Big Mouth Billy Bass with Alexa: the best smart home gadget of 2018?

The bass is back. That’s right, the most popular gift of 1999, Big Mouth Billy Bass, has returned; and this time it’s smarter with help from Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant.

Gemmy Industries – the company you had no idea was behind the first Big Mouth Billy Bass, and which also makes those hideous blow-up Christmas lawn ornaments – has made Bluetooth connectivity the hallmark feature of Billy’s triumphant return. With this, the talking bass placard can pair with an Amazon Echo speaker for enhanced features.

How could you possibly improve the technological marvel that is Billy Bass, you ask? Well, now the thing can dance to the beat of Amazon Music played through an Echo speaker, for one.

Alexa pairing also allows the doodad to respond to Alexa voice commands, lip syncing the speaker’s responses and reacting to timers, notifications and alarms you've set through Alexa. Oh, and Billy sings his very own song titled Fishin’ Time – whoever owns Don’t Worry, Be Happy must have lawyered up.

Anyway, the new-and-improved Billy Bass was made possible using Amazon’s Alexa Gadgets Toolkit development suite for device makers, and costs $39.99 (about £31, AU$55) on Amazon for pre-order. An expensive gag gift, but a limitless one.

• These are the best smart speakers – bar none