Do you remember when Siri first spoke to you? It was impressive and a little bit scary. But mostly it was entertaining. We all figured out Siri's limitations within a few minutes of messing around with her artificial intelligence (AI) functionality. But today, an update: We have AI like Alexa, which can deliver flowers to our spouses at work, or tell us how to say "pork belly" in Portuguese.

Now is a good time to get started on smart home plans for yourself or someone on your gift list: Today, Best Buy is selling a Philips Hue smart bulb-Google Home bundle for $199. Usually that price would cover the Philips Hue bulb package alone. The bundle includes four Philips Hue white and color ambiance bulbs, a Philips Hue Bridge, and a Google Home smart speaker. Philips Hue is a popular choice for smart light bulbs, and when we last looked at them in late 2016--Philips has released a new generation since then--we found them to be the "best-looking bulbs on the market." As you might guess from the bundle, they also work with Google Home, which allows you to control the lights via voice commands.

If you've got an Echo or another Alexa-powered device around the house, you'll want to review your privacy settings. Kim Komando tells you how. More consumers are buying voice-activated assistants like the Amazon Echo 2, shown here. If you're one of them, it's important to check the privacy settings on these listening devices. People used to dream about robot secretaries.

It took Amazon a while to get its streaming music strategy truly off the ground -- its Music Unlimited service, with competes with Spotify, Apple Music and the like, only launched last fall. But today, both Music Unlimited and the Echo smart speaker lineup are expanding in a big way: Amazon has announced that both are available in 28 new countries, most of which are found across Europe and South America. Pricing for Music Unlimited will vary by area, but Amazon says it'll offer the same three plans it currently does -- including an Echo-only plan, the standard individual plan for smartphones, computers and other devices and a family plan for multiple users. Amazon's also not discussing pricing for Echo hardware, as that also will vary from country to country. But launching both the hardware and service at the same time is a smart move, as the company says its music service is designed with voice control in mind. Of course, Spotify and the like work just as well, but having both the Echo and Music Unlimited available at the same time will ensure new customers can use their new speakers to their fullest extent.

If you've got an Echo or another Alexa-powered device around the house, you'll want to review your privacy settings. Kim Komando tells you how. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. If you've got an Echo or another Alexa-powered device around the house, you'll want to review your privacy settings. Kim Komando tells you how.

David Cearley, vice president and Gartner Fellow, wrote that promises of artificial intelligence (AI) magically performing intellectual tasks that humans do and dynamically learning as much as humans is "speculative at best." However with 2018 rapidly approaching, AI is clearly on the minds of many businesses. Where are businesses practically applying AI in their digital workplaces? In October 2017, Cearley noted at the Gartner 2017 Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, FL that Narrow AI currently holds the most promise. Narrow AI is composed of "highly scoped machine-learning solutions that target a specific task (such as understanding language or driving a vehicle in a controlled environment) with algorithms chosen that are optimized for that task," he says.

The Alexa voice assistant has been Amazon's remarkable runaway hit this past year. And as competitors such as Google and Apple try to catch up in the home, Amazon is pushing into a new market with Alexa for Business. Office workers will be able to use the firm's Echo smart speakers to set up meetings with colleagues, book conference rooms and other basic tasks. But the critical question isn't whether the technology works, but whether people will trust it in a business setting. "Without a doubt privacy and security is the number one issue," said Geoff Blaber, analyst at CCS Insight.

Skype just released a new version of its app for iOS devices, and this one is specifically targeted at iPhone X owners. For one thing, the update is modifying the look of the app, so it can now make use of the space surrounding the TrueDepth camera system's notch on top of the 10th anniversary iPhone. Just this past Wednesday, Skype introduced version 8.12 of its iOS app on the App Store. The update, which is clocking in at 113 MB, requires iOS 9.0 or later versions of Apple's mobile operating system. Based on the release notes for the app, version 8.12 adds support for iPhone X.

A petition calls on Amazon and Apple to reprogram Alexa and Siri so the voice assistants can push back against sexual harasments comments from users toward the voice assistant. The call comes as the #MeToo movement gives a voice to those who have been sexually harassed. Actress Alyssa Milano started the online campaign in October after Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual harassment and rape by multiple women. The recent Siri and Alexa petition was launched on Care2 and has more than 6,000 supporters out its 10,000 signature goal. "In this #MeToo moment, where sexual harassment may finally be being taken seriously society, we have a unique opportunity to develop AI in a way that creates a kinder world," the petition said.

The bourbon whiskey brand Jim Beam released a smart decanter that speaks in a Kentucky accent for six months. The product sold out within two hours of its debut, USA Today reported Friday. The bourbon whiskey brand created JIM, the artificial intelligence decanter, to answer questions about bourbon and pour a shot when asked. The voice of the decanter is 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe, who has a clear Kentucky accent. Although it seemed like Jim Beam was attempting to ridicule recent artificial intelligence products such as Amazon Echo or Google Home, JIM is a real device.