Microsoft Takes Aim at Amazon’s Echo with Windows 10 HomeHub feature

The Verge – Microsoft is rumored to be working on a new HomeHub feature for Windows 10 that would turn your PC into a smart home speaker. The virtual assistant will also be an important feature in Microsoft’s new web browser, Microsoft Edge. While Microsoft already has a virtual assistant called Cortana, it does not have a smart home speaker like its competitors, Amazon and Google and could be a way for the company to compete directly in the smart speaker market.

The HomeHub feature would be family-centric, turning a family’s PC into a virtual fridge door where they can share appointments, apps and shopping lists without being logged into a specific user account. Sources tell The Verge that HomeHub is part of a new Family team at Microsoft. HomeHub is currently in the planning stage and expected to be released in stages through software updates in 2017 and 2018. LINK