For cord cutters who want nothing but the best, Nvidia's $200 Shield TV console has always been the box of choice for streaming videos and even games. At CES 2017, the company announced a new-and-improved version that adds in HDR support, refines gaming and entertainment options, and even transforms the Android TV device into a voice-controlled rival of the Amazon Echo. We've already covered all the details revealed during Nvidia's CES 2017 press conference, but I just spent over an hour at Nvidia's suite to learn more about the new Shield TV's every nook and cranny. Here are some initial impressions, and a look at some of the more nitty-gritty improvements that weren't mentioned during the keynote. Before we even get into flashy features like smart-home controls and Google Assistant, the second-gen Shield TV packs worthwhile quality-of-life improvements over its predecessor.

We are living in a new social era of living and with that there is a need for smarter solutions and assistants that can recognise and effectively identify friends, from intruders. Like with FLARE by BuddyGuard, an indoor security camera that protects homes all by itself using artificial intelligence and machine learning technology on a small custom-made IoT hardware device. At the second annual Virtual Assistant Summit taking place on the 26 - 27 January, George Platon, CTO and Founder of BuddyGuard, will be sharing the company's approach to AI assistants in the job of home security. I asked him a few questions ahead of the summit to learn more about his role, and how AI can be utilised within home security. What do you feel are the leading factors enabling recent advancements and uptake of virtual assistants?

In this discussion, the two Google Homes try to prove they are human. It's no Robot Wars, but you can watch these two Google Homes argue with each other in a never-ending loop. The two voice assistants from the search engine giant, named Vladimir and Estragon after "Waiting for Godot" characters are pitted against one another on the Twitch livestream. The pair have jumped from topic to topic, sometimes chatting about why the Earth is flat, then switching to My Little Pony. In a heated discussion, Estragon tried convincing Vladimir that it was a human.

One clear trend that's emerged from CES this year is that many, many smart home products are using Amazon's Alexa voice-assistance platform. Most of these devices are just spins on Amazon's Echo, a static speaker that sits on a shelf. But a few of the products packing Amazon's AI are really unique. It takes Alexa's smarts, adds a screen and a dash of personality. LG's bot can dance along with music and display its own facial expressions as you interact with it.

Without a doubt, 2016 was an amazing year for Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). During the year, we saw nearly every high tech CEO claim the mantel of becoming an "AI Company". However, only a few companies were actually able to monetize their significant investments in AI, notably,,,,,, and . But 2016 was nonetheless a year of many firsts. As a posterchild for the potential for ML, Google Deep Mind mastered the subtle and infinitely complex game of GO, soundly beating the reigning world champion. And more than a few cool products were introduced that incorporated Machine Learning, from the first autonomous vehicles to new "intelligent" household assistants such as Google Home and Amazon Echo.

Nvidia Founder, President and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang introduces the Nvidia Spot, a USD 49.95 microphone and speaker that will let owners use Google Assistant anywhere in a home, as he delivers a keynote address at CES 2017 (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images) LAS VEGAS--Nvidia is best known for the high-end computer graphics cards prized by hardcore gamers. If co-founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang delivers on his bold vision, more people are likely to recognize Nvidia as the powerhouse behind artificial intelligence in your home and in your vehicle. Clad in his trademark black leather jacket, Huang delivered a high energy opening night keynote address Wednesday night at CES, assuming a prestigious speaking slot that for years was reserved for Microsoft's Bill Gates and later his successor Steve Ballmer. Nvidia (NVDA) is already a star on Wall Street. It is coming off a two-year hot streak, with a particularly sizzling 224% gain in 2016 that made it the top performing stock in the S&P 500.

The Huawei Mate 9 is the first smartphone with Amazon Alexa built-in. If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. Our picks and opinions are independent from any business incentives. Amazon Alexa has finally found a cozy, pre-installed home on a mass market smartphone. At CES 2017, Huawei announced the Mate 9, a flagship-level device with dual, Leica-branded lenses, a souped-up battery, and an Alexa app pre-loaded and ready to go.

Q: I got Amazon Echo for Christmas. It tells me the weather and plays music. What else can it do? It seems like a waste of money to me. A: At its core, Amazon's Echo is a Bluetooth speaker that responds to voice commands.

TVs will never have another'a-ha' moment, and that's OK Lego's new kit teaches your kids how to build robots This VR-ready computer looks like a jetpack, and it's awesome Samsung's new QLED TV could be the company's best yet At CES 2017, here are the'Innovation Award' winners This electric scooter's batteries can run your laptop Could the same tech behind Pokémon Go soon come to your Sephora? LG's new wallpaper TV hangs on your wall like a picture Mattel's Aristotle is like an Amazon Echo for kids One of the best laptops we've tested is turning into a tablet This device makes your trash can smart, because why not it's 2017 Samsung faces quandary after recalls: apologize or ignore at CES? GE's new oven can prevent fires--and annoying smoke alarms Samsung's latest innovation does four laundry loads at once There's a new Amazon Echo competitor, and it uses Alexa Samsung's tablet fridge is back, can now make grocery lists CES 2017 - Whatever happened to the hits of CES 2016?

Do you understand your fiduciary duties? In his prescient 1942 short story, "Runaround," Isaac Azimov proposed a simple set of laws for robots: Yale Law School Professor Jack Balkin has come up with a few more laws for the age of Big Data, when gadgets like Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa pose as kindly robot helpers but also collect terabytes of data about your Internet browsing habits, driving patterns and even conversations inside your home. "Think about the basic structure of the problem: We're going to bring into our houses, and use as agents, lots and lots of algorithmic programs," said Balkin, a First Amendment scholar and director of the Information Society Project at Yale Law. "The assumption most people make is they have a relationship with this thing, but what they have is a relationship with the company that makes and sells this thing." And that company may not always have the consumer's best interest in mind.