Alexa is the natural language processing based system by Amazon. Alexa is the virtual assistant in products like Amazon Echo, Dot, Tap, FireTV and other third party products (there are 100 of these). The technology was first launched in 2012 and has now become an integral part of all of our lives. From kids have found someone who can help with their homework, to elderly who lean on Alexa as a reliable partner for reminding them of their medication to daily chores. For young professionals and busy moms it gives freedom to make lists, control smart homes etc with simply the use of voice commands.

When one product is better in one aspect, but it's competitor is stronger in another, the easy answer is to recommend both. You might want a Sony TV in your home theater, for instance, but Anthem's A/V receiver, Bowers & Wilkins' speakers, and a subwoofer from SVS. Well that dog won't hunt when it comes to smart speakers, especially if you're looking to control your smart home. No one wants to remember one wake word to turn on a light, a second to stream music, and a third to lock the front door. With this in mind, I evaluated the two most popular smart speakers--Amazon Echo and Google Home--using seven important criteria, but giving smart home control the heaviest weight. If you can't stand the suspense, my current opinion is that the Amazon Echo series is superior to the Google Home series.

But I encountered a significant difference using Google Home devices to control my Vivint Smart Home system compared to Amazon's Echo. When I say "OK Google, turn on my kitchen lights," the Google Assistant responds "OK, here's Vivint." He said if Vivint were to choose the other method, which would allow the Google Assistant to control the home more directly, Vivint would need to allow Google to access the state of the home on a full-time basis. I was told it explains how Google's smart home API works for third parties that integrate directly.