Like SIRI For Your Home

It's not Rosie the Robot, but your first voice request to Amazon's new Echo moves you one step closer to living like the Jetsons… Think of it as a plugged-in version of Apple's Siri or Microsoft's Cortana.

This "smart" speaker in a 9¼ x 3¼-inch cylinder can order products, turn off lights, set a timer, look up and give you sports scores, read you a book from Audible and more.

You might even get it to tell you terrible jokes…

It won't replace a high-end stereo, but its sound quality compares with any Bluetooth speaker, and it can fill a good-sized room in your home.

Bottom line: Echo offers hands-free, at-home audio access to just about anything on the web, with better sound than a smartphone or tablet.

All in all, it can make your life easier. And maybe just a little more fun.