The Amazon Echo is very new, but it can do some amazing things. I am younger, and am still not savvy enough to do everything. It can be set up other things like Hue lights, and 'smart' outlets too. Then you can ask it to turn a light on etc. My dad uses his the most for radio stations, especially when there is a football game, and he also likes talk radio. I think this type of device will be developed further as people realize how much assistance it provides to those that have disabilities.
People use it with a website called "If This The That" aka IFTT, and there are 'recipes' where you can set it to ring your phone if you ask alex where your phone is ,etc.
I have been looking at Samsung TVs and I think they might be working on something similar with their next line.
I was hoping my dads tv that was purchased a couple weeks ago could connect to echo, and maybe we could use it as a voice remote control.... it does not though. I feel like there is some real potential there, or it can be done and I just dont know how. The tv has wifi and bluetooth.