Did you just open a brand new home hub? Read this first.

Home hubs, or smart speakers that you can order around with voice commands, are expected to be a top gift this holiday season. But it can be a little hard getting used to having a disembodied voice in your house, and figuring out what to use it for. Focusing on Amazon's Echo (or the smaller Echo Dot) and Google's Home devices, we've put together a few basic tips to help you go beyond the setup menu and get the most from these gadgets: One of the first things you should figure out is where it's best to place them. The ability to set timers makes them useful in the kitchen. Their function as speakers makes them good for the living room.