Alexa is adding kids skills.' (Photo: Amazon) Amazon boasts more than 20,000 "skills" for its Alexa-powered Echo speakers and all the many other devices in which Alexa increasingly lends her voice. On Thursday, Amazon announced that the first "kids" skills are coming to Alexa, along with a parental consent framework that mom and dad must approve before Junior can try out these skills. Alexa, it's time for work: Ask Cortana to read Outlook emails At launch, Amazon says there will be nine skills for Alexa, including a SpongeBob challenge through Nickelodeon, a Sesame Street skill in which kids can call Elmo or play hide and seek with him, and an Amazon Storytime skill in which short stores designed for youngsters 5 through 12 are read aloud via say an Echo by such narrators as Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant, and Tom Kenny, who is the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants. Storytime content is free and doesn't require an Amazon Rapids or Audible subscription, though Audible does plan to contribute short stories in the future. Amazon has opened up the kids' skills platform to developers and says hundreds have expressed interest.

The second-generation Switchmate--Switchmate Bright--is even better than the original. The new model is about one-third narrower, it has a built-in motion sensor for hands-free operation (you can also operate it manually, of course), you can program a timer that will automatically turn the light (or ceiling fan, or whatever the switch controls) on and off, and it can be integrated into Wink-based smart homes. Like the much bulkier original, the Switchmate Bright doesn't require any wiring changes or even tools to install it. You just mount it over your existing switch and a pair of strong magnets hold the device fast to the screws holding the cover plate. If you have a multi-gang box, the narrower design enables multiple Switchmates to operate side by side (the app can control several Switchmates, with each assigned to a room and having a unique name).

Cortana and Alexa just went from being rivals to being besties. Microsoft and Amazon's respective digital assistants are teaming up to work together later this year, the companies surprisingly announced today. That means you'll be able to tap into Alexa's smarts via Cortana on Windows 10 PCs and (further down the line) Microsoft's mobile Cortana apps, or access Cortana via Amazon's Echo devices and Alexa-enabled phones like the HTC U11 and Huawei Mate 9. You'll need to specifically summon the assist, however, by saying "Cortana, open Alexa" or "Alexa, open Cortana." The timing might seem weird with Cortana-powered devices like the Harmon Kardon Invoke speaker launching this fall. But with both digital assistants owning a firm niche--PCs and Office software for Microsoft, smart speakers for Amazon--the collaboration helps them extend their reach without stepping on each other's toes too much.

Amazon's deluge of Alexa and Echo integrations and tie-ins at CES last January caught Google a bit flat-footed. It seems Google is looking to return the favor at IFA. The company announced several new third-party products that either have Google Assistant built in, so you can talk to them like Google Home, or that work with Google Assistant, so you can control them with voice commands. On the control front, Google announced that several new LG washing machines, clothes dryers, and vacuums will respond to voice commands spoken to a Google Home, Android smartphone, iPhone, or any other device with Google Assistant built in. Say "OK Google, start vacuuming," and your LG robot vacuum will fire up and start cleaning your floors.

If Cortana will work on Amazon's Alexa-powered devices, and Alexa will run on Windows, what's the point of buying Cortana-powered connected speakers like Harman Kardon's Invoke? The unexpected partnership struck Wednesday between Amazon and Microsoft--neither of which owns a digital assistant that's natively built into a major smartphone OS--extends Amazon's reach to the more than 400 million PCs running Windows 10, and ties Microsoft closer to another third-party hardware platform. Alexa will be available as a Cortana skill on Windows 10 PCs first, followed by the Cortana apps on Android and iOS in the future, a Microsoft spokeswoman said in an email. Conversely, Cortana will be available as an Alexa skill on devices like the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show. Microsoft has yet to confirm whether Alexa will be included on the Invoke.

Libratone's Zipp and Zipp Mini wireless speakers support Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth, they have touch-sensitive controls, and they're equipped with microphones. Libratone is now leveraging those features to tap Amazon's Alexa Voice Service and transform the speakers into battery-powered Echo clones that sound much better than the originals. This fall, Zipp and Zipp Mini owners will be able to download a free firmware update that activates Alexa. Once that's installed, they'll be able to use voice commands to control their speakers as well as their smart-home devices. They'll also be able to ask Alexa for news, sports, and traffic updates and anything else an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, or Amazon Tap can do. Unlike Amazon's speakers, they'll be able to deploy the Zipp and Zipp Mini in multiple rooms--just like Sonos speakers.

Panasonic, Anker, and Mobovi aren't the only companies at IFA showing smart speakers with Google Assistant built in. Sony announced this morning that it will ship a $200 smart speaker in mid October. The Sony SF-S50G Wireless Speaker, which looks surprisingly like Apple's upcoming HomePod smart speaker, features a single full-range driver that fires up into a two-stage diffuser to produce 360-degree sound. That driver is augmented by a dedicated subwoofer firing down into the same diffuser to reproduce bass frequencies. Sony hasn't released detailed specs for the new speaker, so we don't know how big its amplifier is, but a spokesperson said it can comfortably fill an average-sized room with sound (defining "average" as a 25x16-foot living room or kitchen).

Every smart speaker has its advantages. With Amazon Echo, you get access to tens of thousands of "skills," the mini-apps that start a game of Jeopardy or help you mix a cocktail. With Google Home, you have the full power of Google search at your beck and call. And when Apple's HomePod comes out later this year, it'll be by far the best-sounding voice-enabled speaker of the bunch. Sony doesn't have a voice assistant, but knows its way around a speaker.

Amazon's Alexa skills let you add all sorts of functionality to your Echo devices, and there are more coming every day. You can order a pizza, manage your video streaming binges, find out when your package has shipped and even book a hotel with your voice. But why should grown-ups have all the fun? Amazon has just announced kids skills in the US, which have a layer of parental permissions to help adults feel safe in adding them to their children's Echo devices. Amazon also announced a bevy of kid-friendly activities and games that are available right now as part of the new push.

Amazon's Alexa may be a useful digital assistant, but it's a lot less useful when you're away from your Echo hardware. Wireless headphone-maker Bragi is looking to bridge the gap between Alexa and your phone with its Dash and Dash Pro earbuds. Thanks to a software update coming in October, you'll be able to talk to Alexa using Bragi's headphones. Once you update your headphones and link your Amazon account in the Bragi app for iOS and Android, you'll be able to start talking with Alexa through your headphones the same way you can with Siri or the Google Assistant. The above video shows a few examples of what you can do with this integration, but if you've used the Amazon Echo you should have a good idea of what to expect.