Ashley Chloe wants to build a modular smart speaker in 2019
Headphone company Ashley Chloe is thinking about building a modular smart speaker that will create a whole ecosystem of products around it. The firm turned up to CES with a concept device — little more than an industrial design model — that, if there's enough interest, may become a real product by the end of 2019. The Ashley Chloe Ensembl is a series of plastic discs sat atop a rose gold and cream plastic cylinder that could replace the Echo in your home. The idea is that, at its heart, it's a stylish smart speaker that can work with one or two of the major voice assistant platforms. But on top of that, users could slap on a number of accessories, including a 360-degree IP camera for home security or a glowing lantern disc for use outside at night. If you're feeling flusher, you could splash out on a pico projector disc for movie night, a QI charging base or a battery for taking the speaker on the go. Each of the discs, which are for now just pieces of painted plastic,...