Vole has been working on a feature for Windows 10 that would allow it "to better compete with devices like Amazon's Echo".

Dubbed HomeHub, the feature is designed to create "a family environment for a PC with shared access to calendars, apps, and even a new welcome screen".

Microsoft wants to support smart home devices like Philips' Hue lights, to enable Windows 10 to act as a hub to control and manage smart home hardware.

HomeHub has been talked about before, but little has come out about how Microsoft is going to get it to go. The major addition is a new welcome screen that includes an "always on" digital corkboard to let families use to-do lists, calendars, and notes.

The welcome screen is really designed for kitchen PCs and new smaller hardware with screens that will support Cortana voice commands from across the room.

According to the Verge which got a look at the screenwork Microsoft is tentatively planning to support Hue, Nest, Insteon, Wink, and SmartThings devices with its connected home app. Cortana will be used to send commands to devices, just like Amazon’s Echo.

Microsoft has been working with PC makers including HP and Lenovo to create new hardware or refresh existing PCs with a focus on this new home effort. Both HP and Lenovo are expected to have all-in-one PCs ready for the holiday period with support for waking up with Cortana voice commands and the new welcome screen feature for Windows 10.