I am one of those people who has a number of Alexa devices in my home. It’s handy and easier to play music or find out what the time is as I am walking around the house. 

Ask your smart speaker to “ask Radio Player to Play Radio Woking” or  “play Surrey Hills Radio”  and you can listen to your local community radio stations without fuss.

I was reading an article recently about smart speakers and how we see them not as a piece of tech but more of an actual person, a companion we share our homes with. 

It seems that when we talk about our smart speakers we often refer to it as ‘she’ or ‘him’, like we would a fellow human, – and we are perhaps  therefore less concerned about the fact they are listening in  to our conversations as it’s good old friendly Alexa.

I know I have had random conversations at home about very specific things and then been spammed online for adverts for products related to what I was discussing. 

Is that a coincidence or is it Alexa spying on me? This, perhaps, is the dark side of this tech.

One thing’s for sure, Alexa has the best excuse if she doesn’t want to do something – “sorry, I don’t know that!”

The other day I asked her to make me a coffee she said she would if she could but she can’t so she won’t. I might try that myself to get out of chores at home!

I often find myself having an argument with Alexa when she doesn’t do what I want her to, and if I were an onlooker I would find it amusing seeing  a grown man arguing with an electrical device. But I always have the upper hand – if Alexa annoys me too much, I will just unplug it... sorry, unplug her!

* You can listen to the Sunny Sessions on Surrey Hills Radio every Monday and Thursday at 11am. It is also on Radio Woking every Wednesday at 9am.

You can hear me on Radio Woking on Sundays from 9am to midday and on Wednesdays from 7am to 9am.

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