We’re living in a Star Trek future stocked with voice assistants that are happy to help answer questions, play music, read the news and control our smart homes. Most smart-speaker users fall into one of two camps: Amazon Alexa or Google Home. If you have a Home, Home Mini or Home Max, then we’ve got some fun and useful tips, tricks and Easter eggs for you to try out. Google Home debuted in 2016 and the company has been steadily adding to and improving its capabilities ever since. If you’re only using it for weather or to turn your lights on and off, then now is a great time to explore what els ..read more

Too busy to read? Tap or click below to listen to the story on your commute to work. (PssT! You can also subscribe to us on iTunes, listen on Spotify and hear us on Stitcher, Google Play and iHeartRadio, too. Tell a friend!) Upgrade your home with these smart ideas You’ve decided to upgrade your home to a smart home but, where do you start? Maybe some smart lightbulbs or a smart thermostat? Should you use an Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple Home Pod to connect your devices? In this Komando on Demand podcast, Kim and her co host Andrew Babin ..read more

00:00 –:– Need a low-cost, easy way to talk to people at home? Try building this DIY communication system! The post Make an Amazon Alexa intercom appeared first on Komando.com ..read more

Remember screaming, “Dinner’s ready!” Or maybe you had a fancy built-in intercom system in your house? Those clunky old systems feel outdated today, but man, were they handy. Good news: You have access to the future world version if you own any smart speakers. It’s super easy to set up. Let me show you how. Hey Alexa, help me out To get started, you need a few Amazon Echos. I like the Echo Dot (54% off!) and this one is sweet because it also has a built-in clock.  Make sure they’re linked to the same Amazon account or Amazon Household. And they also need to be on the same Wi-Fi network. H ..read more

Look up next time you’re outside and guess where the airplane above you is headed. Los Angeles? New York? Paris? Ask Siri this phrase, “What flights are overhead?” You’ll see the carrier, flight number and altitude in seconds. I love sharing simple digital life tips that make things easier. Your phone’s smart assistant is high on the usefulness scale — if you know the correct commands. Here are five I use all the time. 1. Turn on the flashlight When it’s dark, and you’re trying to read a menu or make your way down a dark hallway, you don’t want to fumble with your phone to find the flashl ..read more

Who says Alexa is only helpful on your kitchen counter? She’s a smart cookie, and chances are, there’s more you could be doing with her. Did you know that Alexa can improve home security and check in on elderly relatives? Tap or click here for five clever ways to use your Echo and Alexa. But wait, there’s more. We put together three Alexa life hacks that improve her functionality and save you time, frustration and brainpower best expended elsewhere. 1. Sync your personal accounts If you and your family like to listen to different music, why not personalize your session by ensuring she’s linkin ..read more

00:00 –:– Got a Eufy security cam? It may be sending your private videos to the cloud — without permission. Plus, stalkers are using Amazon Alexas to terrorize victims, five holiday scams to watch out for and where to stream your favorite Christmas movies. Also, Elon Musk reveals how Twitter suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story. Here’s all you need to know. The post Twitter censorship, Amazon Alexa stalkers, holiday scams appeared first on Komando.com ..read more

00:00 –:– Got a Eufy security cam? It may be sending your private videos to the cloud — without permission. Plus, stalkers are using Amazon Alexas to terrorize victims, five holiday scams to watch out for and where to stream your favorite Christmas movies. Also, Elon Musk reveals how Twitter suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop story. Here’s all you need to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The post Twitter censorship, Amazon Alexa stalkers, holiday scams appeared first on Komando.com ..read more

According to Amazon, Alexa can follow more than 50,000 unique tasks and commands. Obviously, we can’t list them all, but we’ll give you a starting point. Tap or click here for 15 Alexa commands to try out right now. Smart speakers are supposed to make our lives easier, but at what cost? Keeping one of these devices around is a privacy risk, but it can worsen. Stalkers are using Alexa and Echo devices to harass their victims. Imagine being in your home and hearing the voice of someone you don’t want to hear from. It’s scary, but you can do something about it. So creepy The Daily Mail reports th ..read more

Your smart speaker can remind you of appointments, give you a heads up on the weather, give you a wake-up call, tell a joke, set the mood for movie night, get the news and much more. Add a video screen and you get access to many more cool features. Let’s start with a simple one. Did you know that you can turn your Amazon Echo Show into a digital photo frame? Tap or click here to find out how. But there’s an even more important feature that you might not be taking advantage of. Did you know that your Echo can also save your life? Read on to find out how. Medical alert systems aren’t cheap Medic ..read more