What if you're putting yourself out there as a thought leader advising companies how to build brands on social media, but you tweet a lewd suggestion to a reporter whose story you don't like? Nothing much good, as Ryan Holmes knows.

In the past week Facebook and Google have announced smart displays, and Amazon has released one in Australia for the first time. But what do they do?

If a speaker is to be placed on display in a home it needs to be something that at best is gorgeous and at worst won’t get the neighbours snickering.

Blending the familiar fun of plastic, colourful bricks with a surprisingly complicated robot-building kit and code-writing primer, Lego Boost is part educational tool and part amazingly geeky high-tech toy.

Cayla is a blond, bright-eyed doll that chatters about horses and hobbies. She plays games and accurately answers questions about the world at large. She could also be eavesdropping on your child.