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Amazon rolls out Alexa Plus nationwide and launches a new free tier

Amazon has announced that its generative AI-powered digital assistant Alexa Plus is now available to all Prime members in the US via any Alexa-enabled device, Alexa.com, and the Alexa mobile app. If you don't have Prime, you can access the assistant on a new free tier on the web and app, or pay $20 a month for unlimited access to Alexa Plus, without Prime. Alexa Plus initially launched in March 2025 in an Early Access program and, over the last year, has slowly expanded to tens of millions of users, Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Echo, told The Verge in an interview. Now, the smarter, more conversational assistant is moving o … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/tFc7k6S
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Anthropic says ‘Claude will remain ad-free,’ unlike ChatGPT

Claude plans to run one ad before the Super Bowl, and another during it. | Screenshot: Claude ad Anthropic has announced that it won't be bringing ads to its AI chatbot Claude, in sharp contrast to confirmed plans from OpenAI to allow advertising in ChatGPT. To hammer the point home further, the company is releasing a Super Bowl commercial that makes fun of unnamed rivals adding adverts to their AI. "We want Claude to act unambiguously in our users' interests," the company says in a new blog post . "So we've made a choice: Claude will remain ad-free. Our users won't see 'sponsored' links adjacent to their conversations with Claude; nor will Claude's responses be influenced by advertisers or include third-party product placements our use … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/CImfwup

Sen. Warren wants to know what Google Gemini’s built-in checkout means for user privacy

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is pressing Google for more information about its plans to build a checkout feature into its Gemini AI chatbot. In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Warren expresses concerns that the integration could allow Google and retailers "to exploit sensitive user data" or "manipulate consumers into spending more and paying higher prices." Last month, Google announced that it will soon allow users to buy products directly within Gemini through the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a standard it developed in partnership with Shopify, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, and Etsy. The UCP is supposed to make it easier for AI age … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/a96E2W4

YouTube now blocking background playback on mobile browsers

YouTube has started to block third-party mobile browsers from using a background playback loophole. Background playback is supposed to be limited to YouTube Premium subscribers through the official iOS or Android app, but many people have been using browsers like Brave, Vivaldi, and Edge to get background playback without a subscription. Not anymore. "Background playback is a feature intended to be exclusive for YouTube Premium members," says an unnamed Google spokesperson in a statement to Android Authority . "While some non-Premium users may have previously been able to access this through mobile web browsers in certain scenarios, we have … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/1hxI8Kn

A community organizer’s guide to Signal group chats

With ICE and CBP roaming the streets, united community action is more important than ever right now - from local mutual aid groups to school safety patrols. Known for its privacy features and end-to-end encryption, the Signal messaging app has become a popular platform for organizing these community groups. Signal can be a great tool for private messaging, but it's at its best if you know how to use all the privacy options. Not all of these options are automatic or even immediately obvious; there are also some best practices that are helpful for participating in and leading group chats. Signal and your First Amendment rights As you're as … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/kmUbTVG

How to tear gas children

The day after the second general strike in Minneapolis, the labor unions of Portland, Oregon, marched in solidarity. It was the warmest day that Portland had seen in a while, with sun peeking out from the clouds here and there. Many people had brought their entire families; not just older children, but toddlers in strollers and wagons, too. Some brought their dogs. The chants were typical: "ICE out of Portland" and "No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here." But the children were so visible that City Councilor Mitch Green felt a slight twinge of awkwardness. "There's some other folks saying, you know, 'Fuck ICE,' but, like, there's chil … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/yPrB7QY

Now anyone can tap Ring doorbells to search for lost dogs

Truffle, a chocolate lab found using Ring’s Search Party feature. | Image: Ring Ring is opening its Search Party pet finder service to non-Ring owners through the free Ring Neighbors app. The service has helped reunite owners with "more than one lost dog a day" since launch, according to the company. Anyone in the US can share a photo of their missing pet after they download and register in the app. If a neighbor's AI-enabled Ring camera detects the lost animal, they'll be able to alert the pet's owner. Ring is also committing $1 million to equip animal shelters across the country with camera systems. The company launched its Search Party feature in September and, despite some misgivings about it being enabled by defa … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/Wkgcjme