Online retailer Amazon (AMZN) is embracing its inner tech geek with the introduction of two new technology products, hoping to further capitalize on its surprisingly popular home-based voice-controlled Echo product that has been dubbed, Alexa. In this March 2, 2016 photo, David Limp, Amazon Senior Vice President of Devices, center, speaks behind an Amazon Echo in San Francisco. Amazon.com is introducing two devices, the Amazon Tap and Echo Dot, that are designed to amplify the role that its voice-controlled assistant Alexa plays in people's homes and lives. Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version incorrectly identified Amazon's Fire Phone. SAN FRANCISCO -- The Amazon Echo is turning out to be a sleeper hit.

Japanese roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro displayed one of his androids on Sunday at the SXSW Interactive Festival. The android, which is modeled after Ishiguro, held an autonomous conversation in Japanese on stage with an Ishiguro associate. Professional South Korean Go players review a match after another bout lost to a computer in the Google DeepMind Challenge Match. AUSTIN – Science and technology have always cut with double-edged swords, capable of both propelling humanity to new achievements while threatening us with potential catastrophe. That chilling theme was explored by two leading technologists at SXSW Interactive, a festival that has seen its share of humans rising up against the machines.

USA TODAY's Ed Baig tests Amazon Echo's personal digital assistant. Find out how Alexa relates to Siri, benefits and flaws in this Jan. Siri can now name songs, via Shazam. SAN FRANCISCO -- While there are multiple voice-controlled products, only a few are in wide use in the United States. Siri can be set up to only turn on when the user pushes a button, or to also respond to the phrase "Hey, Siri."

SAN FRANCISCO - Amazon is working on a portable version of the Echo, its surprisingly successful voice-activated tabletop device released earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Seattle e-commerce company plans to release a beer can sized version of Echo "in the coming weeks," the paper said. The new carry-along device will be priced lower than Echo's $180 and will require charging like a phone. It is code named "Fox," the Journal reported. A lower price "is always a good thing for greater adoption. Echo v.1 has received rave reviews from consumers and reviewers. I think they'll only benefit getting it in more hands," said Sucharita Mulpuru, a senior Amazon analyst with Forrester.

From Siri to photo memories, here are five new features of the MacOS Sierra, coming to the public as a beta in July. NEW YORK--Siri evaded my question for what took Apple's voice assistant so long to get onto the Mac. "Who, me?" responds the voice familiar to anyone who uses an iPhone. However tardy Siri's arrival, the debut of Apple's loquacious personal helper on the company's computers is arguably the most welcome new feature coming to Macs that will be running macOS Sierra. Sierra is the latest iteration of Apple's operating system for its PCs and is the first version in years without the OS X moniker.

Siri has been a part of Apple's iPhone since 2011. The human voice is one of the most personal and unique aspects of every individual, as well as one of the most sought after means of interacting with our devices. Voice-based interfaces have, in fact, been promised as the next big breakthrough for several decades. Until recently, though, they've been much more future promise than current reality. Even with the much heralded introduction of Apple's Siri back in October of 2011, spoken interactions with computing devices have often been more comical than helpful. Beginning with Amazon's Alexa, however--part of their Echo series of devices--the notion of natural human-style interactions with computing devices is starting to take hold.

NEW YORK -- This year you can purchase a bit more of the sci-fi future. Hoverboards aren't quite what the name implies, but there's bona fide virtual reality, a droid you should be looking for and a basketball that improves your free throw, all one shopping-click away. These tech gadgets make the pocket-sized computer that talks to you and dials your friends seem quaint. But don't worry, there are plenty of smartphones on sale, too. Sphero's new $150 BB-8 droid is expected to be one of the hottest Star Wars gifts this holiday season.

We've already told you about the Amazon Echo's smart home chops, but Jeff Bezos' digital assistant is about to get some competition from a small company called Ivee. The company has taken to Indiegogo with its own digital assistant, called Ivee Voice. Like the Echo, Ivee Voice will give you on-demand traffic and weather updates, and can also control smart home products. In addition, Ivee says the device will work with Belkin Wemo, the Nest Learning Thermostat, Philips Hue, SmartThings, and Wink. You can even contact emergency services using Ivee Voice.

Clara Labs' product, dubbed Clara, is a virtual assistant that when looped in on email conversations is able to schedule appointments based on the requests in those emails. SAN FRANCISCO – As with many tech company epiphanies, Maran Nelson had hers in the wee hours of the morning. It was 2 a.m., and Nelson had scheduled herself to call an important potential investor in Singapore. But her time zone calculation was off. She missed the call and the sale.

Now I am really in a mess. How does one get help from Microsoft these days? Are there courses for people who need more instruction? I have trouble even getting a regular Google page. In most respects, Windows 10 works like your old Windows 7.