Amazon and Google hubs are similar to each other in that each one connects you to the specific company’s digital assistant through a connection to the internet. You talk to the smart speaker, and the connected voice-activated virtual assistant will help you achieve your intent, whether that might be playing a certain song, controlling a smart appliance or providing information.

Smart speakers remain on standby for your prompts at all times. While there are various words that can get you a response, the process generally involves calling them by name like you’d call out a family member’s name to get a response from that person. So, you might say, “Alexa, look up…” or “Hey, Google, look up…”

With a smart home hub [“Hub”], you can carry out all sorts of actions around your home. These can vary by the Hub, but in general, actions you can take include:

• Stream music
• Listen to audiobooks and podcasts
• Play games
• Use voice control with compatible smart home devices such as doors, appliances, lights and thermostats
• Call someone hands-free (without the Cellular phone)
• Ask for information and news from the internet; for example “what is the weather today in Toronto?”
• Set alarms and timers

LG ThinQ® is artificial intelligence (AI) technology that works with smart electronics and home appliances. It uses voice control through user hubs to help you manage your smart home. This technology comes into play when you use your Amazon Echo or Google Home with a compatible LG smart appliance or electronic. It gives you hands-free control over a wide range of tasks with your appliances or electronics. For example, you can tell your smart home hub to make more ice in order to prepare for having additional guests over, to preheat the oven for dinner or to check on appliance timing or temperature any time. It also notifies you when the washing or drying cycle are complete on your laundry appliances or even your dishwasher.

This technology works with Amazon Echo by asking Alexa to take care of the task. After you set up Alexa and ThinQ® to work together, you say voice commands related to the specific LG smart appliance. For example, an Alexa command could be “Alexa, set the air conditioner to 70 degrees” or “Alexa, change the channel to 72 on TV.”

ThinQ® works with Google Home in much the same way. After you set it up with the Google Assistant, you say certain Google Home commands. In this case, you might say “Ok, Google. Start making ice” or “Ok, Google. What temperature is the oven?”

ThinQ® works with virtual assistants through smart home devices like Amazon Echo or Google Home. Whichever smart home device you use or plan to add to your home, you can set it up with ThinQ® technology to voice control your LG electronics and appliances. This makes life easier and more convenient by allowing you to manage smart items hands-free from wherever you are in your home. You can seamlessly multi-task, so you can pre-heat the oven while changing the baby, adjust the oven temperature without leaving the couch or start a load of laundry while you’re busy putting away the groceries.