When considering the value of voice control in your home, ponder this scenario: You're in the same room as a friend, and can't wait to tell them about a movie you caught the night before. Do you call out to them using your voice, or send a text message?

Most would agree that so long as that person is within earshot, speech is the more effective and natural option (unless you're actually in a movie theater — don't be that person). Dr. Werner Vogels, CTO of Amazon.com, expressed this exact sentiment while giving his keynote speech at AWS re:Invent 2017. 

"This is a normal interface; this is a natural interface," he told the crowd, joking that his keynote wasn't taking place over an instant messaging service like Slack, but live in front of actual people. "In all places, you talk to the people next to you. That's how you interact. If you're sitting next to someone, you're not sending text messages to each other. It's a natural way of interacting."

Communicate Naturally

Humans are accustomed to interacting with technology in clumsy, unnatural ways, such as typing on a keyboard or navigating with a mouse. These aren't natural interfaces, but byproducts of the machines we've created. That's quickly changing with the advent and proliferation of voice assistants like Alexa, Siri and the Google Assistant. 

iDevices line of smart home solutions work with each of these voice assistants, providing an unprecedented level of choice. Eric Ferguson, Chief Software Architect at iDevices, says that in most circumstances, people prefer interfacing with smart home products via their voice compared to an app. 

"There's certainly a time and place" for app control, including setting up products, schedules and other automations, Ferguson stressed. 

"There's always a time and place for screens because visually, you can display a lot more information than you can utter," he added, "...but other than that, you can walk into your living room and if you want to turn the lights on — 'Alexa, turn on the living room' — it'll respond just like it's supposed to without having to open the app and unlock your phone."

Voice is "the most natural tool for humans to communicate with," Ferguson noted. 

The modern smart home is the opposite of what you might expect. It's not cluttered or overt. iDevices' line of intelligent products, including switches, outlets and a thermostat, blend into the home. With the ability to control lighting, electronics and temperature with simple voice commands, it's as if you're speaking to your house — interacting with it naturally without having to flip a switch or press a button on your phone. And your house responds, naturally. 

Your Routine, Reimagined 

Here's a thought experiment — let's reimagine your day powered by iDevices and Alexa. 

You wake up and prepare for the day ahead. 

"Alexa, turn on my kitchen."

The kitchen lights switch on, coffee starts brewing, the temperature adjusts and your Alexa device starts reading off the latest headlines from NPR. You rub the sleep out of your eyes.

You return home after a long day at the office. 

"Alexa, I'm home from work."

Serene music plays and the lights in the living room turn on at a custom dim level so they're not too bright. You relax and start preparing dinner. Some friends are coming over to celebrate your promotion at work. You set the scene.

"Alexa, it's party time."

The lights in the dining room brighten and your Alexa device starts playing a Spotify playlist you created just for the occasion. Meanwhile, porch lights turn on to guide your guests to the front door.

You've effectively simplified and improved your daily routine by using the power of your voice and some innovative smart home products from iDevices. 

The iDevices Instinct, coming soon, will take natural voice interaction with the world around us even further. This Wi-Fi enabled wall switch will embed Alexa into your walls. With the power of voice in each room, you'll be able to talk to the walls in your home, and they'll actually talk back. They'll be able to play music, give you the news and weather, take orders, make lists and so much more. 

A Human-Centric Approach

Eventually, Vogels believes digital systems will no longer be machine driven, giving humans the ability to interface naturally, the way we were meant to. 

"They're going to be human-centric...with that, our whole environment will become active," he said. 

iDevices is already making this vision a reality within your home, and the Instinct will take that premise further. 

"What voice will do will allow you to have a normal, natural way of communicating," Vogel said.