Fast Company These tricks turn Apple’s HomePod Mini into the ultimate office assistant

From: Fast Company Compass - Tuesday Dec 01, 2020 02:45 pm

Fast Company Compass

This fall, Apple launched the $100 HomePod Mini, an adorable little smart speaker powered by Siri. But the Mini isn't just good for playing music—it can also function as a powerful office assistant. Beyond making calendar appointments, handling phone calls, and creating reminders, the HomePod Mini can also take advantage of Apple's Shortcuts, helping you send emails and even build out a custom "focus" timer.

Read our full guide to all the ways you can turn a HomePod Mini into an excellent productivity companion.

—Katharine Schwab

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Amazon says its customers have made “the 2020 holiday season our biggest yet.”

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, small- and medium-size independent businesses selling on Amazon’s platform had over $4.8 billion in worldwide sales—a 60% increase from last year, the company says.

As for which categories of products have been the most popular, Amazon says “self-care, nesting at home, and cozy comfort are top trends in the U.S., with Beauty, Home, and Fashion among top categories shopped so far.”

The new Echo Dot and Barack Obama’s memoir A Promised Land were among the top selling items, the retailer says.

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Fast Company These tricks turn Apple’s HomePod Mini into the ultimate office assistant