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Zacks Investment Research to Launch App for Amazon Echo & Google Home Devices

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Over the past few years, “smart” devices have become a part of our daily lives, connecting us and our home to the Internet and one another seamlessly. From speakers, thermostats, and security cameras to home appliances, televisions, and lighting, smart home technology has begun to change the way we live.

These smart home devices are a part of the broader Internet of Things (IoT), which, in the simplest terms, includes everything connected to the internet. One of the most popular examples of IoT technology is Amazon’s (AMZN - Free Report) Echo smart speaker. This device takes verbal commands and allows you to play music, control other Internet-connected devices, and even order things from Amazon.com, too, all using Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa.

But the Internet of Things goes far beyond home applications, and uses today can extensively range from consumer to industrial. For example, Intel (INTC - Free Report) has been working with the city of Berlin to develop a smart system for parking spots, while smart trash bins have been implemented in Dublin, Ireland.

As more devices like the Amazon Echo or Alphabet’s (GOOGL - Free Report) Google Home find their way into more homes across the country, the demand for other smart products is only expected to increase, especially as the base of connected devices grows.

Zacks Launches Smart Home App

This month, Zacks Investment Research will launch a voice app for Amazon Echo and Google Home devices that will allow customers to access current stock prices and the Zacks Rank for over 8,000 companies and 3,000 ETFs using just a simple voice command.

To access Zacks through an Echo device, you can follow any one of these steps:

  • Ask Alexa to enable Zacks by saying, “Alexa, enable Zacks Investment Research”
  • Go to the Amazon Alexa Skills page, search for Zacks Investment Research, and click “Enable”
  • On your phone or tablet, open the Amazon Alexa app, tap the hamburger menu in the top left corner, and click on ‘Skills and Games.’ In Skills and Games, search for Zacks Investment Research. Then, tap on Zacks and click ‘ENABLE TO USE.’

 

Once Zacks is enabled on your Alexa device, try saying:

  • “Alexa, ask Zacks Investment Research what the Zacks Rank is for Tesla (TSLA - Free Report) ” to get the Zacks Rank for stocks and ETFs.
  • “Alexa, ask Zacks Investment Research what the current stock price is of Apple (AAPL - Free Report) ” to get the current stock price of stocks and ETFs.

 

For Google smart home devices (like Home), you do not need to activate the app. All you need to say, for example, is “Ok Google, let me talk to Zacks Investment Research,” and Google Assistant will connect you to the Zacks voice app.

You can then ask Google, “What is the Zacks Rank for Netflix (NFLX - Free Report) ” or “What is the current stock price of Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) ,” just like you would for your Amazon Echo device.

Something to note is that the Zacks smart device skill responds to both stock tickers and company and ETF names. Additionally, if you are not sure what to ask, you can just say “Help” and the Zacks voice app will assist you.

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