My dad is blind. I got him the Google Home device (similar to the Echo, but I thought it might be better on searches), and he can ask about things without bugging my mom. He can play radio stations via TuneIn without messing with trying to find them on the radio (or ones that are out of range). He can just ask it to play something ("Hey, Google, play some Italian dinner music.") and it will. Or rarely it will misunderstand and he'll get Norwegian Death Metal...followed shortly by him bellowing, "Hey, Google...STOP!" 
You can have it do alarms or timers, or tell the time or weather or news, by voice, all which is surprisingly handy to ask while you're doing something else.
If you have the $, you can buy setups to control your lights or thermostat, etc., by voice. And you can set it to order pizza or (the Echo can) order from Amazon.
I can see this. But I'm schizophrenic when it comes to technology. I have an iPhone 6s plus, but my Macs are from 94, 05, and 12. My iPad is from 11. My TV is from the 80s. I also have a PC from 98 .
I got a Kindle for my birthday, not a fan. I now have my dad's watch which he bought when he was stationed in Germany in 45. (During the war). - on a weekend leave.
My mom's old 60s Electrolux vacuum finally died and my sister bought a brand spanking new Dyson for me. I wish she didn't.
And I live in an apt that was built when Eisenhower was president. I don't want to move to something newer- and in this area I also can't afford to.
I'm really crazy I think.
Oh most of my furniture has been in the family since the 1910s. Except my mattress, and my lamps. Those were my moms bought in the 60s. My couches are semi new. When my cat died in 13, my mom gave me her old sofa and love seat and bought new ones.
