In this episode, Teri welcomes Bradley Metrock, CEO of Score Publishing, to recap The Alexa Conference 2018 and to speak about VoiceFirst.FM, the leading podcast network covering everything about voice technology.
Welcome Bradley Metrock!
Bradley Metrock is the CEO of Score Publishing, and runs The Alexa Conference and VoiceFirst.FM podcast network. He is a sought-after leader in the voice technology space and he joined me to talk about voice technology, recap The Alexa Conference 2018, and discuss the VoiceFirst.FM network.
We first discussed some of the patterns and trends about voice technology. Bradley believes that the trajectory of computing is rapidly heading towards voice-first technologies to the point that personal computers themselves will be voice-first interfaces. As a result, we are now seeing a generation of children grow up in a world in which computers interact with us through voice.
The Alexa Conference 2018
The second annual Alexa Conference was held on January 18-20, 2018. It is the annual gathering of Alexa developers and enthusiasts from around the world, covering many different sectors, and providing a third party, independent look at how Alexa is progressing around the world.
Bradley discussed some of the sectors that were represented at the conference, and gave some examples of how Alexa skills are being used in each of these sectors:
Health Care
This is a fascinating sector when it comes to voice-first technologies. For example, senior citizens suffer from isolation and depression, and there are now Alexa skills in development that allow these people to have “conversations” with Alexa on a daily basis. Alexa can help with reminders to take their medicine, among many other functions. Studies show that putting an Echo Dot in an isolated person’s home has positive health effects.
Alexa is also being used in the management of chronic diseases. Alexa can remind a person to weigh themselves daily, and recording the weight is a seamless process. Other skills can listen to a person’s home and understand what are the regular daily activities (e.g. water running, opening the fridge, even going to the bathroom!), and then intervene if something is out of the ordinary (e.g. start emergency protocols if there is no activity for a specified length of time).
Education
Alexa is now being used in the classroom, providing new opportunities for interactivity. Some skills are helping to increase reading comprehension and recall by syncing a story read aloud by a person with a soundscape played by Alexa, which provides a more immersive experience. Other skills allow the user to interact with a story that is being told by Alexa, through questions or giving options to change the plot of the story.
Consumer Brands
Companies have been integrating chat bots on their websites for some time now. They are now bringing these into the voice world by creating skills that support their brands.
VoiceFirst.FM
Bradley and I also discussed the VoiceFirst.FM podcast network, “The Podcast network for the new era of voice-first computing.” Bradley views this network as the story-telling medium to amplify the incredible work that people across the world are doing in the voice-first technological world. Guests from all over the world have appeared on the shows. The podcasts have been listened to by 10,000s of people across 46 different countries!
Special Announcements:
Alexa in Canada: The Voice Experience joins the VoiceFirst.FM Podcast Network
I am thrilled to announce that the Alexa in Canada podcast has joined the VoiceFirst.FM network. I am so excited to be a part of an incredible lineup of podcasts covering all aspect of voice technologies. Alexa in Canada is the first international podcast to join the network, and it is a great privilege to be part of such tremendous industry leaders.
Voice in Canada Flash Briefing Launches on February 19, 2018
Get ready for some fun! The Voice in Canada Flash Briefing is launching on Monday, February 19th! I’ll be covering short Alexa “snippets”, including top Amazon Alexa and Echo tips, tricks, skills, reviews, news, and deals. These will be short episodes, with some tid-bit each day to help you get the most out of Alexa to make your life more organized, relaxed, stress-free, entertaining, and fun! P.S. I’ll be giving away an Echo Dot during the launch, so be sure to check out the page now!
List of resources mentioned in this episode:
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