If victory belongs to whoever's virtual assistant can interact with the most unlikely range of household appliances, then Amazon has already won. The firm's voice-activated digital helper has been added to a bathroom mirror that can - via cloud service Kohler Konnect - pass commands to smart kitchen taps, a shower system and even a smart toilet. "That means'Alexa, ask Kohler to flush my toilet' is something you might end up saying in the near future," mused Blair Hanley Frank at news site Venturebeat. Who needs a copy of Reader's Digest when Alexa is free for a chat, instead? In all seriousness, the battle to be your smart home's virtual butler is hotly contested and a huge range of gadgets on show at the latest CES tech show in Las Vegas now boast ways for users to interact with them via assistants including Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri and others.

Amazon's Echo Buttons are somewhat bizarre devices that allow you to add a game show element to playing trivia with Alexa. Now, it looks like the online retail giant has larger plans for the device. "I think you'll see a lot more games come out this year that take advantage of the buttons," Steve Rabuchin, the vice president of Amazon Alexa, told TechCrunch this week at CES. The plan is to launch more of these gadgets in 2018. Specifically, Amazon discussed Alexa Gadgets back in December, which are its line of connected home products and developer tools that will allow third parties to take advantage of these new devices. The idea, Rabuchin told TechCrunch, is that Amazon builds the hardware, and then allows the larger developer community to expand and innovate upon it.

First impressions matter, and nothing makes a better dating-profile impression than a great photo. As you set up your profile, take your time choosing shots that show off your looks and hint at your personality. At the very least, you need a couple establishing shots that potential matches can use to recognize you when you finally meet up in person. Look for at least one good close-up of your face and one more distant snap that shows a fuller view of your body. In these photos, your features should be clearly visible, so avoid images where sunglasses cover your face or you have completely different facial hair.

A number of Chinese mobile applications have been shut down after it was revealed women on their platforms were actually automated robots, it's reported. According to the Modern Express newspaper, police have closed down mobile apps associated with 21 companies and arrested more than 600 suspects operating across 13 provinces, after discovering that messages from some women were being automatically generated by computer programmes. Police in southern Guangdong province began investigating in August 2017, after suspecting one app of fraudulently charging visitors to view pornographic videos which did not exist. Further investigation found that technical personnel from at least one company had created fake "sexy girl" accounts. They wrote computer programmes which generated greeting messages and compliments from fake accounts, and targeted these at newly registered users.

Alexa really could soon be everywhere - including your car. At the annual Vegas tech gathering CES dozens of firms have revealed the smart assistant is coming to everything from dashboards to power chargers, bringing the smart assistant war to cars. Amazon's new Alexa Onboard technology will let users access the Alexa voice assistant through their car's infotainment system. That means drivers or passengers can play music, ask for directions or get other information simply by speaking to the car's audio system. Several firms also revealed Alexa'dongles', many that double as chargers, at CES.

Earlier today at CES, Google detailed how its Assistant would be available in more cars, headphones, speakers and other devices in 2018. Bang & Olufsen connected speakers are on that list. The Danish audio company already allows voice control through a Google Home speaker, but later this year the feature will be available directly on some of the company's gear. There's no word on exactly when the update will arrive or what models will be included, but due to the hardware upgrade needed to include voice, you will have to buy new devices to take advantage. The company says some existing models may be updated to accommodate Assistant, but future products will also offer it. If you've already committed funds to a pricey B&O speaker, you can employ the feature with an external device -- there won't be a software update to deliver it.

Artificial intelligence dominated CES 2018 in a big way on Monday with major announcements on connected car advances and home system technologies. Google all but declared war on Amazon with its Google Assistant voice technology making its presence known at nearly every turn on the showroom floor. LG rolled out a new lineup of high-end AI OLED and Super UHD televisions infused with its ThinQ AI technology and Alpha 9 technology, combining cinema-quality home entertainment with the ability to voice control the entire home. The ThinQ technology, which integrates LG's WebOS smart TV platform with Google Assistant, will allow customers to use hundreds of voice commands to search for specific content, control various functions on the television, and control home appliances. LG introduced a total of nine new 4K AI OLED televisions, ranging from 55 to 77 inches, and seven new AI UHD televisions ranging from 55 to 75 inches.

Consumers who own in-home digital voice assistant devices are using their smartphones less often for entertainment and online purchasing, according to an online survey of 21,000 consumers in 19 countries by Accenture. The survey revealed that two-thirds of consumers who own digital voice assistants – powered by early stage artificial intelligence – said they use their smartphones for fewer applications in the home since acquiring the devices. Nearly two-thirds of these owners said they use their smartphones less for entertainment, and more than half use them less for online purchasing and general information searches. "Digital voice assistant devices are challenging smartphones as the central hub for all activities in the home," said David Sovie, global managing director of Accenture's High Tech business. "These low-cost devices deliver valuable and practical benefits and are relatively easy to use, and their rapidly growing popularity is one of the most striking trends in the high-tech industry."

Using Alexa in your car is getting more ubiquitous. Ford, Hyundai and Volkswagen all have plans for Amazon's voice control tech, and third parties like Anker, Panasonic, Garmin and Logitech have their own strategy to help you use Alexa while you drive. Now, Toyota has plans to include Amazon's intelligent assistant in select Toyota and Lexus vehicles starting this year. The company also announced at CES that more models will include Alexa via the Toyota Entune and Lexus Enform in-car app systems in 2019. Once you've enabled Alexa in your Toyota or Lexus, you can ask it do to pretty much everything you might at home, including adjusting your smart thermostat, adding items to your shopping list and listening to music or audiobooks with a voice command.

Will.i.am's tech company i.am revealed to TechCrunch at CES today that it had recently purchased headphone maker Earin. The company didn't disclose how much it paid for Earin and Earin's name might not make it through the acquisition, but Earin's products fit with those of i.am for the most part and the purchase seems to be a more logical move than others recently made by the company. So far, i.am has come out with Buttons, its wireless Bluetooth earphones, and a couple of smartwatches, one of which, the Puls, was dubbed "a wearable nightmare" by Mashable. The Black Eyed Pea also produced a wild, high-end iPhone case back in 2012. However, last year, i.am purchased Wink, a maker of smart home hubs, and is said to be working on a virtual assistant called Omega.