The use of smartphones is now very common for everyone, everywhere, from children to adults. They are used for all sorts of purposes such as learning, working, entertainment, information media, and much more. Since the concept of IoT (Internet of Things) was first coined in 1999 by Kevin Ashton in his presentation to stakeholders at Procter & Gamble (P&G), it has now been widely implemented in various technological products, including Smart Homes.
A Smart Home is a house design featuring interconnected technological devices. This time, I had the opportunity to try one of Amazon's Smart Home speaker devices. This device is called Echo Pop, a speaker with a personal assistant (Alexa) inside. Because this speaker falls into the Smart Home category, it has the ability to manage many things, as it connects directly to your home's Wi-Fi network.
So, if you're interested in Smart Home devices, make sure you have Wi-Fi available at home. It can do things like turning lights on/off, setting alarms, creating schedules, making direct calls, and much more. While trying out this smart speaker, I wondered if Smart Home devices could be considered assistive technology for people with disabilities? FYI, I currently live alone.
I often forget to turn lights on and off at the right time. In fact, there was one instance when my neighbors thought I wasn't home because the house looked dark at night. With the development of Smart Homes, there's a solution to this problem. However, a Smart Home speaker device alone isn't enough; you also need devices like smart bulbs that can be programmed to turn on and off without needing a direct command.
Since I don't yet have other supporting devices, I've worked around this issue by creating a routine for Alexa to remind me every morning and night to turn the lights off and on. At least I have a personal assistant who tirelessly keeps reminding me of these tasks. 😊 This speaker can also have add-ons or third-party applications installed to optimize its functions.
Some time ago, I thought about buying a wall clock because I enjoy listening to the sound of a ticking clock at night. After getting this device, I searched for a clock add-on in the add-on store available on the Amazon Alexa app and found one. Now I can listen to the sound of a ticking clock whenever I want. Furthermore, for Muslim readers, this speaker can also play the adhan (call to prayer) on time, just like a smartphone.
Oh, by the way, the Echo Pop device is still quite rare in Indonesia. This is because Amazon doesn't have an official branch in Indonesia. This also means Alexa cannot communicate in Indonesian. However, all the things mentioned above can also be done with other Smart Home speaker devices, such as Google Home, HomePod, Mi Home, and so on. Of course, there are still many things I haven't explored with this Smart Home device.
Hopefully, I can update this post about the device again later, perhaps when I have other devices to pair with Alexa. For additional information about the Alexa Echo Pop, you can watch this video on YouTube. Regards, Acceleration