Voice assistants dominate CES as Google plays catchup with Alexa

This week about 180,000 visitors flocked to the world's biggest technology exhibition, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And while all the usual gadgets made an appearance, from smart fridges to self-driving cars, there was one dominant theme: speech. With nearly half of people in the US using voice-activated digital assistants in their smartphones or tablets, and the ownership of standalone digital assistants, like Google Home and Amazon Echo, expected to double in 2018, every tech company now wants a slice of the pie. Alexa, Amazon's voice assistant, is now available in everything from microwaves to cars, and from TVs to mirrors. Google had more than 350 voice-controlled devices at the show, including speakers, cars, and a giant toy town complete with a railway.