The looming end of the smart speaker

The days of the smart speaker are numbered. And though they won't say it aloud, the tech titans that manufacture the devices are totally fine with it. Initially introduced in 2014, the Amazon Echo was the first WiFi-enabled speaker of its kind. By simply stating "Alexa," the name of Amazon's digital assistant, users could listen to music, inquire about the weather, and control automated devices connected to its hub like lights, thermostats, and appliances. Spurred by Amazon’s...