Signal Winter 2020 Newsletter

The popularity of smart speakers is rising fast. In the U.S., 87.7 million adults were using smart speakers in January 2020, up by 32 percent from 2019. The year before that, the total jumped by 40 percent. It’s easy to understand why. From the moment you wake up in the morning until the moment you go to sleep, smart speakers can help you have more enjoy- able and productive days. Consider a few scenes from a “day in the life” of a smart speaker: At 7:00 a.m. you have it play a podcast while you prepare breakfast. At 9:00 a.m. you tell it to turn the heat up two degrees. At 11:00 a.m. you use it to play a game. At 2:00 p.m. you tell it to add orange juice to your gro- cery list. At 6:00 p.m. you have it adjust the lights. At 8:00 p.m. you ask it for tomorrow’s calendar events. At 10:00 p.m. you have it play ocean sounds to lull you to sleep. In the next few pages, we’ll explore how you can make the most of smart speakers, how to operate them safely, how to use one to create a smart home, and how to choose the best one for you. We think you’ll especially like our smart speaker security tips. We hope by the time you’re done reading, you’ll feel smart about these multifunc- tional devices. Source: https://voicebot.ai/2020/04/28/nearly-90-million- u-s-adults-have-smart-speakers-adoption-now-exceeds- one-third-of-consumers/ 4 www.alliancecom.net IS IT SMART TO USE A SMART SPEAKER? FAST FACT: The performance of a smart speaker can vary depending on its placement. The best location is close to the center of the room. Learn what they do, when they can help, and how to stay safe