
Josh Miller / CNET
Getting ready for school means picking off a long list of things, including the need for dorms and some home comforts. When it comes to organizing your new space for productivity and comfort, there are plenty of reasons to put a Smart Speaker on this list.
Just because your dorm is not crammed Smart Lights [1
Read: 8 Great Gadgets That Can Embellish a Dumb Dormitory | Our Favorite Back to School Start in 2019
Why it Works in a Dorm
Some schools have abilities on language assistant platforms to answer basic campus questions yet. However, language assistants are a great source for quick questions about local shops, restaurants and events nearby. Things like routines, memories, and streaming media make intelligent speakers, especially the smaller models, worth their cost.
Routines
Get up and set off with a "Good Morning" routine. You can not install the lights or thermostat of your dorm if they are not smart, but voice assistants are still useful for quickly disseminating the information you want to know every morning.
You can set your smart speaker to let you know about your daily routine, news and weather, and start a morning playlist. Set another good night's routine to remind you when the first hour of tomorrow starts, play a run-down playlist, or tell a joke.
Watching TV and Videos
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Entertainment
If nothing else, smart speakers can be entertaining. From cursing to trifles to serious jokes at the daddy level, language assistants can ease your boredom and make you laugh.
Take it one step further with a smart display and watch video news, YouTube content and even your favorites. Most also have cameras for video chats.
Reminders
wizards are perfect for memories. Just ask your speaker to remind you to go to the library at 8pm. or that you promised to call your mother on Sunday.
You can add reminders, alarms, and timers to just about anything. Use them to set a 15-minute learning break or alarm to nap before dinner. From birthdays to regular alarms and everything in between, let your assistant help you keep track of all the new responsibilities that college imposes on you.
Homework Assistance
Maybe Alexa can not do her trigonometry homework and you should not cheat, but smart speakers are a quick way to search for general knowledge about history, geography, science, and simple math. They can also give you a quick answer as you send more detailed information to the appropriate app on your phone.
Best Practices
Introducing a smart speaker into a shared living space requires consideration. If you do not know your roommate yet, get to know him and learn how he feels about being with Google, Siri or Alexa. Part of the respect of people's privacy is not forcing them to do technology unless they are ready.
Purchases
If everyone agrees that smart speakers are installed in your room, you should take some precaution to turn off some settings. Buying with speech recognition is not the best idea. Even if you're training your language assistant to learn your voice, there's a chance your roommate might be deceiving you.
Of course, speech recognition can be useful if you train your speaker to learn each roommate's voice (Google can learn up to six voices in a household). You can ask for your calendar or drive to work and get a personalized answer.
Privacy
Take time to review all connected apps and settings when setting up your speaker for the first time at school. There is always the possibility that appointments such as calendar appointments are read aloud or displayed on smart displays. So make sure you do not transfer anything personal to anyone within earshot.
If you are concerned that data and voice recordings are being tracked by your smart speakers, you can delete this data in a number of ways. It takes a bit and a few steps, but take a look at our guide to deleting information from the Services Google and Alexa .
The Best Speakers for 2019
If you want to spend some of that sweet note and you do not have a smart speaker yet, there are some really good options that will not break the bank.
Our favorite smart speaker right now? The latest Amazon Echo Dot (3rd generation) costs only $ 50 and is often cheaper to sell. The top smart display for those who want visual information? The $ 130 Google Nest Hub .
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