The Verge

• Alexa Plus is getting an AI update to handle more complicated instructions

  Amazon is launching an update to its Alexa Plus assistant that will allow it to connect to smart home devices in new ways. With the update, Alexa Plus can link up with tech from Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo, Eufy, and others, while automatically routing requests to the correct device. In an […]

• The Echo Show 21 is a great smart home hub that’s $80 off

  Split between buying a smart calendar, a kitchen TV, a smart home hub, and a smart display? Amazon’s Echo Show 21 is all of those things in one, with a huge 21-inch screen. You can use it to control your smart lights, glance at recipes, watch TV shows, and more. Currently, Best Buy and Home […]

• FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s war on the First Amendment

  As the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr has authority over the nation’s TV, radio, and internet. But since Donald Trump was elected to his second term, Carr has wielded that power to threaten broadcasters that have exercised their free speech rights to make jokes about the president. He was even able to […]

• Claude’s voice mode is now available for Opus and Sonnet

  Until now, voice mode has only been available on Claude Haiku, Anthropic's faster but less powerful model. Now the company is making its Opus and Sonnet models available in voice mode, and extending its reach into apps like Gmail, Slack, and Canva. When Anthropic launched voice mode last year, it was primarily focused on delivering […]

• Patreon is laying off 20 percent of workers

  Patreon is laying off 20 percent of its workers, or around 93 employees, as reported earlier by 404 Media. In a memo to employees, Patreon CEO Jack Conte writes that the company isn't making these changes "because we believe AI replaces humans," but says AI has "fundamentally transformed the tech industry, including how we work, […]