Google Home: The always-listening robot speaker designed to run your life

The device is similar to the Amazon Echo, which was released in the US in 2014. Although derided when it was first unveiled, the Echo has become a fixture in many American homes, although it has not been released elsewhere. But despite being well behind Amazon in releasing its own speaker, Google is counting on its AI prowess, voice recognition technology and the stash of data it already has on users to gain an advantage. By always listening, Google Home can respond to any queries just by users saying "OK Google" and issuing a command, rather than having to type a phrase into a search engine or check emails to dig out flight details.