WILL APPLE ECHO AMAZON?

Forbes is reporting rumors that Apple is set to roll out what's described as an "Amazon Echo rival." The pending device is said to be Siri-powered, with the ability to respond to voice commands pertaining to weather, headlines and turning smart-phone gizmos on and off as well as—you guessed it—cueing up your favorite song, playlist or album in Apple Music. It could be unveiled at Cupertino's WWDC in June.

If true, this is extraordinary, given Apple's history as a hardware leader. It would also provide further evidence, if any were necessary, of what a threat Amazon has become since the game-changing Echo (pictured here) took off. But it could also present a huge new vehicle for Apple users to engage with the streaming service, which has reportedly grown to about 32m subscribers.

One thing's for sure: this Siri vs. Alexa rhyme battle needs work.