Dish Network bowed its latest HD DVR, the Alexa-compatible Hopper Duo, it said Monday. The DVR delivers Dish service to up to two TVs for homes with “smaller-scale” home entertainment systems, said the company. Two tuners can record two programs simultaneously, and the 500 GB hard drive stores up to 125 hours of HD recordings, it said. The finder feature lets users locate the remote by pressing a button on the Hopper's front panel, causing the remote to beep. The Duo is $10 monthly.

The smart speaker market will tally $11.79 billion by 2023, up from an expected $2.68 billion this year, said a ReportsnReports.com report Friday. Drivers include the growing number of smart homes, rising disposable income, “rapid proliferation” of multifunctional devices, and personalization trends in the office, consumer and automotive segments, it said. The market for the Siri digital assistant is expected to grow at the category's highest compound annual growth rate between 2018 and 2023, said the research firm, due to Apple’s entrenched market position, Siri’s virtual surround sound technology and its “deep integration” in the Apple product line. Apple’s strong brand and consumer base are expected to fuel the market for upcoming Siri-enabled smart speakers that are due to ship this year, it said.

Amazon didn’t respond to questions Tuesday about White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Sunday social media callout of Alexa for enabling her toddler to order a toy via an Echo speaker. “Alexa, we have a problem if my 2 year old can order a Batman toy by yelling ‘Batman!’ over and over again into the Echo,” Sanders tweeted using the @PressSec handle. The comment evoked a predictable firestorm of tweets. Some Twitter users criticized Sanders for sending the tweet from her official White House Twitter account. At least one user provided step-by-step instructions for parental controls that either disable voice purchasing or require a passcode to confirm purchases.

Klipsch threw its support behind Amazon and Google digital assistants via separate product lines at CES. Google Assistant will be available on specially branded Klipsch Heritage wireless speakers in special edition finishes, said the company. The model Three ($499) tabletop speaker/subwoofer will be available this fall, and the “semi-portable” model One with a rechargeable battery ($349) will ship in spring 2019, it said. Both speakers incorporate Bluetooth, a “mid-century modern” design, wood veneer and copper switches and knobs. Klipsch also announced at CES its wireless speakers and amplifiers will support the Alexa Connected Speakers API (application protocol interface), allowing users to control speakers and multiroom audio systems from any Alexa-enabled device. That includes Klipsch DTS Play-Fi speakers, Reference RSB-14 and RSB-8 sound bars, Heritage Wireless Three and RW-1 speakers, the Gate streamer and PowerGate amplifiers, said the company. To enable Alexa, Klipsch Stream series owners will have to download a free firmware update, due early this year, through the Klipsch Stream app, said the company. Klipsch didn’t respond to questions about future integration with Apple’s Siri or Samsung’s Bixby digital assistants -- or its overall voice strategy.

Amazon announced a mobile accessory kit to be available later in 2018 to bring Alexa to wearables including, headphones, smartwatches and fitness devices. Bluetooth audio-capable devices built with the kit can connect to Alexa Voice Service via an Android or iOS app on a user’s device, blogged Gagan Luthra, senior product marketing manager, Friday. Device makers that have begun developing hands-free Alexa mobile accessories experiences for their products include Beyerdynamic, Bose, Jabra, iHome and Linkplay, with products due this year, Luthra said.

NRG Energy’s Reliant is giving a Nest Thermostat E and a Google Home smart speaker to customers who sign up for its Speak & Save 24 (month) plan, said the utility Thursday. Say, “Hey Google, make it cooler” to lower the temperature, and subscribers can request information like energy usage data, it said. The Nest E learns a household’s temperature preferences and programs itself to cut cooling bills by 15 percent, said Reliant.

Hisense announced select TVs in its 2018 4K lineup will be Alexa-enabled for voice control of functions including volume, input switching and video and music streaming apps. Using Amazon's Alexa voice engine, Hisense TV owners will be able shop for groceries and order pizza, control lights and appliances, and operate other IoT devices, said the company. A Hisense dehumidifier and air conditioner are also Alexa-enabled.

Amazon expanded its control in the kitchen, announcing Thursday it added cooking capabilities to the Smart Home Skill API (application programming interface). It also said its Alexa Fund venture capital arm invested in smart oven maker June Oven. Terms weren’t disclosed. June’s $1,495 Oven and $1,995 Oven Pro, listed as sold out on the company’s website Thursday -- with one available on Amazon -- have an internal HD camera that acts as an intelligent imaging sensor. The camera works with an Nvidia graphics processor using deep learning neural networks to recognize more than 25 foods and recommend the best cooking preset for them, said the June website. An iOS app lets users control the oven “from anywhere,” watch food being cooked and be notified when the food is ready. In the blog post, Amazon said built-in cooking device controls in the API will make it easier for customers to control a cloud-connected microwave oven. It gave the example of asking Alexa to “microwave for 50 seconds on high.” Whirlpool created an Alexa skill using the new cooking capabilities and is expected to launch soon, Amazon said. Whirlpool didn't respond to questions. GE Appliances, Kenmore, LG and Samsung have skills in the works, it said. Interfaces in the API cover cooking, time control, time-hold control and preset control, and can be integrated with microwaves and appliances that support preset cooking, it said. The interfaces will add capabilities as support for cooking devices grows, it said.

TD Ameritrade announced upgrades to its Alexa skill, including access to market and investor information on Amazon Alexa-enabled devices and a visual experience for the Echo Show. Investors can get on-demand market information, news and events, and stock quotes via all Alexa-enabled devices, the company said. Ameritrade bills the Alexa skill as an “on-demand service representative” that helps customers navigate topics from investing basics to retirement and tax season queries. Once the skill is enabled, users can ask for quotes by voice for major market symbols, ask for specific sector information or ask to learn about specific investing topics, it said, and an Alexa device answers. Alexa can answer questions for Scottrade clients transitioning to TD Ameritrade after Ameritrade's September acquisition, it said. The company didn’t respond to questions about the level of financial detail Alexa is able to access or security protections for users.

Pandora’s three listening tiers are now available to Comcast Xfinity X1 customers, allowing voice control according to available features, said the companies Monday. At the premium level, users can request access to songs, albums or playlists. A simplified sign-in experience will deliver “immediate Pandora playback,” they said.