Alexa, part one
By now, many readers will have heard the term ‘Alexa’ and wondered what it is, how you use it, and if they need it.
‘Alexa’ is a virtual or voice assistant that connects to the internet via your Wi-Fi and listens for your command. This gets processed and Alexa responds verbally or by activating a smart device or devices.
History
Humans have always been keen to find an easier way to control simple devices. Television remotes were developed in the 1950s, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that the modern style of remote control became mainstream. Back in the 1980s, Joseph Enterprises manufactured a clap-controlled switch — ‘The Clapper’ — which you can still buy today. This provided a simple and convenient way to interact with lights or mains-powered devices.
Originally, ‘home automation’ was the catchphrase, but, as we’ve observed from car commercials, a new marketing campaign yields a new slogan to describe the same feature. ‘Automation’ is a misused term for many of the devices and systems being marketed; having a human pressing a button on a screen is simply changing the method of control. True automation is when something else acts on the device — for example, a wall thermostat controls a heater, or a daylight sensor opens the blinds or turns on a light.
The smart home
The concept of a ‘smart home’ has been around for a long time, according to a post by Tristan Perry (). Many of these developments are labour saving, but fast forward to the 1980s
