Today, Amazon and its partners updated multiple apps in the US, including Bravo, Hulu, and NBC, so that users can control playback with voice commands. You can use the Alexa Voice Remote, an Echo device, or the Fire TV remote app to search, play, pause, rewind, or fast-forward through content from these providers. You can also change the channel. CBS All Access, Showtime, and PlayStation Vue also recently received this functionality.

So, for example, you could say, "Alexa, watch The Handmaid's Tale," or "Alexa, play The Real Housewives of Atlanta." Other less-specific program commands include, "Alexa, fast-forward five minutes," or "Alexa, play from the beginning." Clearly Amazon is working toward a voice-controlled future built around Alexa. I can't wait for a future where we never have to get off the couch or spend extra time hunting around for what we want to watch.