Google Home

Google said it had "hidden a few British treats" in the device.

The speaker and assistant, which launched in the US in November, is part of a growing trend to make artificial intelligence available in homes.

The firm is also launching its own wi-fi service in the UK, in an attempt to solve the "frustration when wireless connectivity fails at home".

Like Amazon's Echo, Home can answer basic queries as well as control smart home devices, such as lights.

When some Google Home owners turned on their virtual assistants Thursday morning, the device delivered the usual weather forecast, calendar of events and other updates. And then they heard something else: "By the way, Disney's live action 'Beauty and the Beast' opens today."

People soon took to social media sites to complain about what they thought was an advertisement.

At least according to the Consumer Technology Association, which says those items are the year's most sought after.

But the coolest and most buzz-worthy products don't quite fit into those buckets.

From PlayStation VR and Nintendo's mini console to gorgeous connected watches from Kate Spade and Emporio Armani, here are our top picks of 2016.