Ambient computing is the next major wave of personal computing, and smart speakers are how we get there.

A widely-quoted report from NPR and Edison Research claims that the 2017 holiday selling season saw a significant rise in smart speaker ownership. This leap forward is tied, no doubt, to the commoditization of these devices, with both Amazon and Google selling their cheapest offerings for just $29. At those prices, a smart speaker is an impulse buy, the sort of thing one might get as a stocking-stuffer.