College dorm rooms have basic furnishings so residents have to spend some money if they want the comforts that they’re used to at home. If they have been increasingly reliant on Amazon’s digital personal assistant in recent years then they don’t have to worry about buying an Echo device for the dorm if they’re attending Saint Louis University. The college has decided to install an Echo Dot at all student residences, this includes dorms and apartments.
The Saint Louis University is going to equip all of the 2,300 student residences on campus with an Echo Dot. The smart speakers will be in place by late August when the classes begin.
It’s now the first university to offer smart speakers in every residence. Other schools have offered them as well but in specific living spaces such as rec areas. Residents who wanted one in their dorm would have to request one.
These smart speakers will have a special SLU Alexa skill which will provide answers to more than 100 common questions related to the college, such as the location of a particular building, library hours, and event timings. Some features will be limited, though. They can’t be used for shopping.
Perhaps the best thing is that the residents won’t have to pay for these Echo Dots. The college says that it didn’t bump up the tuition to cover the cost of installing 2,300 Echo Dot speakers.
Filed in . Read more about Alexa and Echo Dot. Source: slu.edu