Speak to me! Smart assistants dominate at CES 2018

Virtual aides battled to rule "smart homes" on the eve of the official opening of the Consumer Electronics show gadget gala here. Samsung, LG Electronics, Panasonic and others touted a future in which homes, cars and pockets brim with technology that collaborates to make lives easier. Google and Amazon are key players in the trend, with their rival Assistant and Alexa voice-commanded virtual aides being woven deeper into consumer electronics and vehicles. Samsung meanwhile is playing catch-up with its Bixby assistant. "The biggest theme is the fight for the connected home between Google and Amazon," said Patrick Moorhead, of Moor Insights & Strategy, during a CES press briefing.