The hottest thing in the world of technology these days is your own voice. During the holiday season, some of the most popular gadgets were smart speakers with digital assistants from Google & Amazon. Apple also plans to come out with its own speaker this year. Microsoft & Samsung have partnered on another one. During the annual CES gadgets show that that will kick off this week in Las Vegas, manufacturers are expected to showcase more voice-controlled devices.

Along with a literal wall of a television, and new QLEDs with AI for 8K, Samsung's "First Look: event ahead of CES 2018 had some news about Bixby, SmartThings and Universal Guide. For those not familiar with Bixby, it is Samsung's answer to Siri, Alexa, ...Cortana. And Bixby will be in Samsung's 2018 range of televisions. Samsung says Bixby "enables easier interaction between the TV and its users, thanks to its intuitive UX, and comprehensive voice analysis capabilities". The new TVs will also feature SmartThings, Samsung's IoT platform hub, which promises "a simpler way to control the television and sync with other devices.

Some of the most popular gadgets over the holiday season were smart speakers with digital assistants from Amazon and Google. Apple is coming out with its own speaker this year; Microsoft and Samsung have partnered on another. As the annual CES gadget show kicks off in Las Vegas this week, manufacturers are expected to unveil even more voice-controlled devices -- speakers and beyond -- as Amazon and Google make their digital assistants available on a wider array of products. If these prove popular, you'll soon be able to order around much more of your house, including kitchen appliances, washing machines and other devices. CES is expected to draw more than 170,000 people, as some 4,000 exhibitors showcase their wares over the equivalent of nearly 50 football fields, or more than 11 New York city blocks.

In fact, Jabra is releasing the third generation of its own take on the technology: the Elite 65t and Elite Active 65t wireless earbuds. In addition to these two new models, Jabra is showing off a wired pair of Bluetooth earbuds, the Elite 45e, at CES this year as well. The Elite 65t includes one-touch access to Siri, Google Now, and Amazon Alexa, and promises up to five hours of listening time. That figure bumps to 15 hours total thanks to the included charging cradle. There's a built-in microphone for calls and voice commands with the Jabra Sound app handling any EQ tweaks.

Our bathrooms are about to get a lot smarter, if the latest technology being unveiled here at CES 2018 is any indication. Moen, which released its U by Moen smart shower system last year, is adding Alexa and Siri voice control capability to the series this year. With the new skills, you can tell Alexa to turn on your shower at a desired temperature or to a customized setting. Siri compatibility is coming later in the year. The system consists of a digital valve that enables digital, to-the-digit temperature control, shower heads, handshowers, body sprays and other fixtures.

While voice assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant are taking over the home, there are still some users who don't want to talk to their devices. The French company Netatmo, maker of a number of smart home products, wants users to text--not speak--to control their devices no matter where they are. At CES, Netatmo debuted its Smart Home Bot, a digital assistant of sorts that lives within Facebook Messenger that users can text commands to, thereby controlling their smart home devices. The foundation for the Smart Home Bot comes from Netatmo's new "with Netatmo" program. Currently, Netatmo devices are compatible with various virtual assistants including Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant.

Samsung is making some of the most exciting TV news at the 2018 CES: The first consumer TV based on micro-LED technology (aka MicroLED, mLED, and µLED). You can think of the mLEDs in the 146-inch, 8K UHD (7680 by 4320 pixels) "The Wall" as significantly brighter, non-organic OLEDs that similarly provide their own individual, energy-efficient light source. Micro-LEDs eliminate the need for both a separate backlight and LCD shutters, so there should be little to no leakage of light in areas where you don't want it. In plain-speak, mLEDs should deliver vastly improved blacks while increasing the peak brightness of LED TVs. Actually, for the first time, LED TV (which was shorthand for LED backlit) won't be a misnomer.

One of our favorite smart locks is getting even smarter. Schlage announced today that Google Assistant control is coming to its Schlage Sense Smart Deadbolt. Using Google Assistant on Google Home or iOS or Android smartphones, you'll be able to lock the deadbolt by saying, "OK Google, lock my door." If your OCD kicks in and you can't remember if you locked up, you can ask "OK Google, is my door locked?" The Google Assistant capabilities will require the Schlage Sense Wi-Fi Adapter ($70) to get remote access to the lock.

Schlage's Sense smart deadbolt now works with (almost) any virtual assistant under the Sun. The lock maker has revealed that Sense will support Google Assistant early in the first quarter, letting you check on your door (and, of course, lock it) from your Google Home or mobile apps that use the AI helper. You'll need the Sense WiFi adapter to make this work, but it'll give you the choice of Assistant, Alexa or Siri (via HomeKit) -- not bad when some rivals only offer one or two options. The solution won't be cheap when you're looking at a $229 official price for the deadbolt itself and another $69 for the WiFi adapter. However, it might be worth the outlay if you want remote control of your door and don't want to be forced to use a specific platform or smart speaker.

Some of the most popular gadgets over the holiday season were smart speakers with digital assistants from Amazon and Google . Apple is coming out with its own speaker this year; Microsoft and Samsung have partnered on another. As the annual Consumer Electronics Show kicks off in Las Vegas this week, manufacturers are expected to unveil even more voice-controlled devices -- speakers and beyond -- as Amazon and Google make their digital assistants available on a wider array of products. If these prove popular, you'll soon be able to order around much more of your house, including kitchen appliances, washing machines and other devices. CES is expected to draw more than 170,000 people, as some 4,000 exhibitors showcase their wares over the equivalent of nearly 50 football fields, or more than 11 New York city blocks.