Amazon’s simpler, cheaper Echo Dot is still pretty great

Earlier this year, I reviewed the Amazon Echo Dot, a smaller version of the company’s full-size wireless speaker with a voice-controlled assistant. The Dot lacked the room-filling sound of the larger Echo, but it still had all of the same smarts: you could use it to set timers, perform unit conversions, order a pizza, call an Uber, or answer random trivia, all hands-free. I found it best for controlling smarthome appliances — it’s far easier to use your voice to turn smartlight