Smart Speaker Basics
Steve Kelley, CVRT, CRC, CATIS
skelley@theiris.org
The following notes may be downloaded as a LP Word Doc titled Smart Speaker Basics.
- Digital assistants are software or artificial intelligence, and may be on different devices. For example, you can find Alexa, the digital assistant on the Amazon Echo, Kindle Fire, in the Alexa app on an Android, etc.
- Smart speakers are pieces of hardware that contain a microphones, speakers, and a digital assistant:
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- Amazon Echo
- Amazon Dot
- Google Home
- Google Home mini
- Apple Home Pod
- Sonos One with Alexa and Google coming
- JBL with Google Assistant
- All speakers require wifi network and public wifi networks do not seem to work well or at all
Unique Features of the digital assistants
Apple Siri
- HomePod is great speaker
- For the Apple world only
- Very limited outside the Apple world
- Unique setup
Google Assistant
- Native to Google Home and Google Home mini
- Can call a number based on a request, “Call the Iris Network on Park Ave in Portland.”
- Phone calls by contact or number
- Conversational questions
- Google Play Books
- Choice of voices male/female; at least one is slower in rate than the others
- Currently plays radio stations on TuneIn but not podcasts
Amazon Alexa
- Native to Amazon Echo line
- Book reading includes some Kindles and Audible
- Text messages
- Phone calls by number or contact
Tunin Content Available on Amazon Echo and Google Home
Free Audio Book of the Month Podcast
Radio Reading Services
Down East Radio Reading Service
Reading for those who cannot see
Mountain Area Radio Reading Service
Triangle Radio Reading Service
We breathe words into your life
Sight into Sound radio reading service
Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley Radio Reading Service
WJCT. Your Community. Your World.
Audio Access for People Who Are Blind or Print-Challenged
IOWA Radio Reading Information Service
Seeing the world through the voice of another
Northeast Radio Reading Service
Sydney’s Radio Reading Service
Community Radio for Kenosha & Racine
Bringing the printed word to life!
We love hearing from your all fans Illusion fm 24/7
Reading Radio For The Blind And Print Handicapped