Your Hub for Tech News and Handy Online Tools.

Technology

Alexa+ Initial Tests: Promising AI Assistant Still Needs Refinement

Alexa+ First Impressions: A Beta Product with Potential

The author tests Amazon's new AI-powered digital assistant, Alexa+, focusing on its setup, calendar management, email handling, and price tracking capabilities. Alexa+ aims to leverage generative AI to better understand user needs and automate tasks.

Setup and Initial Use

Setting up Alexa+ on an Echo Spot was straightforward. The app, however, suffers from a cluttered and unintuitive user interface. Connecting services like Spotify was more convoluted than expected, and some previously linked services resulted in errors.

Calendar Management

Alexa+ can access and summarize calendar events, though it occasionally interrupts when adding new appointments. While natural in conversation, there is a slight lag in responses. The voice chat history is also difficult to locate within the app.

Remembering Information

The feature to store information like frequent flier numbers had issues. Alexa+ struggled to save and accurately recall the number, reading it out as a long numeral instead of individual digits.

Email Handling

Alexa+ can summarize emails, but it may miss important details. In one test, it only identified three out of twelve important dates from a school email, highlighting the need for users to still read emails themselves.

Price Tracking

The price tracking feature for Amazon products was unreliable. Alexa+ successfully set up trackers but failed to provide current prices or acknowledge product availability. There were instances of silence and incorrect information regarding product stock.

Conclusion

Alexa+ shows promise but feels like a beta product, prone to errors and inconsistencies. Its ability to handle more complex tasks and navigate the web remains to be seen. Further testing is planned to explore its agentic AI features.

Artificial Intelligence

Google's Jules Coding AI Agent Graduates from Beta with Enhanced Features and Pricing

Google has officially launched its AI coding agent, Jules, out of beta, powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro. Jules is designed as an asynchronous coding tool that integrates with GitHub and Google Cloud, automating code fixes and updates.

Key updates from the beta phase include structured pricing tiers, starting with a free plan (15 daily tasks) and paid plans (Google AI Pro and Ultra) offering higher limits. Google has also updated its privacy policy to clarify AI training data usage.

During beta testing, Jules facilitated over 140,000 code improvements. New features include GitHub issue integration, environment snapshots for faster task execution, and broader accessibility, including mobile web app support.

Jules distinguishes itself from other AI coding tools by operating asynchronously in a virtual machine, allowing developers to initiate tasks and return later for completion.

Fintech

Lava Payments Secures $5.8M to Pioneer AI-Driven Digital Wallets

Lava Payments, founded by Mitchell Jones, has raised $5.8 million in seed funding to develop digital wallets for AI agents. The platform aims to streamline transactions for AI by providing a unified credit system that eliminates the need for multiple subscriptions and authentications. Merchants can enable Lava wallets for their customers, allowing them to use credits across various services and foundational models like GPT and Claude. The funding will be used for hiring, product development, and go-to-market strategies, with the goal of enabling seamless AI transactions on the web.

Manufacturing & Investment

Apple Boosts US Manufacturing Investment by $100 Billion

Apple is increasing its investment in U.S. manufacturing by another $100 billion. This commitment aims to boost the production of Apple products within the United States. The new investment follows a previous pledge of $500 billion over the next four years.

The $500 billion investment includes initiatives such as opening an advanced manufacturing facility in Houston to produce servers for Apple Intelligence, producing Apple TV+ content in 20 U.S. states, and collaborating with U.S. suppliers.

This announcement comes amidst President Trump's threats of tariffs on iPhones made outside the U.S., pushing Apple to move more manufacturing to the United States. Tariffs have already cost Apple $800 million, and the company anticipates spending $1.1 billion in the next quarter.

Artificial Intelligence

Cohere Launches North: A Secure AI Agent Platform for Enterprises

Cohere has introduced North, an AI agent platform designed to address enterprise data security concerns. North enables private deployment, ensuring that sensitive data remains behind the customer's firewall, unlike cloud-based solutions like Azure or AWS. It can be installed on an organization’s on-premise infrastructure, hybrid clouds, VPCs, or air-gapped environments, even running on as few as two GPUs.

North offers features such as chat and search for customer support, meeting transcript summarization, marketing copy creation, and accessing internal and web-based information. It also includes granular access control, agent autonomy policies, and continuous security testing. Powered by Cohere's Command and Compass technologies, North integrates with workplace tools like Gmail, Slack, and Salesforce, and supports Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for industry-specific applications.

Cohere has piloted North with customers like RBC, Dell, LG, Ensemble Health Partners, and Palantir. The platform aims to provide a smooth transition from AI augmentation to automation, fostering confidence in AI-driven workflows.

Social Media

Instagram Unveils Location-Sharing 'Instagram Map' and Repost Feature

Instagram is introducing Instagram Map, enabling users to share their location and explore location-based content. This feature mirrors Snapchat's Snap Map, allowing users to see where their friends are and discover content from local businesses and events.

Key features include:

  • Location Sharing: Users can share their current location with friends, but location sharing is off by default.
  • Reposts: Similar to TikTok and Twitter, users can now repost public reels and feed posts to their profiles.
  • Friends Tab in Reels: Originally launched in the US, this feature is now available globally, showing reels that friends have liked, commented on, or reposted.
  • Privacy Options: Users can opt out of having their interactions shown in the Friends tab.

The Instagram Map feature is launching in the United States with global availability coming soon. This update also includes the ability to leave short messages or “Notes” on the map for others to see, enhancing location-based engagement.

Dating App Updates

Tinder's Revamp: New 'Modes', College Focus, and AI Matching to Rekindle User Engagement

Tinder is introducing new features to boost user engagement and revenue, including 'modes' for different dating goals and a broader redesign with a cleaner UI. The app is also focusing on attracting Gen Z users with college-specific features and expanding its AI-powered matching system. Other updates include a 'like' feature for specific profile parts to encourage conversation, and the 'Double Date' option, which has seen positive results with younger users.
Match Group, Tinder's parent company, is investing $50 million in product development and exploring AI to enhance its products. These changes come after a mixed quarter for Match Group, which reported flat year-over-year revenue but provided a better-than-expected Q3 outlook. Spencer Raskoff, the new CEO of Match Group, is leading these initiatives after his appointment in February.

Social Media

Locket's Celebrity Connection: Will It Drive Growth?

Locket, the photo-sharing app known for its home screen widgets, is introducing 'Celebrity Lockets' to boost user engagement. This feature allows artists like Suki Waterhouse and JVKE to share exclusive content with a limited number of fans directly on their home screens. Locket aims to replicate the intimacy of sharing with close friends while offering fans a unique connection with their favorite artists. While early feedback is positive, the success of this approach in driving user growth remains to be seen, especially considering similar mixed results with BeReal's celebrity feature.

Technology

Staan: European Search Engine Alliance Challenges Big Tech's Dominance

Qwant and Ecosia have launched Staan, a jointly developed search index aimed at providing a privacy-focused and cost-effective alternative to Google and Bing. The European Search Perspective (EUSP) joint venture plans to handle a significant portion of search queries in France and Germany by year's end. Staan is being integrated into Qwant's features like AI summaries and will soon enhance Ecosia's platform with AI capabilities. EUSP is also targeting chatbot integration, offering a cheaper alternative to existing search solutions. Highlighting the importance of European technological independence, EUSP aims to provide a privacy-centric search solution under European laws, contrasting with U.S. counterparts.

Data Breach

Google Confirms Data Theft via Salesforce Database Breach by ShinyHunters

Google has confirmed that customer data was stolen following a breach of its Salesforce database. The breach was executed by the hacking group ShinyHunters, also known as UNC6040. The stolen data included basic business information like business names and contact details.
ShinyHunters is known for using voice phishing techniques to gain access to cloud-based Salesforce databases. They are suspected of preparing a data leak site to extort victims. This breach is part of a series of attacks targeting Salesforce systems, following similar incidents at Cisco and Qantas.