Set up your smart speaker for emergencies

Smart audio system inform you the climate, play music, reply trivia questions, aid you prank your partner (extra on that on the finish), and so they simply would possibly save your life sooner or later.

Make positive you understand these instructions to get assist in an emergency by coronary heart. 

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Let’s begin with the preferred

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Amazon’s Echo line of smart audio system and voice assistant Alexa can’t name 911 for you. They will not reliably report your location and do not provide a callback quantity, so they do not meet the usual necessities. You have two choices:

1. Set up an emergency contact to get notified if one thing is unsuitable. In the Alexa app on your telephone, faucet More > Communicate, then faucet the two-person icon (prime proper). This takes you to your “Contacts” display screen. Here, faucet the three-dot icon on the prime proper, then faucet Emergency Contact to select one. Now, to make use of this characteristic, simply say, “Alexa, call for help” or “Alexa, call my emergency contact.”
2. Pay for it. Alexa’s Emergency Assist plan prices $5.99 a month or $59 for a 12 months you probably have a Prime membership. Add up to 25 emergency contacts, and it’ll put you thru to an agent who can name emergency providers for you. The command is identical: “Alexa, call for help.”

In this photograph illustration, an Alexa brand seen displayed on a smartphone with an AMAZON brand within the background.  (Photo Illustration by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket by way of Getty Images)

If you’re within the Google-verse

Google Nest audio system do not allow you to specify an emergency contact, however you may name anybody in your Google Contacts checklist.

• From the Google Home app on your telephone, faucet the gear icon, then Communication > Video & Voice Apps to ensure the whole lot’s set up. You can then simply say, “Hey, Google, call [name of the person you want to speak to].”

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With Nest Aware ($8 a month or $80 a 12 months), you’ll get direct 911 entry, however the characteristic’s actually designed to serve extra as a safety system for while you’re out.

• In your Google Home app, faucet the gear icon, then Subscriptions > Nest Aware > Emergency calling.
• You can then attain 911 from any speaker display screen within the app. Tap the three-lined menu button (prime left) > E911 > Call Emergency Services.

The Nest Audio, the latest speaker with a digital assistant by Google, is being exhibited on the Android Smart Home show through the Mobile World Congress 2023 on March 2, 2023, in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Joan Cros/NurPhoto by way of Getty Images)

And should you’re an Apple individual …

You can inform the Apple HomePod, “Hey, Siri, call 911.” Easy.

Here’s the caveat: The speaker should be linked to an iPhone for this characteristic to work. If the HomePod cannot discover the iPhone used to set it up, it will look for some other iPhones on the identical Wi-Fi community to do the job.

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Now that we now have the intense stuff out of the best way, a prank

Say, “Hey, Alexa, speaker slower,” whereas nobody’s round, then give it the identical command once more. Enjoy watching the remainder of your family surprise what the heck is unsuitable with Alexa. Say, “Alexa, speak at your default rate” to return to regular.

An individual is seen utilizing an iPhone. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

My fave Alexa prank of all time is coaching it to answer particular questions a sure method:

• When my husband, Barry, asks Alexa concerning the climate outdoors our house in Santa Barbara, she says, “Look out the window. You live in a glass house.”
• I informed my son, Ian, to ask Alexa, “Who’s the best mom in the world?” Alexa now replies, “I would say Mother Theresa, but, in looking at traditional mothers, there is no doubt that person is Kim Komando. Now, go empty the dishwasher.”

Take a minute to consider how far we’ve come. This is an instance of how tech can actually save your life — if you know the way to regulate these settings. Do the folks you care a couple of favor and move this alongside.

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