexa, open; let’s talk." Then, you can ask it a question such as, "What is the weather today?" You can also give it an instruction like, "Please turn on the bathroom light." Alexa will respond by reading out the weather or activating a smart switch to turn on the light.

Alexa and alternatives like Google Home and Apple Siri are AI-powered software applications that interpret speech, respond with a synthesized voice or send instructions to compatible devices. They're cloud-based apps, so you need an internet connection to use them. You can also install these applications on your smartphone and use them to manage smart devices.

Practical Ways to Use a Voice Assistant in Your Independent Living Apartment

Voice assistants are remarkably clever and easy to use. They listen to what you say and interpret your request as an instruction. Here are some practical examples of how you can use them in your independent living home:

• Get a personal assistant. You can use the software as an alarm clock, to remind you to take your medication or to create shopping lists to download onto your phone. It's possible to have a conversation with it, ask the app to search the internet for information or dictate emails using Google Assistant or Siri.
• Play music. You can instruct a smart speaker to play music from any number of streaming sites and tell it to play certain types of music or tracks. You can tell the speaker to adjust its volume louder or softer or pause the music at any time.
• Make calls. You can use the speaker as an internet phone and talk to friends and family. Some models also have a display screen that allows you to make video calls. These features are all controlled by voice.
• Control a smart TV. Using a voice assistant, you can turn on a compatible smart TV, change channels and adjust the sound to suit, as well as stream movies from popular sites like Netflix and Amazon Prime. You may even use the smart speaker for sound instead of the TV's speakers.
• Create a smart home. Using Alexa, Google Home or Siri, you can control smart devices in your home. Examples include doorbell cameras, light bulbs, plugs, smart thermostats, air conditioners and robot vacuum cleaners.
  
  

Common Voice Assistants

Of the many digital assistants and smart speakers on the market, only a few offer good compatibility with a wide range of smart devices. The top ones are:

• Amazon Alexa. A very popular assistant that works on all Amazon Echo devices and with an enormous range of smart third-party products, Alexa integrates fully with your Amazon account and services.
• Google Home. This is a smart application that works with Google Assistant. It's very good at understanding complex questions and commands, and you can use Google Home to control Google Nest devices together with many other third-party devices, including devices that support Matter.
• Apple Siri. Siri works well within the Apple ecosystem and has good accessibility features for seniors with hearing and vision impairments. The Siri app works with smart devices that support Apple Home, AirPlay and Matter.
  
  

Getting Started With a Voice Assistant

Getting started with a voice assistant is simple and doesn't require fancy computer skills.  All you need to get going is:

• A smart device such as an Alexa Echo, Google Nest speaker or Siri home hub
• Wi-Fi
• An internet connection
• A smartphone

If it's an Alexa device, you must download the Alexa app from the app store and sign in with an Amazon account. Similarly, for Google, download the Google Home app and log into your Google account. Plug in the smart speaker and follow the instructions on the app to create a Wi-Fi connection between the two and you're good to go. To control a smart home with Siri, you'll need to set up a home hub. While you can install these assistants on any phone, Siri works best on iOS, while Google Home is more natural on Android devices. Amazon's Alexa works equally well on iOS and Android.

Tips for Choosing a Voice Assistant

When choosing a voice assistant, it's best to use a familiar software ecosystem. If you use Apple products, Siri is probably the best choice. Alternatively, if you love Amazon and have a Fire TV or an Amazon Prime account, Alexa is an obvious choice. If you already have a smart TV in your independent living home, pick a compatible voice assistant.

‍