Merchandise Monday: Trending Voice-Activated Services & Connected Devices

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Personal home assistants are hot right now in smart technology, and services like Amazon Alexa and Google™ Assistant are making voice controls incredibly accessible for everyday connected products.

Here at Hinda we’re always keeping a finger on the pulse of these trends, and we’re excited to carry several voice-activated devices in our rewards portfolio. This week’s Merchandise Monday showcases some of these most current and popular offerings. Have a look, and let us know which connected devices you’re trying out in your own home (or want to try out).

Amazon Echo 'Alexa'

Alexa is Amazon’s voice service, and Echo is the speaker that connects you to it. This hands-free speaker interacts with all your connected audio sources, from music to calling and even messaging. It also retrieves information on questions you ask like traffic or the weather, and it controls your connected devices from Philips® Hue, Nest® and many more.

 

Google™ Home

Google™ Home is Google’s voice-activated speaker, and it connects you to the Google Assistant. Just start with the simple prompt, “Ok Google,” and from there you can play audio, get answers to questions, and even allow permissions for the device to learn personal information about you and recognize different voices for prompts. Like Amazon’s Echo, Google Home connects you to smart home devices and apps like Chromecast™, Philips Hue and Nest.

 

Jam® Voice™ Amazon Alexa-Enabled Bluetooth® Speaker

Voice™ is a Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® speaker from Jam® Audio that connects you to Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service. It can pair with other speakers in the Jam Wi-Fi family for whole-home audio. Control the speaker directly from your smartphone with the free Jam app.

 

iRobot® Roomba® 960 Robot Vacuum

Roomba® vacuums are some of the leading robot vacuums on the market, offering wireless smart capabilities in a connected cleaning device. And as of earlier this year, select Roomba models, including the 960, are now compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant through the iRobot® HOME app — so you can take advantage of voice activation in addition to remote control from your smartphone.

 

Philips® Hue

Philips Hue takes home lighting to a completely elevated, sophisticated level of smartness. The bulbs can match the lighting of your mood, adjust to complement specific photos, sync up with movies and music, and do even more with third-party apps. And the system is compatible with an array of smart products including Amazon Alexa, Apple® HomeKit™ and Nest, integrating voice control with the seemingly limitless capabilities of Hue.

 

CHiP™ Robot Control Dog

Who says only adults get to have all the fun with voice activation? CHiP® is a robot toy with advanced sensors to engage with you. He responds to his environment and interacts with you, and he even uses voice recognition to respond to his name and understand specific commands. And over time, CHiP learns your behaviors and tailors his responses to you, just like a real pup. This makes a great gift for dog lovers young and old.

 

Nest® Learning Thermostat 3rd Generation

Nest is a smart thermostat that learns your preferences over time and self-adjusts its settings to maintain a safe and comfortable living environment, even when you aren’t there. And an ever-growing number of smart devices are now “Works with Nest” compatible, so you can use products like Google Home to control Nest with your voice. Other select smart products like fans, water systems and kitchen appliances can be paired with Nest to ensure safe, energy-efficient, and comfortable automation for your smart home.

Want to learn more about these products and others in our rewards portfolio? Find out more about our recognition, incentive and engagement solutions by contacting our team.

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