OK, House. Get Smart: Make the Most of Your AI Home Minions

IF YOU’RE NOT already having conversations with a cylindrical speaker sitting on the kitchen counter, you will be soon. AI-­powered devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home are poised to invade tens of millions more households this year. Here’s a guide to getting the most out of these futuristic household minions.

YOUR FIRST MISSION is to choose your smart connected speaker. It will be your central command module, the device you talk to when you need to get stuff done. The big two are Amazon Echo and ­Google Home. Neither is perfect, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

If your paramount concern in life is privacy, turn back now. Google Home and Amazon Echo are constantly listening, and they send some of what you say back to the mothership.

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