Category: Amazon Echo

The Importance of UX Without the Screen

Post author By Jacquelyn LaFrance
Post date July 27, 2017

In today’s world, brands must increase user engagement, among other priorities, to stay relevant and meet their goals. These goals can be met with a mobile app, but it goes beyond just having an app for your business.

A good User Experience (UX) can mean the difference between success and failure

Many times, when we think of UX we think of wireframes and pretty colors. We consider whether a button color change would increase the purchase rate. But UX isn’t always on a screen. UX goes beyond the screen with audio products.
Designing for the suite of voice apps (Alexa, Google Home, and the HomePod) moves us away from visual representations and takes us to one single sense – sound.
As with all applications, user testing is critical. There are a few common red flags that come up when testing audio. One must make sure the audio demands make sense to the user. They should feel spontaneous and free of fluff. You must consider all the different accents and how they may be mispronounced. There also needs to be solid evidence that people would use the skill.
Done well, the audio platform takes your company and your product, off the screen and into the home.
At jācapps, we understand the end user and how they use mobile in a variety of settings – at home, at work, in the car, etc. We can help you build a UX strategy that works both on the screen and off the screen to reach your audience and keep them engaged wherever they may be.
Reach out to us today by clicking here. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Alexa Amazon Echo App Everywhere Google Home Mobile Apps Smart Home

You Don't SAi? Joint Venture Makes "Skills" for Amazon Echo and Google Home

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date April 27, 2017

amazon echo google home alexa smart home — Waves Sound in glow light. Abstract background. Vector illustration

Last week marked the debut of SonicAi – our new joint venture that develops “skills” for voice command devices – or “smart speakers” as they’re sometimes called.

We partnered with Steve Goldstein, Founder/CEO of Amplifi Media, to bring SonicAi, or SAi (“say”) for short, to life. The company’s focus is on designing and creating spoken word software for devices like Amazon Echo, or “Alexa,” as well as Google Home. These gadgets are showing up in more and more homes, offices, and other spaces every day.
From time-shifted audio like podcasts to featuring key station content that can be easily accessed and shared, our vision is to use the power of spoken voice commands to enhance the radio experience.

Jacobs Media, our sister company, has been tracking ownership of “smart speakers” in Techsurvey 13 and found that 11% of homes have one. And they’ve found that listeners who love formats that range from Alternative to AC to Sports Talk are grabbing up these devices in nearly equal numbers, indicating their mass appeal. In fact, Gartner predicts that 75% of U.S. homes will have one by 2020, and 20% will have two.
What this means for your station is that you need to engage with your audience beyond their phone, tablet, and even their car. You need to follow them wherever they may be. This means offering them apps everywhere, or App Everywhere® as we like to say. Furthermore, you need to make it easier for them to access your content. And what better way than using their own voice? Matt Hartman suggests that voice provides the lowest friction between consumers and them getting what they want, which is what makes offering your listeners these “skills” for voice command devices so important.
Check out this video to learn more about what SonicAi is all about:

To learn even more, click here.
Reach out to us today to discuss your mobile strategy and how we can help grow your business. Give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Alexa Amazon Echo App Everywhere Google Home Mobile Apps Smart Home

You Don’t SAi? Joint Venture Makes “Skills” for Amazon Echo and Google Home

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date April 27, 2017

Last week marked the debut of SonicAi – our new joint venture that develops “skills” for voice command devices – or “smart speakers” as they’re sometimes called.

We partnered with Steve Goldstein, Founder/CEO of Amplifi Media, to bring SonicAi, or SAi (“say”) for short, to life. The company’s focus is on designing and creating spoken word software for devices like Amazon Echo, or “Alexa,” as well as Google Home. These gadgets are showing up in more and more homes, offices, and other spaces every day.

From time-shifted audio like podcasts to featuring key station content that can be easily accessed and shared, our vision is to use the power of spoken voice commands to enhance the radio experience.

What this means for your station is that you need to engage with your audience beyond their phone, tablet, and even their car. You need to follow them wherever they may be. This means offering them apps everywhere, or App Everywhere® as we like to say. Furthermore, you need to make it easier for them to access your content. And what better way than using their own voice? Matt Hartman suggests that voice provides the lowest friction between consumers and them getting what they want, which is what makes offering your listeners these “skills” for voice command devices so important.

Check out this video to learn more about what SonicAi is all about:

To learn even more, click here.

Reach out to us today to discuss your mobile strategy and how we can help grow your business. Give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Alexa Amazon Echo App Everywhere Connected Car Podcasting Radio Smart Home

3 Tech Trends That Will Impact Your Radio Station This Year

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date March 30, 2017
No Comments on 3 Tech Trends That Will Impact Your Radio Station This Year

By: Vince Kattoula

Radio has survived countless technological advancements over the years, from TV to iPods to streaming. But, perhaps the most dramatic changes, and most challenging, have yet to come. Below are some important technology trends that we think will influence your station this year.
Smart speakers. Radio’s presence in the home has been eroding since the appearance of the iPod. But new hope for radio has arrived in the form of “smart speakers,” particularly Amazon Echo. By now, you’ve probably heard about (or even used) “Alexa” and experienced all she can do. From setting the temperature on your smart thermostat to dimming the lights in your living room, there are a lot of cool things these speakers can do. For radio stations, however, their opportunity lies with Alexa’s ability to pull in the listener’s favorite station or podcast with a simple voice command. Radio’s at-home challenge – like so many of the others – starts with awareness, and then devising smart strategies to take advantage of this technology.
Podcasting. Podcasting, a once-obscure method of consuming audio, has become a leading medium for distributing audio content, whether for business or personal use. In 2016, 71% of podcasts were listened to on a mobile device. It’s no surprise that mobile is the dominant platform being used to stream podcasts, yet radio stations still haven’t embraced podcasting like they should. When combined, podcasting and radio can create exciting programming that brings together broadcasting’s skills at production, content creation and marketing in an exciting, unlimited new form.
Connected cars. The car dashboard is one of the greatest programming challenges for broadcasters today. It’s also one of the greatest opportunities. Radio still has a dominant presence within cars, but this does not mean things won’t change. More technology brings more choices, and there are a lot in connected cars. We can attribute much of this to the driver’s ability to bring in smartphone content as well as dashboard apps, like Pandora and Spotify, right to their screen. So, what does this mean for your station? Simple – your mobile app is the way in. Whether it’s the in-car system, CarPlay or Android Auto, your mobile app makes sure that when your listener is in the car, your brand stays top of mind.
Apps are the best way to engage consumers through their mobile phone since it allows a variety of content (and content types like audio, video, text, etc.) to go with them no matter where they are. We understand the potential of these technologies to redefine the way consumers inform and entertain themselves where they live and while on-the-go. That’s why we’ve been hard at work developing new “skills” for Amazon Echo and Google Home, adding to our App Everywhere^SM initiative.
Reach out to us today! Call 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com for a free consultation.

Alexa Amazon Echo Smart Home

The Connected Home is Changing, Thanks to "Alexa"

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date February 23, 2017
No Comments on The Connected Home is Changing, Thanks to "Alexa"

By: Vince Kattoula

If you were at CES last month, one name you heard everyone saying is “Alexa.” As the voice of Amazon Echo, many device makers were featuring her in their products – and for good reason. By this summer, it is predicted that nearly 30 million families will have added some sort of smart technology to their household. Therefore, we’re confident that voice command technology will quickly gain traction in homes, condos, apartments, college dorms, and even hotel rooms.
Devices like Echo and Google Home appear poised to be the new technology (and with certain new home door locks, literal) gatekeepers in the home. They provide the interface to all kinds of other devices, appliances, and other ordinary household objects that are rapidly becoming part of the “Internet of Things.” These gatekeepers not only provide consumers unheard of control over their environment, they are yet another source of user data.
By collecting and analyzing data on consumer behavior, brands can create improved and more targeted ad campaigns. Alexa and her competitors are even interfacing with one of our favorite topics around here: The Connected Car. Our partners at Ford understand how important voice command technology has become. Earlier this year, the automaker announced a partnership with Amazon that would bring Alexa into Fusions, Explorers, Escapes, and their other vehicles. Connecting the home and car will empower drivers to start their car with a simple voice command, or turn up the heat before returning home.
From playing a stream or podcast to setting the temperature or turning on the lights, there’s a lot these devices can do. At jācapps, we have been working on developing “skills” for Alexa. We’ve been playing with our Echo (and yes, our Google Home) because of its huge potential to redefine the way consumers inform and entertain themselves where they live.
So, in our ever more “connected” world, it appears that offering consumers just a smartphone app won’t cut it anymore. Your brand needs to follow your audience wherever they may be. This means offering them apps everywhere (or App Everywhere℠ as we like to say) in the car and now … in their homes.
Click here to reach out to us with questions about your brand’s mobile strategy for 2017. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Alexa Amazon Echo Smart Home

The Connected Home is Changing, Thanks to “Alexa”

Post author By Vince Kattoula
Post date February 23, 2017
No Comments on The Connected Home is Changing, Thanks to “Alexa”

By: Vince Kattoula

Devices like Echo and Google Home appear poised to be the new technology (and with certain new home door locks, literal) gatekeepers in the home. They provide the interface to all kinds of other devices, appliances, and other ordinary household objects that are rapidly becoming part of the “Internet of Things.” These gatekeepers not only provide consumers unheard of control over their environment, they are yet another source of user data.

By collecting and analyzing data on consumer behavior, brands can create improved and more targeted ad campaigns. Alexa and her competitors are even interfacing with one of our favorite topics around here: The Connected Car. Our partners at Ford understand how important voice command technology has become. Earlier this year, the automaker announced a partnership with Amazon that would bring Alexa into Fusions, Explorers, Escapes, and their other vehicles. Connecting the home and car will empower drivers to start their car with a simple voice command, or turn up the heat before returning home.

From playing a stream or podcast to setting the temperature or turning on the lights, there’s a lot these devices can do. At jācapps, we have been working on developing “skills” for Alexa. We’ve been playing with our Echo (and yes, our Google Home) because of its huge potential to redefine the way consumers inform and entertain themselves where they live.

So, in our ever more “connected” world, it appears that offering consumers just a smartphone app won’t cut it anymore. Your brand needs to follow your audience wherever they may be. This means offering them apps everywhere (or App Everywhere℠ as we like to say) in the car and now … in their homes.

Click here to reach out to us with questions about your brand’s mobile strategy for 2017. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Alexa Amazon Echo Mobile Apps Smart Home

Is There an Echo in Here?

Post author By jacapps
Post date November 19, 2014
No Comments on Is There an Echo in Here?

Amazon has recently come out with a new product titled the Amazon Echo, and it is definitely creating a buzz!

So what is this Amazon Echo, and what does it do? For starters, it is voice controlled and it is always on. You can ask for music, weather, news, or for any kind of information.

The coolest feature is that you can use the Bluetooth to sync to any music service or app you want, plus it works for iPhone and Android!

Click here to learn about this new, innovative product.