If you’re wondering what happened to Amazon’s new and improved version of its Alexa voice assistant, you’re not alone. Bloomberg reports that the new Alexa is still stuck in its developmental phase and Amazon has cut off access to its beta phase including its new “Let’s Chat” phase. As a result, a planned late 2024 launch has been pushed back to next year. The problem seems to be with its large language models (LLMs). The new Alexa is designed to understand more complicated questions from users but it’s also more likely to fail doing some of the most basic things the old version could do quite easily like create a timer or operate smart lights, according to a follow up report from The Verge. Amazon originally planned to unveil its new version of Alexa AI in October but now the timeline has been extended into next year. (As you might have noticed, October has come and gone.) The original timeline planned to premiere the next evolutionary step in Alexa’s advancement on October 17 but Amazon decided to pivot and used the date to show off its new line of Kindle ereaders. Then in August, news surfaced that the new Alexa would be powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI and come with a monthly subscription fee. As ChatGPT began to rise in popularity in the summer of 2023, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wanted to see if Alexa could compete if it had an AI upgrade. Jassy reportedly started peppering Alexa with sports questions “like an ESPN reporter at a playoff press conference” and its answers... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-11-01 21:50:42 UTC ]
Cyber Monday is almost over but the deals are not yet gone. There are still a number of great tech deals out there, so if you're a little late to the holiday shopping frenzy that has been the past few days, fear not. You can still save on gadgets from Apple, Sonos,... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-27 23:00:03 UTC ]
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As Cyber Monday begins to wind down, nearly all of the deals are still live on Amazon, so if you've had other stuff going on, you still have time to shop Echos, Kindles, Fire TV sticks and more at a discount. Amazon seems to reserve its best deals for three events: its... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-27 22:18:55 UTC ]
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Cyber Monday is finally here, and even though many of the best Black Friday deals have carried over into today, it's still worth checking online sales to see if you want to pick up anything while prices are down. Whether you dropped some money on new tech a few days ago... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-27 15:25:39 UTC ]
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With Cyber Monday deals have come big savings on all things Amazon. If you’ve been looking to get a new Echo speaker for your home office or pick up a Kindle as a holiday gift, now’s a great time to shop for all of Amazon’s gadgets and gear. For 2023, we’re seeing a new... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-27 14:45:32 UTC ]
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Amazon's Kindles make it easier to access all your favorite books. They're on sale right now. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2023-11-27 08:00:30 UTC ]
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Cyber Monday is right around the corner and this year, much like year's past, we're seeing plenty of Black Friday deals bleed into the new week. If you didn't get the chance to shop on Friday, there's still time to snag a few good deals on all kinds of tech, including... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-26 14:00:25 UTC ]
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Reading is the best hobby, and Kindles make it easier to access all your favorite books. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2023-11-25 09:00:00 UTC ]
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Black Friday 2023 is finally upon us, and even though the sales seemed to start a little earlier this year, most of the deals are still going strong. Plus, we're seeing a few brand new deals that went live early this morning. We at Engadget care most about consumer... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-25 00:10:35 UTC ]
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Black Friday proper may be behind us, but the deals are anything but. For the past few years, companies have been both starting their Black Friday sales earlier than ever, and also extending them a few days after the main event. If you weren't able to log on and shop... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-25 00:10:35 UTC ]
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The days between Black Friday and Cyber Monday don’t have fancy shopping names associated with them, but it’s still a good time to shop for deals on Amazon devices, as most sale prices are still going strong. Amazon has sales on its own Kindles, Echos, Fire tablets and... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-24 16:17:48 UTC ]
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Black Friday 2023 is finally upon us, so if you're just getting started on your holiday shopping, you're in luck. Even though we've seen Black Friday deals populate the internet over the past couple of weeks, there remain plenty to be had today. Many of the deals we've... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-24 15:32:10 UTC ]
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Black Friday 2023 is finally here, and if you're just getting around to your holiday shopping, there are a ton of great deals to be had across the internet. Black Friday may still technically be one day, but we've been seeing solid early Black Friday deals throughout the... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-24 14:12:44 UTC ]
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Amazon has ereaders aplenty on sale for Black Friday. You can get the entry-level Kindle for $80, close to a record low. In addition, the retailer has its higher-end Kindle Paperwhite for $120, the Kindle Scribe for $240 and the Kindle Oasis for $180. The latest Kindle,... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-24 13:30:30 UTC ]
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Reading is the best hobby, and Kindles make it easier to access all your favorite books. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2023-11-24 07:27:35 UTC ]
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Like Amazon Prime Day before it, Black Friday is a good time to save on Amazon’s own devices. We’re seeing some deals that match — and a few that beat — the prices from July and October’s sales. If you’ve had your eye on a Fire TV Stick or a Ring doorbell, or if you want... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-24 05:01:57 UTC ]
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We've still got a few hours before Black Friday begins in earnest, but the deals are already here. Really, Black Friday deals have been here for the entire month of November. As has been the case for a few years in a row, most retailers including Amazon, Target, Best Buy... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-23 21:00:15 UTC ]
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Nearly 30 years after Amazon started as an online bookseller, products like the Kindle and services like Audible have kept quite an emphasis on reading. Now, in the lead-up to Black Friday (which Amazon also really focuses on), the company is running a massive sale on... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-23 17:00:16 UTC ]
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Ereaders like the Kindle Paperwhite make great gifts — especially when they're on sale. The Paperwhite adds a few perks over the standard Kindle, including a warm backlight, a waterproof build and a larger screen. As part of Amazon's Black Friday sale, it's now $20 off... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-23 15:00:04 UTC ]
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Amazon started its Black Friday deals early this year, and many Amazon devices are on sale right now. We sifted through the sale and selected standout deals on Amazon Kindles, Fire TV sticks, Echo speakers, and Eero routers. There's also a bundle that combines an Amazon... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-17 15:30:25 UTC ]
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Amazon has begun notifying Comixology users that they’ll no longer be able to read comics on the app come December 4. Comixology is merging with the Kindle app, and users’ libraries will soon only be accessible via the latter. The move caps off the ruination of... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-11-15 21:39:11 UTC ]
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