LG offers “smart” rival to Amazon Echo

SEOUL ― LG is unveiling its SmartThinQ hub, a competitor to Amazon Echo, the voice-operated speaker and personal assistant. Although Echo links to smart home platforms like Wink, its LG counterpart aims to emphasise the “smart home” aspect more, supporting several protocols including WiFi and Bluetooth, and including an LCD screen for notifications from connected devices. The SmartThinQ makes its debut later this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.