The battle now raging between the big technology companies for consumer cash is focused on the voice-controlled smart speaker. Having already conquered the pocket with the ubiquitous smartphone, big tech has been struggling to come up with the next must-have gadget that will open up a potentially lucrative new market – the home. A pilot light was lit when Amazon's Echo launched in 2014 and became a sleeper hit. Now the voice controlled smart speaker is rapidly becoming the next big thing, capable of answering questions, setting timers, playing music, controlling other devices about the home, or even potentially selling products. "The last 12 months have been explosive for smart speakers, which have surged into the mass market for two reasons. Firstly, smart speakers have become the central control hubs of the smart home ecosystem," said Ben Stanton, an analyst for Canalys.

USA TODAY's Ed Baig looks at the top Tech trends to watch for in 2018. Visitors walk past a 5G logo during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, on March 1, 2017. Blistering fast wireless networks, digital assistants that are, well, everywhere, and a coming out bash for augmented reality. These and other technologies mentioned here, some of which are already familiar but really just getting started, are worth keeping an eye on in 2018. You can bet we'll also learn about innovations in the months to come that are for now, completely under the radar.

Artificial intelligence sounds like some futuristic science fiction technology. But AI is already here. Smaller businesses should be thinking about it too. According to tech reporter Mary Catherine O'Connor, "If your company is not embracing artificial intelligence, it is going to suffer." And in the world of IT, nobody wants to be left behind.

As consumers flit between smartphones, web pages, call centres and stores, retailers struggle to keep track of them. Eight out 10 retailers say a single view of the customer is an issue for their current or future agenda, and only 8% have successfully achieved it, a study from SAP and PwC has found. Customer relationship management is a vital focus for many organisations. In this buyer's guide, Computer Weekly looks at co-ordinating data for effective CRM, how to reduce the risk of Salesforce, and what to choose in CRM software. You forgot to provide an Email Address.

Alexa could soon be coming to a lot more devices, from smart watches to Bluetooth headphones. Amazon announced its new Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit today, in a move to expand the voice assistant to'on-the-go' devices. While Alexa has appeared on wearables before, the new kit aims to make the process much simpler, so Bluetooth devices built with it can connect right to Alexa through the smartphone app. Alexa could soon be coming to a lot more devices, from smart watches to Bluetooth headphones. Amazon announced its new Alexa Mobile Accessory Kit today, in a move to expand the voice assistant to'on-the-go' devices.

Amazon's smart assistant can now add'cooking' to its ever-expanding set of home skills. The firm has revealed that Alexa users in the US can now control their microwave ovens with simple voice commands, by stating phrases such as: 'Alexa, defrost three pounds of chicken.' While the functionality is limited to microwaves for now, Amazon says support for'other cooking devices,' including conventional ovens, is on the way. Amazon has revealed that Alexa users in the US can now control their microwave ovens with simple voice commands, by stating phrases such as: 'Alexa, defrost three pounds of chicken.' The new microwave functionality will first come to customers in the US, with other countries to follow.

It's given you an extra 15 minutes in bed, responding to data it received from your phone about your quality of sleep. Before you ask, Alexa has switched on the lights in the bathroom and is playing your morning bulletin. As you finish brushing your teeth, you hear the coffee machine start to bubble away in the kitchen. You open the fridge, finish the last of the milk in your coffee, and see a notification come in saying that more milk will be arriving today in your grocery delivery. Your personal assistant reminds you that you have three meetings today, and for once you'll need dress smartly.

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While Kohler is mostly known for simple bathroom fixtures, it's been releasing a few high-end smart products, like toilets, for years. But now the company is expanding to the whole bathroom. The brand introduced a new platform at CES, Kohler Konnect, that runs on a new line of products users can customize with presets and control with motion or voice -- and some even have Amazon Alexa built-in. These apply to a new suite of products, from mirrors to showers to toilets, designed to work with Konnect. Users can start a shower, warm a toilet seat, adjust lighting from the mirror or fill a bathtub to a desired depth through vocal control.

Does Cortana have a future in the workplace? We want to hear your thoughts. Late last month, Amazon unveiled "Alexa for Business" – the company's latest foray into digital assistant space. Targeting the workplace, the new version of Alexa is tailored for businesses looking to automate the office, with commands for starting conference calls, handling appointments and hooking directly into other enterprise services. This announcement follows an earlier partnership between Amazon and Microsoft, where plans were outlined to merge the company's two rival assistants in select scenarios, covering a wider range of skills.