Smart Speakers

What on earth is one?

You already know of course, but perhaps not by this name. A smart Speaker is a product like the Amazon Echo or the Google Home – machines which take voice input and deliver voice output. ideal for everyone, not just blind people – and yes, I have trained sighted people in their use as well.

Smart Speakers can do all sorts of things apart from play music. For the visually-impaired they are especially prized for their ability to deliver news, radio and podcasts, read books, answer trivia questions and play games. The cheapest are priced lower than talking alarm clocks and can do considerably more than play a prerecorded cockerel to wake you up.

What can I offer?

Our home is now infested with these speakers, and so I have taken to learning a great deal about them. Whether you just want one to assist by being a hands-free kitchen timer for your baking, you have decided you need an intercom between your lounge and kid’s bedroom or you want one down in your shed to be able to blast tunes while you do the gardening, I will guide you through the possibilities.

The bewildering variety of models just from Amazon is confusing enough, but other companies like Google and Apple are on the ground with these too.

We can go from the very basics right up to the more complex things, including an honest appraisal of any security concerns you may have right through to more smart-home technology alongside your speakres (lights, cameras, plugs, televisions and so on).