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The New York Times has added an AI assistant to its NYT Cooking app, initially available to subscribers on iOS. The tool is designed to answer cooking questions, suggest ingredient swaps, and help troubleshoot recipes, drawing on the publication's existing recipe database and reader comments rather than generating fully new recipes.
Amazon announced that its Alexa for Shopping AI agent, previously accessible only through the app and website, can now be used via text message. Users can text Alexa to order groceries, reorder past purchases, track price drops, compare products, and manage personalized shopping lists, with Alexa requiring approval before completing purchases. The feature launches Friday for a small group of US users via text invitation, with wider availability planned in coming months.
Amazon has launched a new Alexa for Shopping feature that lets users text the AI assistant to place orders, request reorders, or search for gifts, including by sending photos for product matches. The feature is currently available to select US customers who sign up, with a broader rollout planned in coming weeks. Alexa can also track pricing history, set sale alerts, and report delivery status via text, with requests syncing to the Amazon Shopping app and website.
Amazon announced a new feature letting select U.S. customers text its Alexa AI assistant to search for products, add items to cart, compare prices, check order status and complete purchases using natural language. Customers can also send photos of items or outfits to find similar products, and Amazon says Alexa will learn preferences over time to suggest items. Access is currently limited, with others able to join a waitlist ahead of a broader rollout in coming weeks.
Amazon is expanding Alexa for Shopping with a texting feature that lets users describe or photograph items they want to buy, after which Alexa searches Amazon listings, replies with recommendations, and can place the order. The feature, which appears as a contact called 'Amazon Alexa' in a phone's messages, began rolling out to a small group of US customers today and will reach more users in coming weeks.
Amazon has discounted its Fire TV Stick 4K Select to $21.99, down from its $49.99 list price, a 56% reduction. The device supports 4K playback, HDR formats and Dolby Atmos, and runs Amazon's Fire TV software with Alexa voice control, sitting below the pricier 4K Plus and 4K Max models in the lineup.
Amazon has disabled Alexa voice commands like "Alexa, play from line in" and "Alexa, set AUX input" on several older Echo models, including the second-gen Echo Plus, third-gen Echo, original Echo Studio and fourth-gen Echo. Amazon confirmed the change and said it notified a small number of affected customers, but did not explain why the feature was removed. Users can still physically plug in AUX cables and toggle the input via the Alexa app.
Amazon has released the Echo Show 16, a 16-inch smart display priced at $500 or $570 depending on configuration, positioned as a family hub with color-coded calendars, to-do lists and meal planning tools. Amazon says the device offers 10% more viewing area than the Echo Show 15 while having a frame nearly 40% thinner, and it can also function as a smart home control hub.
Amazon has discounted its 50-inch Ember 4-Series Fire TV to $309.99, down from its $399.99 list price, a 23% cut. The set is a 4K UHD smart TV with built-in Fire TV, HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ support, a direct-LED panel with 60 Hz refresh rate, and an included Alexa Voice Remote.
Amazon has broadened its Alexa for Shopping assistant so it can now perform more than 100 shopping-related tasks through conversational commands. Customers can use it to manage Subscribe & Save deliveries, build and update shopping lists, check gift card balances, track refunds, and change delivery instructions. The expanded features are available to all US Amazon customers via the Shopping app and desktop website.
Ikea has cut $20 off its donut-shaped Varmblixt smart lamp, bringing it to $79.99 until November 11th. The 180-lumen lamp offers 12 preset colors and can be controlled via an included wireless remote without needing an app or hub, while also supporting Matter for integration with Apple Home, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa.
Amazon has rolled out more than 100 new shopping capabilities for Alexa, letting users manage lists, adjust subscription delivery frequency, update delivery instructions, and resolve payment issues through voice commands. Users can also ask Alexa questions about Prime and Audible subscriptions and billing problems. Amazon said use of its agentic shopping features has grown eightfold since the start of the year, with over 400 million people using Alexa for shopping in the past 12 months.