Tea, Earl Grey, Hot

Smart speakers may one day become an indispensable part of our daily lives. So you should probably get to know them

THE HER-IFICATION of our living rooms is upon us. Just as Spike Jonze predicted, soothing female voices will soon pervade every household, ready to stream our favourite songs, man our smart home devices, answer our inane questions, and do everything short of breaking our hearts. (Hopefully.) With Apple throwing down the gauntlet to the Amazon Echo and Google Home by unveiling its Homepod — slated for release this fall — the smart speaker wars are officially on. And for good reason: according to market research firm Strategy Analytics, these Ai-powered, voice-activated assistants will make up 90% of all wireless speakers by 2022. That means, sooner than later, you’re likely going to buy one. But which is right for you? Even Scarjo’s disembodied whisper can’t answer that. Luckily, we can.