Finished a Google
Paper Signals project. You set up a $30 Arduino board that includes Wifi, to receive commands from the Google Assistant app on your phone. The project produces a very limited device. For instance, I did the timer and there is about a 30 second lag time between the time you tell Google Assistant to "Set a timer for X minutes" and when the device starts timing. It's better for tracking when some sort of data point changes on the web, like weather or stocks. But you learn about how the programming works, how to connect modules to the Arduino, and the mechanics of building an enclosure, in this case, cardboard.
I have been curious about these little boards since they first started coming out, but there were more practical things to do while I was working. For me, this is the ultimate joy of retirement - being able to spend time on some little pursuit just for the heck of it...