Amazon has released a web-based version of Alexa, the voice-activated digital assistant that powers its Echo speaker. Called Echosim.io, the service simulates having an Echo -- to a degree. At the user's prompting, Alexa on the Echo can access Amazon Prime or Spotify music, call an Uber, check Google calendar, or listen to an Audible book. In the animation, the Echo's rim starts to pulse blue at the user's prompt. The web-based simulator is far more limited than Alexa in Echo or Amazon's smaller speakers, Dot and Tap.

Apple is working on its own version of the Amazon Echo, and it could include a facial recognition capability, according to new leaks. Like the Echo, Apple's product is aimed at becoming an AI-infused hub for the smart home, allowing users to manipulate connected devices like lights via voice interaction. But its facial recognition capability could make it stand out, with the current goal being to enable the device to identify the individuals in front of it and respond by aligning to their particular user preferences. Together with Google's recently-announced Google Home, Apple's efforts demonstrate the major IT companies' preparations for the coming Internet of Things and the smart home, with each aiming to make its own platform central to a given user's ecosystem. And while Apple's exploration of facial recognition for its own device remains tentative and unofficial, Google's efforts in replacing Andriod devices' password security with other factors including face biometrics could signal a growing focus on facial recognition for that company, too. Amazon, meanwhile, continues to refine the technology underlying its Alexa AI assistant, which is central to the Amazon Echo, and to connect the technology to other devices like wearables.

I'm ready for the current advertising model to die. I think it's time is near. One of the most advanced technology writers on Quora, Brian Roemmele agrees. Today I was researching technology news for my various writing jobs and I came across Viv, the ultra intelligent virtual assistant, created by the same people who made Siri. After watching the TechCrunch video, I couldn't help but feel a kind of terror and excitement wash over me.

Amazon has put Alexa, the voice-powered AI software found in the Echo, Dot and Tap, right inside the browser with the launch of Echosim.io. After logging in with an Amazon account, anyone can start asking Alexa questions by clicking and holding on the mic button. Amazon's Alexa is able to answer basic questions around information, weather, news and music and control other gadgets in the home. But since launch, one of the real differentiators for the Echo has been integration with third-party developers. With an Amazon Echo, you can use your voice to order anything from a pizza to an Uber or even tune your guitar.

Apple now has the tech in place to give its digital assistant a big boost thanks to a UK-based company called VocalIQ it bought last year. In fact, it was so impressive that Apple bought VocalIQ before the company could finish and release its smartphone app. After the acquisition, Apple kept most of the VocalIQ team and let them work out of their Cambridge office and integrate the product into Siri. Before Apple bought the company, VocalIQ tested its product against Siri, Google Now, and Cortana, and the results were impressive. Users asked each AI questions using normal language, not the robotic commands you're used to using with digital assistants.

For those not in the know (this won't be many of you), HomeKit is a home automation framework created by Apple that developers can use to send data across applications and devices. It means that information from your thermostat, light switches, lightbulbs, blinds, locks and other smart-home devices can be shared using a common standard and with approved security practices. For now, the only way to interact with HomeKit is through Siri, but rumors suggest that the system may soon be getting a dedicated app. In the case of the Smart Lock, upgrading to HomeKit actually means buying a new device; the hardware differs slightly from the original model introduced two years ago. Thanks to HomeKit, one can control the August Smart Lock by speaking to the phone and saying things like "Close the door" or "Is the back door open?" and have it react accordingly.

Google Home is an always-on speaker coming later this year. LOS ANGELES - We know that Big Brother has been watching our every move for years--but are you ready to have your home conversations monitored as well? Following on the footsteps of Amazon's smash Echo connected speaker, which reads the weather and news, plays music, and turns lights on and off, based on your voice instructions, Google is set to launch its rival product, Google Home, later this year. And this week reports surfaced saying Apple could be joining the fray with its own speaker featuring the Siri personal digital assistant from the iPhone. Which begs the question--how do you feel about buying a connected speaker for the kitchen that could listen to every word you're saying?

You may have read media articles at the beginning of 2016 that Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg is going to build Iron Man's Jarvis, well it looks as though Google is beating him to it. Only this time'Jarvis' will be available in your home and you won't need to be a multi-billionaire to afford one. If the price rumors are true, for around 180 (USD) / 150 (GBP) you'll have your very own assistant that is deliberately designed to look really good/friendly/cute/benign (use your own adjective to suit). Make no mistake, this is AI (artificial intelligence) in your home. If you're of a certain age, AI will no doubt conjure up terrifying images of Arnie's Terminator.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises everything from self-driving cars to self-writing newspapers, but AI may be missing its greatest opportunity in healthcare, where AI-driven "conversational interfaces" hold untapped potential to influence the health and wellbeing of billions of people. Fueled by the massive popularity of messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, "conversational UI" is providing an emerging generation of chat-based digital services that may be the next thing in consumer technology. Instead of manipulating a graphical interface, users have a conversation with a chat-bot: software that is able to understand and respond to natural language inputs. The pace of technical advances combined with a shift in cultural norms is making AI conversations feel normal for increasing numbers of people. The idea of a "computer you can talk to" has captured the imagination of the computer science community, and the general public, for decades.

Apple is looking to broaden Siri's footprint and usefulness with help from third party app developers and a software development kit. The big question is whether the move will be able to thwart rivals such as Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa.