Post #234

How do you imagine a typical voice assistant user? A 20-something-year-old millennial spending the whole day with his phone or laptop? 👨🏻‍💻 That’s not true. According to the research, the average user of personal assistant apps is a 52-year-old woman. Interesting, right? More of that, voice-activated apps become integral to assisted living communities. For example, a community of San Diego retirees is using the personal-assistant gadget to listen to audiobooks, keep current with family news, and control home appliances. The majority of the people in this Alexa focus group are in their late 80s, some use walkers to get around, and some have visual and/or hearing impairments. They can make calls via voice commands using Amazon’s Alexa-to-Alexa calling service, send and receive text messages and much more. In a few weeks, this organization will connect the residents’ Echoes to smart plugs and thermostats so they can adjust their lights and room temperature via Alexa. If all goes well after that two-month test, the company will explore possible deployments of Alexa devices to its other communities. https://venturebeat.com/2017/08/05/why-the-typical-voicebot-user-is-a-52-year-old-woman/ More info about retirees using Alexa: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608047/the-octogenarians-who-love-amazons-alexa/