So what exactly is a smart speaker? I love this quote from Kashia Kabir from WhatHiFi: "Basically, if you can shout commands at your wireless speaker to make it do things, it's a smart speaker."  That's the fun definition. A more practical definition might be this: A smart speaker is a stand-alone speaker that responds to voice commands.

Your mom needs an Alexa. She needs one whether she is a busy lady who is always on the go, or whether she is at home and struggles with daily tasks.  Alexa will make her life better and here are 5 reasons why.

Here is an Edgar Allen Poe raven type warning. Voice technology is coming, and it is coming for your followers. As voice technology becomes more popular, your current audience will be using it instead of going to their screens to get content. And by voice technology, I don't just mean Smart Speakers. Voice technology is available in everything from our phones to our refrigerators. It will soon become the dominant interface.

I'm a big fan of voice technology. I think it's an awesome thing to put something on the shopping list by yelling from across the room. I love the potential voice technology has for helping our elderly stay independent. But here is what I don't like. And I really hope this doesn't sound too shallow. I don't enjoy the voices that smart speakers use. I find them unappealing. And I struggle with Alexa's missed intonations and lack of pause.