Ways to use a smart speaker in your home

More and more Australians are incorporating smart devices into their homes, installing various items around the house that make life that much easier and simpler.

One of those popular smart devices on the market right now is the smart speaker, an ingenious design that anyone can enjoy and benefit from.

But what are they exactly, how do they work, and how can it improve your everyday living?

What are smart speakers and how do they work?

A smart speaker is much more than a standard speaker. Instead, a smart speaker is a voice-activated smart device that works like a personal assistant, a music player, and a smart home controller all in one.

You control it with your voice, giving it demands, and asking it questions.

For example, you could ask your smart speaker for the weather forecast for the day, for it to play a certain song, for it to set a timer for 20 minutes, or for it to turn up the smart thermostat by two degrees.

There are a number of well-known smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo, the Google Nest.

They work by connecting to other smart devices in the home via Bluetooth, and by connecting to the Internet. This allows them to run searches online for information, and contact and control other smart devices.

Stay connected in the kitchen

Having a smart speaker in the kitchen can be an incredibly useful tool.

While your hands are tied up cooking or are wet from the dishes, you can use voice commands to make everything easier and faster. For example, you can look up a recipe online and have the speaker read out the instructions for you. You can set a timer for something in the oven, ask for the conversion between spoons and mL or Fahrenheit and Celsius, or simply play your favourite music while you work.

Or you might ask for the closest place to buy more icing sugar when you run out.

Enjoy multi-room music playback

Do you love listening to music when you’re at home?

Whether you’re hosting a party, doing a full-home deep clean, or simply moving around the house, it’s handy to be able to play music throughout the home, rather than only being able to hear it in one room.

Multi-room music playback allows you to stream music to all your smart speakers in the house seamlessly, so there’s no delay between devices.

Different speakers use different software to control them, but at least in the case of JBL Link devices, Google Assistant comes pre-installed as your personal assistant, music player, and smart home controller. This means you simply need to say “Hey Google”, then make your request, and any speakers you have connected will start playing throughout the home.

Stream your favourite tunes outdoors

Another fantastic use for smart speakers is that you can set them up outdoors. This offers a combination of the benefits you get when you set up a multi-room music player within the house, and when you use your smart speaker as a personal assistant.

Outdoors, you can set up multiple speakers to seamlessly stream music for a vibrant, surround-sound affect whether you’re in your own backyard or down at the beach. Or, you can ask it for the weather forecast for your party, ask it to turn the party lights on, or to set a reminder for when it’s time to bring out the birthday cake.

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