Update Your Standing Desk with a Voice-Activated Version Using Apple’s Siri

on August 30, 2019 at 8:00 am

An American furniture and ergonomic company, BTOD or Beyond the Office Door, is taking the standing desk to another level. They’ve expanded their best-selling line of desks, adding the electric “VertDesk v3” that offers voice control via Apple’s Siri. To activate users can preset up to four different desk heights within the VertDesk iOs app and then say commands like, “Hey Siri, stand up,” or “Hey Siri, sit down.” As with other Apple devices, you can set up reminders to stand up throughout the day.

A spokesperson for BTOD told Fast Company that they think voice is the future of technology. “Electric standing desks presented a unique opportunity for us to pair this technology with how people interact with their standing desk. We knew that our customers wanted to focus on their work, not pressing up and down buttons.”

The voice control version of the desk (there are v3s without voice) starts at $551.99 and is available to ship in September. It’s customizable and has a five-year warranty on the electronics, but the voice functionality isn’t actually built into the structure rather a Bluetooth control box.

Expanding the Smart Home Line Up

Image Source: PCMag

While the VertDesk v3 is currently marketed for offices, it’s certainly suitable for one’s home. For the tech-centric, a home office can be completely automated with voice devices: computers and phone, lights, speakers, windows, clocks – the list is continuously growing.

Last week IKEA announced they plan to add smart home furniture as their next business unit, their largest investment since developing a separate children’s unit. In 2017 the Swedish brand added smart lights to their assortment, and last year they started selling smart speakers. It seems smart furniture would be the next logical step.

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