The first open-source, privacy-focused voice assistant for the home is here [Video]

Home Assistant, a smart home automation system, is getting one of the biggest upgrades in years. The platform is getting voice control for the first time with the launch of the Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition, a new privacy-focused device manufactured by Nabu Casa.

The new independent voice assistant runs locally and privately, independent of cloud services or internet connections. The open-source voice assistant hardware is available now at $59 and has dual microphones to help pick up prompts from anywhere in the room and a strong speaker to respond. The Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition has a dial with an LED light indicator for volume control and a mute switch on the side, which changes the LED to red when it’s not listening. 

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The Home Assistant Voice Preview Edition is like an Echo speaker for Amazon Alexa or a Google Nest Audio speaker for Google Home but it’s limited to giving …