Latest news with #Echo
Mint
5 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.
Techday NZ
17 hours ago
- Techday NZ
Cloudflare thwarts record 7.3 Tbps DDoS attack with automation
Cloudflare has confirmed it recently mitigated what it describes as the largest distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack ever publicly disclosed, clocking in at 7.3 terabits per second (Tbps), surpassing previous known records. The attack, which occurred in mid-May 2025, targeted a hosting provider customer utilising Cloudflare's Magic Transit service for network defence. According to Cloudflare data, this incident follows closely on the heels of attacks recorded at 6.5 Tbps and 4.8 billion packets per second, illustrating that DDoS attacks are continuing to increase in both scale and complexity. Cloudflare stated that the 7.3 Tbps attack was 12% larger than its previous record and 1 Tbps greater than another recent attack reported by security journalist Brian Krebs. Attack analysis The 7.3 Tbps DDoS attack delivered a total of 37.4 terabytes of data within a 45-second window. During the attack, the targeted IP address was bombarded across an average of 21,925 destination ports, reaching a peak of 34,517 destination ports per second. The distribution of source ports mirrored this targeting method. The attack employed several vectors but was dominated by UDP floods, constituting 99.996% of total traffic. The residual traffic, amounting to 1.3 GB, involved QOTD reflection, Echo reflection, NTP reflection, Mirai UDP floods, Portmap flood, and RIPv1 amplification techniques. Each vector was identified and catalogued, with Cloudflare detailing how organisations could protect both themselves and the broader Internet from such forms of abuse. Cloudflare explained that the UDP DDoS component worked by sending large volumes of UDP packets to random or specific destination ports, either to saturate the Internet link or overwhelm network appliances. Other vectors, such as the QOTD (Quote of the Day), Echo, NTP, Portmap, and RIPv1, exploited vulnerabilities in legacy protocols and services to reflect and amplify attack traffic onto target systems. Global scale The attack was notable for its global reach. Traffic originated from more than 122,145 source IP addresses across 5,433 autonomous systems in 161 countries. Nearly half of the attack traffic came from Brazil and Vietnam, accounting for around twenty-five percent each. The remainder was largely attributable to sources in Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Ukraine, Ecuador, Thailand, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. At an autonomous system level, Telefonica Brazil (AS27699) contributed 10.5% of attack traffic, with Viettel Group (AS7552), China Unicom (AS4837), Chunghwa Telecom (AS3462), and China Telecom (AS4134) among the other major sources. The attack saw an average of 26,855 unique source IP addresses per second, peaking at 45,097. Technical response Cloudflare utilised the global anycast architecture to divert and dissipate the massive influx of traffic. As packets arrived at Cloudflare's network edge, they were routed to the closest data centre. This incident was managed across 477 data centres in 293 locations worldwide, with some regions operating multiple facilities due to traffic volume. Detection and mitigation were handled by Cloudflare's automated systems, which operate independently in each data centre. The Cloudflare global network runs every service in every data centre. This includes our DDoS detection and mitigation systems. This means that attacks can be detected and mitigated fully autonomously, regardless of where they originate from. Upon arrival, data packets were intelligently distributed to available servers where they were sampled for analysis. Cloudflare employed the denial of service daemon (dosd), a heuristic engine that reviews packet headers and anomalies for malicious patterns. The system then generated multiple permutations of digital fingerprints specific to the attack, seeking patterns that maximised blocking efficacy while minimising impact on legitimate traffic. Within data centres, real-time intelligence was shared by servers multicasting fingerprint information, refining mitigation on both a local and global scale. When a fingerprint surpassed predefined thresholds, mitigation rules were compiled and deployed as extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) programs to block the offending traffic. Once the attack ceased, associated rules were removed automatically. Botnet feed and future mitigation Cloudflare also maintains a free DDoS Botnet Threat Feed to help Internet service providers and hosting companies identify malicious traffic originating within their own infrastructure. The company said that over 600 organisations have subscribed to this service, allowing them to receive up-to-date lists of offending IP addresses engaged in DDoS attacks. Recommendations from Cloudflare emphasise tailored defences to address the unique characteristics of each network or application, with care taken to ensure that mitigation steps do not inadvertently disrupt legitimate traffic, particularly for services that depend on UDP or legacy protocols. Cloudflare's team highlighted that these successful defences occurred entirely without human intervention, alerting, or incident escalation, underscoring the shift towards fully autonomous, distributed mitigation strategies in response to modern DDoS threats.
CNET
a day ago
- CNET
These 5 Easy Amazon Alexa Tricks Make for a Smarter Smart Home This Summer
With summer now very much around the corner, you've got better things to do than worry about your smart home. But with garden parties and the pool calling your name, there has never been a better time to make sure that your accessories are working for you, not against you. Smart home devices bring a lot of convenience to our day-to-day lives, but that doesn't mean they can't be improved. Amazon's Alexa is one of the most popular choices, and you can tell it to turn the lights on or off, play your favorite music, set a timer for you while cooking in the kitchen and more. But you don't have to use the same Alexa as everyone else, and you can really upgrade your experience with just a few customizations. If you've got a smart speaker like the Echo Dot, an Echo Show 15, the powerful Echo Studio or the rotating Echo Show 10, there are plenty of ways to make Alexa feel more helpful and less like just another gadget. A few small changes can seriously improve your experience. From making hands-free calls to connecting Bluetooth and Wi-Fi or even using Alexa in the kitchen, there's a lot worth setting up. It might take a little effort to get everything just right, but once you do, your Alexa devices will feel like they're working for you instead of the other way around. Watch this: Alexa gets new features to make it a better listener 07:02 1. Enable Brief Mode on your Amazon Echo When you ask Alexa to do something, such as play a song or turn on the lights, Alexa will say something like, "OK, turning on the lights." This is to help you determine why Alexa did something if it wasn't what you asked. If you don't want Alexa repeating what you just said, you can change that setting so that it plays a short sound instead of a voice response. To do so, open the Alexa app's More menu and select Settings > Talking with Alexa. Then toggle on the switch for Brief Mode. Tyler Lacoma/CNET 2. Set up your preferred music streaming service When you set up your Amazon Echo, the music service defaults to Amazon Music. If you use Spotify, Apple Music or another streamer, you may want to link your Echo to that instead. Go to Settings > Music & Podcasts, then link to a service. On the same page, tap Default Services and switch to your preferred music provider. Now the Echo will play from the music streaming service of your choice when you say, "Alexa, play music." Note that you can select defaults for family or personal listening. Tyler Lacoma/CNET 3. Change the wake word from Alexa If TV commercials keep triggering your Amazon Echo when they say "Alexa," you can change the wake word to something less likely to trigger the speaker. The other traditional options are Computer, Echo and Amazon, but there are several newer wake word additions you can use like Ziggy and Hey, Disney. If you want a change, just say, "Alexa, change the wake word" and make your selection. You can also open the Alexa app, go to Settings > Device Settings. Select your device, then tap the Settings icon and select Wake Word to make a choice. Unfortunately, you can't come up with your own name for the speaker, like "Tallulah" or "Digital Overlord." Tyler Lacoma/CNET 4. Enable voice purchasing on your Amazon Echo You don't always have time to search Amazon for something you're out of, like toilet paper. That's why it can be helpful to set up voice purchasing on your Amazon Echo, so Alexa can order products for you. To get started, you'll need to turn on voice ordering and 1-Click ordering. Open the Alexa app and navigate to Settings > Account Settings > Voice Purchasing > Purchasing controls > Select who can make purchases. For instance, you can set up a voice code or profile so that only you can make purchases when you type in a four-digit code. Tyler Lacoma/CNET 5. Set up household profiles on your Amazon Echo If you have multiple people in your house, you'll want to set up voice profiles for each member who uses the Echo speaker. This will help Alexa learn your voice and distinguish you from others in the house. To create voice profiles, go to Settings > Your Profile & Family > Voice ID and follow the onscreen prompts. Tyler Lacoma/CNET You can make sure your voice profile is correctly set up by asking, "Alexa, who am I?" The voice assistant will say, "I'm talking to [your name]." If you have favorite customizations and settings, share them in the comments. Now that you've updated these six Echo settings, here are five creative uses for your Amazon Echo device, five essential tips for your new Echo device and CNET's roundup of every Alexa command you can give right now.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Taehyung spams the most, RM ghosts': BTS' Jin fails lie detector test twice, wants ARMY to stop calling him this name
BTS member Kim Seokjin recently showed up for a fun Vanity Fair session, where the K-pop idol took an eleven-minute-long lie detector test, opening up about his life, bandmates, career, and more. Jin, promoting his newest single Echo, looked visibly nervous as the host asked if he knew what he was doing, and even got caught red-handed when quizzed about a secret acting gig. Jin revealed it was his first time shooting in such an intense and heavy atmosphere. While chatting, he admitted to having trust issues with people around him, saying that's exactly why it's hard to fool him. The conversation then took a personal turn. Jin was asked which member he missed the most during military service, and the topic shifted to their private WhatsApp chat. Here's what he said. Also read: BTS' V says he can't tolerate 'person with childish behaviour' now: What Taehyung's changed personality after military discharge reveals The host asked the boys if they had a personal group chat with just the septet, and Jin nodded. But contrary to their fun, chaotic vibe, the name of the group chat is just Bangtan Sonyeondan — BTS' full name. The host then asked him which member talks the most and spams the group chat. After flinching and hesitating a bit, Jin admitted it's V, then laughed when the lie detector confirmed he was telling the truth. He was then asked who's the worst texter, and Jin said it's RM. When asked if he himself is a good texter, Jin replied, 'I go off-topic sometimes.' The oldest member of the group was also quizzed on whether he had any unread messages on his phone, and he said yes. 'I haven't read messages from my hometown friend.' He continued, 'It's just useless to talk about games.' When asked if he thinks his friend talks about useless things, Jin said, 'It's useless to me right now because I'm not playing that game.' Jin has always had a knack for acting, and the Epiphany singer has casually dropped hints about his interest over time. He's already appeared in a few variety shows and even landed one of his own, which was graced by none other than Mission: Impossible star Tom Cruise. During the lie detector test, he was asked if he'd consider acting in the future. He said no, but that turned out to be a lie. Still, despite clearly wanting to, he insisted he has no real desire to become an actor, saying, 'It requires a lot of work and effort. It's an intimidating challenge for me to take on.' Even when asked if he'd accept an offer from Bong Joon Ho, the director behind Parasite, Memories of Murder, The Host, and Snowpiercer, Jin replied, 'I still don't want to do it.' Also read: BTS' RM says mental health worsened amid HYBE issues, had to rely on pills: 'I cried all night, kept saying I was going to die' Jin got caught in a second lie when he was asked about fans comparing him to a hamster. He said, 'I don't like it, but if fans want to call me that, I'm fine with it'. But as it turns out, that was a lie too. During the segment, the host brought up how the singer once said he wanted to be a journalist if he hadn't become a performer. When asked if he still feels that way, he said, 'No, I don't want to be a journalist anymore. I'm fulfilled by the work I'm doing now. And as I learn more about the world, I don't think I'd do a good job in that career.' The one question that had him hesitating the most was probably when he was asked which member he missed the most during their military days. He was pushed to name one, so he picked Jungkook. The oldest and the youngest bond have always been a fan favourite. On the work front, BTS is set to make their musical comeback in 2026. Six out of seven members are already back from the military. Suga, who's serving in the private sector, is the only one left. Meanwhile, BTS' agency BIGHIT is gearing up to debut a new boy band, juniors to BTS and TXT.
New York Times
2 days ago
- New York Times
I'm Wirecutter's Travel Editor. Here's What I Bring to Every Vacation Rental.
Although any decent rental should come with a good coffee maker, that isn't always the case. Sure, you might be lucky enough to discover an OXO Brew coffee maker or a Chemex — or maybe even a Breville Barista Plus — sitting on the kitchen counter. Then again, you might find a Keurig or worse. So pick up a portable, easy-to-use option that makes excellent coffee: the AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press. This is a slightly smaller, more packable sibling to the original AeroPress single-cup 'syringe.' (Since I'm not a coffee drinker, I'm channeling the advice of my java-dependent partner and colleagues.) You might not end up needing to use it, but it's not extravagantly priced. Over the years, I've constructed a network of audio devices that keep me safely within range of NPR's Morning Edition as I get ready for my day. They include an ancient but beloved clock radio by the bed, a shower radio in the bathroom, and an Echo speaker in the kitchen. Without my usual morning soundtrack, I feel unmoored, and this presents a problem when I travel. So I keep a portable Bluetooth speaker in my suitcase. The one I have now, a bright red JBL Go 4, is waterproof, has good sound quality, and is adorably tiny (the size of two decks of cards glommed together). The bass is nonexistent, but for listening to talking heads and podcasts, that doesn't really matter. No matter what sound system a rental has (or doesn't have), with this little speaker, I can find the stream for my preferred station and listen away. These beach sandals are the same as the women's version but cut a bit wider; we still think they run a little smaller than regular shoe sizes. I don't wear flip-flops much at home, but when I'm traveling, they're a great substitute for the clogs I keep by the door for quick trips to the corner store or back deck. We recommend a couple of models in our guide to beach gear. The Indosole Flip Flops (which come in men's and women's sizes) cost less than $50. And they offer the best combination of quality, discreet looks, packability, and responsible manufacturing from recycled materials. Also, if your destination involves sand and surf, flip-flops are perfect for that, as well. This portable, battery-powered alarm can detect elevated CO levels caused by broken or poorly installed fuel-burning appliances (dryers, water heaters, and the like). It won't detect smoke, though. Any vacation rental should have working smoke alarms. Yet not everyone is aware of the deadly danger posed by carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that can seep into a building via a malfunctioning chimney, water heater, gas stove, or other combustion appliance. Doug Mahoney, who wrote our guide to smoke alarms, suggests packing the First Alert CO710 Carbon Monoxide Detector, a portable alarm from the same company that makes the in-home smoke-and-CO alarm he recommends. Unlike that alarm, however, the CO710 won't alert you to smoke — just to excess levels of carbon monoxide. (It does also display the temperature, though.) Equivalent in size to a stack of three iPhone SEs, the CO710 weighs less than half a pound, so it's easy to slip into a carry-on if you're flying to your rental. (It is powered by a built-in lithium battery, though, so don't put it in your checked luggage.) We recommend having one alarm for each bedroom, and from now on, I won't travel without one. This article was edited by Maxine Builder and Jason Chen. What I Cover I'm based in San Francisco, and I oversee a team of writers and editors covering travel gear and outdoors gear, including cycling gear.
