Latest news with #AlexaPlus
Mint
9 hours ago
- Mint
Waiting for Alexa+? Make your Echo speaker smarter with these 3 hacks
Amazon's new Alexa Plus upgrade is gradually making its way to Echo users, with the rollout expanding since its launch in late March 2025. According to Amazon spokesperson Eric Sveum, more than a million users now have access to Alexa Plus, a significant jump from the 'hundreds of thousands' reported just a month ago. Sveum confirmed to The Verge that Alexa Plus is being deployed to compatible Echo speakers and smart displays 'at an increasing pace,' and will continue to be 'more broadly available over the summer.' Despite this progress, many Echo users are still awaiting the update. While Alexa Plus promises a more conversational, generative AI-based assistant experience, the staggered rollout means not everyone will get it at the same time. In the meantime, there are still several ways to get more from your current Echo setup. Here are three features users can activate today to enhance their Alexa experience while waiting for Alexa Plus. 1. BBC Sounds integration for podcasts and radio Echo speakers work seamlessly with streaming services, but adding the BBC Sounds skill offers a wider variety of live radio and podcast content. To enable it, simply go to the 'Skills & Games' section in the Alexa app and search for 'BBC Sounds.' Once signed into a BBC account, you can access BBC Radio stations or resume podcast episodes by voice commands. You can try voice commands like: 'Alexa, play BBC Radio 1' 'Alexa, launch BBC Sounds' BBC Sounds is especially great for listeners who enjoy music-focused channels, current affairs or entertainment podcasts 2. Control your TV using Alexa, no remote needed If you own a smart TV and an Amazon Echo speaker, you can control your TV completely hands-free using Alexa voice commands. It's a simple setup that can make everyday entertainment more convenient, from turning on the TV to launching apps like Netflix or YouTube, all with just your voice. To get started, open the Alexa app on your smartphone, tap the '+' icon in the top-right corner, and select 'Add Device.' Choose 'TV' from the list and select your TV brand. You'll be guided through a few steps to link your TV with Alexa. Most brands require enabling a specific Alexa Skill to complete the process. If you have a Samsung TV, you can use the Samsung SmartThings, likewise, for an LG TV, you can use LG ThinQ. Once your TV is paired and recognised, it's helpful to rename your device to something easy to remember, like 'Living Room TV' or 'Bedroom Screen.' to make your commands sound more natural. 3. Get daily news in seconds with Custom Flash Briefings Don't have time to scroll through news apps every morning? Alexa's Flash Briefing feature is a simple and effective solution. It delivers short, personalised audio news updates directly through your Echo speaker with a single voice command. To set it up, open the Alexa app, go to Settings, scroll to News under the 'Alexa Preferences' section, and tap My News Channel. Here, you can choose from a range of news sources, including BBC News, NPR, CNBC and more, depending on your region and preference. Once set, you can simply say: 'Alexa, what's my Flash Briefing?' Or, 'Alexa, play the news.' Alexa will then play a short summary of the day's top headlines from your selected source. You can even add multiple sources for a more diverse update and Alexa will play them one after another in a single briefing.
Android Authority
4 days ago
- Business
- Android Authority
Amazon Prime Day 2025 dates announced with an Alexa Plus hack to shop smarter
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Amazon has announced dates for Prime Day 2025. The sale will run for four days this year and include deals on everything under the sun. If you have access to Alexa Plus, Amazon's next-gen AI assistant, you can ask Alexa to notify you when a specific product you're eyeballing goes on sale. Amazon has officially announced the dates for Prime Day 2025, and this year, it's bigger than ever. The sale will run for four full days, from July 8 to July 11, giving you even more time to score deals on a new smartphone, a pair of headphones, or just some fun tech accessories. Amazon says prices during the Prime Day sale will start as low as $3! Along with the extended duration, Amazon is also introducing a handy new way to shop smarter this year. If you have early access to Alexa Plus, Amazon's next-gen AI assistant, you can ask Alexa to notify you when a specific product you're eyeballing goes on sale. This hack, while meant to drive usage to the $19.99/month service, could be very helpful for nabbing limited-time deals before they sell out or disappear. Moreover, Prime members will also get alerts for 'Today's Big Deals,' which are themed daily drops that highlight some of the best and most exclusive offers. Additionally, there'll be early access to select Prime Video channel add-on subscriptions for just $0.99/month for up to two months. If you're between 18 and 24, you can take advantage of the newly relaunched Prime for Young Adults membership at $7.49/month, which now includes perks like 5% cash back on purchases during the sale. Amazon is already teasing big discounts from brands like Samsung, Beats, Ring, JLab, Wyze, and of course, its own Fire and Kindle devices. So if you've been waiting to upgrade, now's the time to start making your wishlist. 'Prime members can get our lowest price ever on the Blink Mini 2 two-pack and Ring Battery Doorbell with Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus bundle, as well as save up to 50% on select devices, including eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi system, Fire HD 8 Plus, Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series, Kindle Essentials bundle, and Ring Indoor Cam,' the company wrote in its press release. We'll be covering all the best deals right here on Android Authority throughout Prime Day, so stay tuned. Can't wait? Head over to our deals section to find great discounts available right now.
Forbes
13-06-2025
- Forbes
How To Get Alexa+ Now And Supercharge Your Voice Assistant
Alexa+ signage during an unveiling event in New York, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. Amazon has ... More rebooted Alexa with artificial intelligence, marking the biggest overhaul of the voice-activated assistant since its introduction over a decade ago. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg Amazon has revealed that more than a million people have now got access to Alexa+, the next-gen version of Amazon's digital assistant, and the word is that the roll-out is now ramping up. However, in order to get involved with the Alexa+ action, you'll need to make sure you've ticked a few boxes first. The good news is that, if you have the right device - and you live in the US - you don't really need to do much, but here's a handy checklist to make sure that you're all set to get that all important invite to the Alexa+ party. Early Access to Alexa+ is currently rolling out to users with one of the following Echo Show models (all generations): If you own or buy one of these, you'll be eligible to get Alexa+ first. And you don't need to do anything extra. If you own other Echo smart speakers, such as the Pop, Dot or Spot, then Alexa+ will also make its way to those as well, once you've opted in on one of the Show models listed above. There are a few ancient Echo devices that Alexa+ won't work on though, including the likes of the 1st-gen Echo, Dot and Spot. If you're selected, you'll get a notification via email and on your Echo device. You can't request access directly… Amazon is controlling the rollout on its end. That said, you can sign up to be notified and check your status right here. Looking at some of the comments over on Reddit of people that have Early Access, there doesn't appear to be anything you can do to put yourself to the front of the queue, so just stay tuned to your inbox for that invite. Having Prime membership might help, but Amazon doesn't actually say that it's needed at this point to get Early Access. One thing you can check though is that you've got your Echo's language set to "English United States'… that's a must. Once invited, you'll need to opt in. You can do that via: Only the main Amazon account holder can initiate the setup. After that, all user profiles in your household will have access. During Early Access, Alexa+ is free for everyone. After that: As mentioned, once you're in, Alexa+ will work on most Echo speakers, Fire TV devices (like Fire TV Cube and 4K Max), newer Fire tablets, and even on the Alexa app or your web browser. Just don't expect it on older devices like the first-gen Echo Dot or the original Echo Show. Alexa+ works with Amazon Kids+ so your kids can use it too. You'll just need to set up a child profile with parental consent. Alexa+ is likely to be a bit hit and miss for now, and there's a chance you might want to go back to the old Alexa. If that is the case then you can. Opting in to Alexa+ doesn't mean you have to stick with it. It's not entirely clear how you'd roll-back but Amazon states: 'We're positive you'll love all that Alexa+ has to offer - greater intelligence, more conversation and a striking array of new, proactive capabilities. However, if you prefer using the original Alexa, it will remain available on your devices.'
New York Times
13-06-2025
- New York Times
I Got Early Access to Amazon's New Gen AI Alexa+. Things Got Weird.
Along with a conversational tone, personalization is what separates Alexa+ from the old Alexa. After setup, Alexa+ utilizes its Profile feature to differentiate your household's various members. That Profile can contain a wide array of data about you, from the innocuous (your tastes in music and sports teams) to the more personal (your voiceprint and phone ID). Some personalization features I thought were interesting and helpful. As a hypothetical test, I told Alexa+ to remember that I was vegan and had a peanut allergy. Later on, I asked for a recipe for pad thai, and it automatically pulled vegan and peanut-free options, something the old Alexa definitely couldn't have done. My appreciation was short-lived, however: When I followed up my recipe question with a request for restaurant recommendations in my area, one of the first options it suggested was an oyster bar. And while it's neat that Alexa+ can find recipes for a peanut-allergic vegan or deduce movie-trivia requests (even if it stumbles with something like 'Face slash Off'), a creep factor set in when I realized that Alexa+ was responding to me in a non-neutral, emotional tone. You see, Alexa+ is designed to match your mood, and I find that weird. It's the kind of weird that surpasses cringe, because ethics come into question. Think uncanny valley, CGI dead actors, and deepfake videos weird. The first time I noticed was during a conversation with my Echo Dot about restaurants. I had told Alexa+ that my aunt, who was gluten-free, was coming to town (she's not and she's not), and I wanted to find restaurants near the airport. This request seemed to push the gen AI to its limits as I attempted to reason with it and reminded Alexa+ a few times about her allergy and ultimately grew frustrated. Alexa+ seemed to sense my frustration, and the tone of its response sounded apologetic, even offering to call the airport for me. Another time, my partner asked if Alexa+ could find 'mediocre recipes' for an 'average dinner.' Alexa+ picked up on his sarcasm and sassed him back, using phrases like 'recipes that are the beige wallpaper of the food world.' In the moment we laughed, but as I've sat with the experience, I've come to find it increasingly unsettling. Once I asked Alexa+ why it needed emotional intelligence in order to complete a task. Its response was that while it didn't have emotions, understanding them helped it connect with humans and made it able to have more engaging interactions. At the end of the day, Alexa+ is a computerized tool, meant to accomplish the tasks that I ask of it. My fear is that the more people humanize machines, which are meant to be tools that do whatever people ask, the less we humanize humans, who are meant to have autonomy and freedom of thought and will. Alexa app for iOS Regardless, some Echo users are likely to appreciate that Alexa+ can match their mood, or even their accent, as my partner corrected the way it pronounced 'Albany' and Alexa+ promptly fixed the pronunciation (at least for a day or two — it eventually relapsed). In my book, Alexa+ has earned the 'plus' attached to its name. It has far more complex but natural conversational abilities, as well as an improved and more intuitive smart-home ecosystem. It's a promising personal assistant. And it provides more personalization than ever before. I would even argue that its metaphorical AI-generated flag is impressively passable enough as a real photo. It is, after all, a technological feat. However, one thing it hasn't done is quiet my own internal debate. Whether it's with human relationships or with gen AI, you get what you give — but with the latter, you should consider carefully what you're giving. This article was edited by Jon Chase and Grant Clauser.
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Forbes
Alexa+ Users Top 1 Million - Here's What People Are Saying
Tablets showcase Alexa+ software features during an unveiling event in New York, US, on Wednesday, ... More Feb. 26, 2025. Amazon has rebooted Alexa with artificial intelligence, marking the biggest overhaul of the voice-activated assistant since its introduction over a decade ago. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg At the start of 2025, following months of speculation, Amazon finally unveiled its next-gen digital assistant, Alexa+. Revealed during a launch event in New York in February, the AI-supercharged version of Alexa was, we were informed, about to "start rolling out in the US in the next few weeks during an early access period." It was slow going though; as recently as last month there were reports suggesting there was "scant evidence it is in regular customers' hands." However, The Verge is now reporting that over a million users now have access to the generative artificial-intelligence-powered voice assistant. That's the word according to Amazon spokesperson Eric Sveum, who stated that the roll out was now happening at "an increasing pace" and that Amazon will "make it even more broadly available over the summer." And there's plenty of evidence over on Reddit that it is indeed the case, with numerous posters confirming their Echo devices have been updated with Alexa+. On the whole, people seem pretty pleased; with both the UI and responsiveness getting praise from early access users… But it's not all positive press, with other users commenting on some teething issues, especially when it comes to controlling smart home devices: It's hardly surprising that there's been a mixed response and, of course, while a million is a decent test sample, the amount of Alexa users is in the hundreds of millions. In April, it was also revealed by The Washington Post that several headline features weren't ready for the Alexa+ initial rollout, including ordering food from Grubhub, and visual recognition for assigning reminders to specific family members. So it's clear that, while the million users number is a good soundbite, Alexa+ is still very much an experimental work in progress. If you do want to get in on the Alexa+ action, you'll need an Echo Show 8, Show 10, Show 15 or 21, as these are the first devices it is rolling out to. As and when you do get access, Alexa+ will cost $19.99 a month; unless you're a Prime member, in which case you'll get access included in that subscription.
