I’m sure by now we’ve all seen that hauntingly brilliant video where a chirpy Google Duplex voice calls up a hairdresser and seamlessly books an appointment on behalf of the device’s owner, managing to navigate tricky accents, booking problems and changing timeslots all through the beauty of AI. You may think we’ve finally reached a point where computers can surpass the Turing Test and are due to take over the world any day. What we’ve all learned this year is that personal assistant devices have seriously upped their game and the argument for having one in your home is more compelling than ever. With that in mind, let’s look at all the ways personal assistant devices like Apple HomePod and Google Duplex can make your life more organized, more efficient and easier.
Life Admin
Source: Pixabay
This is probably what most people think of when they ponder taking the leap and buying a little robot buddy. All the main personal assistant devices are great for getting your life together and sorting all those niggling bits of life admin that you’ve been putting off for weeks. Other than booking appointments for you, the Alexa, for example, can dictate and send emails, book transport, and hotels, remind you about bills that need to be paid and recommend deadlines for you. The Apple HomePod can also give you location-specific reminders based on how it tracks your iPhone and Apple watch, meaning if you’re near a flower store and your mother’s birthday is coming up, it can send you a handy reminder to maybe pop in and get that little errand out of the way!
Health and Fitness
Source: Pixabay
Few people think personal assistant devices can improve your lifestyle and wellbeing, but you’d be surprised. Amazon and Google devices can act as your personal trainer, offering fitness routines. This includes Alexa’s very own and hugely popular “7-minute workout”, a quick and easy way to integrate fitness into your everyday life that you otherwise might not do at all. You can also get healthy eating tips from them. For example, you can ask your device which foods are best for wellbeing, immunity, antioxidants and so on, and it will order in some fresh and nutritious seafood right to your door. Home devices can also make recommendations on the best restaurants in your town, based on user data and reviews – rather than nagging you to make healthier choices, they simply help make those decisions an easy part of your everyday routine.
Fun and Games
Source: Pixabay
It’s not all about the errands and workouts. Personal assistant devices are, at the end of the day, a lot of fun to play with. They come loaded up with all kinds of games and quirks. Whether you want to play rock, paper, scissors, chess, bingo, 20 questions or Pictionary, your home device can do it – and more. Most are also able to host more original games such as quirky “choose your own adventure” style experiences, super-niche trivia quizzes and even RPG games. So happy gaming!
While a personal assistant device isn’t for everyone and is by no means necessary, for busy people who want to be a bit more productive and don’t mind the occasional robotic nudge, it definitely seems to be where the future is heading.