SALTZMAN: Six Truly Amazing Smart Speaker Tips and Tricks

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“Ok Google, how many Canadian adults now have a smart speaker? “

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The answer is 27%, according to The Infinite Dial 2021 Canada report published by Edison Research and Triton Digital.

Many own multiple devices, in fact, averaging 1.8 smart speakers per home (among those who own one).

Perhaps not a surprise, given that these are relatively affordable devices, starting at $ 69 per Google Nest Mini and the Amazon Echo DotIn addition, they are very easy to use: call your virtual assistant with your “activation” word, such as saying “Alexa” (for Amazon devices) or “Ok Google” (for Google), followed by a question or command, and You will hear a human-like voice respond.

But you already know this, you say? Do you know that you can request sports scores and the weather, request a song, set an oven timer, and control your smart home devices?

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Well, the following are half a dozen lesser known but really cool things to try with your beloved smart speaker.

Oh, while Apple fans also have access to speakers with Siri, like HomePod mini ($ 129), these six tips are for the two most popular (and robust) smart speakers on the market. “Don’t @ me”, as they say on social media.

MAKE FREE PHONE CALLS

Both Alexa and Google devices allow you to make free phone calls, even if you don’t have a landline. Use the Internet to make the outgoing call.

There are three ways to do it. After saying “Alexa” or “Ok Google”, you can call a specific number (such as “dial 403-555-1212”), a name in your smartphone’s Contacts app (for example, “Call George Smith, mobile “) or even any business name (” call the Canada Post at the corner of ABC Road and 123 Street “)

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It works for any 10-digit US or Canadian landline or mobile phone number.

DON’T BOTHER YOUR SLEEPING PARTNER

Many Canadians have a smart speaker on a nightstand, as they are great for setting alarms and listening to music, podcasts, radio stations, and white noise.

But if you wake up your smart speaker with your voice, you can also wake up a partner sleeping next to you. Maybe not the best idea.

Instead, use “Whisper mode”On your Amazon Echo or Google Nest smart speaker. Simply whisper your assistant’s name and “she” will respond in a whisper. Pure genius.

You may need to configure it, just once:

For Alexa devices, open the Alexa app on your phone, followed by More (lower right corner)> Settings> Voice responses> Whisper mode. For Google Nest devices, you must first enable “Night Mode” in your smartphone’s Home app (tap the device name> Settings> Night Mode).

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FIND YOUR STUFF

Google and Amazon devices can remember where you have placed important things.

Say “Ok Google” or “Alexa”, followed by something like “Remember my birth certificate is in the bottom drawer of my desk.” In the future, ask: “Where is my birth certificate?” and your smart speaker will tell you where it is (and what date it asked you to remember).

By the way, smart speakers can also help you find your smartphone at home, perhaps if it slipped between the sofa cushions.

After the wake-up word, say “find my phone” and listen if your smartphone rings loud, which it will do even if it’s set to Silent / Do not disturb. (You know it’s your phone because you’ve set up the companion app on that device.)

PAIR IT WITH A BETTER SPEAKER

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Since Google and Amazon smart speakers have Bluetooth built in, you can connect it wirelessly to a better Bluetooth speaker or soundbar for louder and clearer sound.

So you can get away with buying an inexpensive Google Nest Mini or Amazon Echo Dot, and still have room-filling sound for music playback.

You can tell it to pair with another device with your voice or by entering the app on a smartphone.

Note that your Bluetooth speaker must be within range of your smart speaker (about 10 meters) and you will need to put that Bluetooth speaker into pairing mode.

SET THE PLAY MODE

Your smart speaker with the Google Assistant is equipped to translate conversations in different languages. Just say, “Ok Google, be my [language] interpreter “with several dozen languages ​​supported – from Arabic to Vietnamese.

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This feature would be particularly useful for first- or second-generation Canadians who want to communicate with parents or grandparents whose first language might not be English.

You can sit next to a Google Nest speaker and have a conversation with someone next to you, each speaking in their own language. I I spoke with my 92 year old uncle in English, but he translated my words into Italian (and then Spanish and French).

PLAY ‘HEY ROBOT’

There are hundreds of smart speaker games that you can play alone or with friends.

A fun one for groups is the Free “Quarantine Edition” of the Hey robot board game.

Get your friends, a smart speaker and go to playheyrobot.com on your phone, tablet or laptop.

The rules are simple: divide into two teams and each player chooses a virtual card on the website. Your goal is to try to get your smart speaker to say the word (or any form of the word), without saying the word yourself.

For example, if the word is “Oxygen”, ask your Google or Alexa speaker something like “What are we breathing?” or “What is the composition of our atmosphere”? If your interlocutor says the word “oxygen”, you get the point value on the card.

The first team on 14 points wins.