Hasta La Gadget!

Amazon just held an event in New York City to reveal the long-awaited revamp of its Alexa chatbot. This refreshed assistant can perform many new tasks, thanks to some AI wizardry, and there are a few different ways for consumers to access the digital companion. There’s voice activation with Echo devices, of course, but the company has also built a dedicated web portal for Alexa+.

This portal will allow Amazon customers to interact with Alexa+ without having to boot up the app or interact with a smart speaker or smart display. This could be handy for making adjustments while at work or for those who feel comfortable drafting lengthy queries with a traditional keyboard. Consumers will also be able to continue using the app, but Amazon promises a redesign in the near future to accommodate the new features offered by Alexa+.

Amazon

For the uninitiated, Alexa+ is a juiced up version of the long-standing chatbot. It leverages conversational AI and integration with Amazon services to assist users in a number of new ways. It has contextual awareness, so it can remember earlier parts of a conversation, and can complete relatively complex tasks. The company showed off demos of the assistant finding recipes, booking dinner reservations, searching for the correct part of a movie and a whole lot more.

It looks pretty cool, but it’s also fairly expensive. Alexa+ begins rolling out over the next few weeks to select Echo Show devices and costs $20 per month. However, it’s free for Prime subscribers. Prime currently costs $15 per month in the US. Hopefully that price won’t be rising with the inclusion of Alexa+.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/amazons-ai-heavy-alexa-will-be-accessible-on-the-web-164724844.html?src=rss

Razer has unveiled its most powerful gaming laptop yet, the Blade 18 (2025), designed to offer a premium desktop-like experience in a portable form factor. This high-performance device is aimed not only at gamers but also at professionals handling intensive creative workloads.

A key highlight of the Blade 18 (2025) is its world-first 18-inch dual-mode display, which supports UHD+ resolution at 240Hz and FHD+ resolution at 440Hz natively. The panel features a 3ms response time and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut for vibrant visuals. The laptop is powered by Intel’s Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, boasting 24 cores and 24 threads for top-tier performance.

Memory and storage options include 32GB or 64GB of RAM and up to 4TB of internal storage, depending on the selected variant. For graphics, the Blade 18 comes equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU, with configurations available up to the RTX 5090.

Thermal management is a priority, with advanced cooling technology that includes thinner exhaust fins and a vapor chamber cooling system to keep performance stable. The scissor-switch keyboard offers a 35% increase in key travel compared to the previous generation, enhancing the typing experience.

Connectivity options are extensive, featuring two Thunderbolt ports, Wi-Fi 7, HDMI 2.1, Bluetooth 5.4, and Gigabit LAN. The laptop also includes a 5MP webcam with Windows Hello support and a privacy shutter. For audio, it boasts a six-speaker system with THX Spatial Audio for immersive sound.

Pre-orders for the Blade 18 (2025) are now available on Razer.com, RazerStores, and select retailers, with pricing starting at $3,199.99.

Razer Unveils Blade 18 (2025) With Dual-Mode Display And RTX 5090

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Razer has unveiled its most powerful gaming laptop yet, the Blade 18 (2025), designed to offer a premium desktop-like experience in a portable form factor. This high-performance device is aimed not only at gamers but also at professionals handling intensive creative workloads.

A key highlight of the Blade 18 (2025) is its world-first 18-inch dual-mode display, which supports UHD+ resolution at 240Hz and FHD+ resolution at 440Hz natively. The panel features a 3ms response time and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut for vibrant visuals. The laptop is powered by Intel’s Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, boasting 24 cores and 24 threads for top-tier performance.

Memory and storage options include 32GB or 64GB of RAM and up to 4TB of internal storage, depending on the selected variant. For graphics, the Blade 18 comes equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU, with configurations available up to the RTX 5090.

Thermal management is a priority, with advanced cooling technology that includes thinner exhaust fins and a vapor chamber cooling system to keep performance stable. The scissor-switch keyboard offers a 35% increase in key travel compared to the previous generation, enhancing the typing experience.

Connectivity options are extensive, featuring two Thunderbolt ports, Wi-Fi 7, HDMI 2.1, Bluetooth 5.4, and Gigabit LAN. The laptop also includes a 5MP webcam with Windows Hello support and a privacy shutter. For audio, it boasts a six-speaker system with THX Spatial Audio for immersive sound.

Pre-orders for the Blade 18 (2025) are now available on Razer.com, RazerStores, and select retailers, with pricing starting at $3,199.99.

Razer Unveils Blade 18 (2025) With Dual-Mode Display And RTX 5090

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

It’s sort of out of character for Amazon to be hosting a devices event in February, as opposed to its usual Fall launch. But this morning (February 26) at 10am ET, the company is holding a presentation in New York City. As it’s done in the past, Amazon won’t be livestreaming this event, and you won’t be able to watch Panos Panay and his colleagues present to members of the media. Don’t worry about FOMO, though. Engadget will be attending and liveblogging the event, so if you follow our updates it’ll almost feel like you’re right there with us! 

We’ll have commentary and contextualization on the announcements, as well as the in-person vibes and quality of snacks. Our Sam Rutherford will be sharing pictures, too, so you won’t miss a thing. Scroll down to see what we’ve posted so far, and keep this page open all day for the latest updates! I recommend having drinks or snacks handy while you follow along with us.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-follow-the-amazons-alexa-event-today-200022694.html?src=rss

The Federal Aviation Agency has started testing Starlink terminals for upgrades to the networks that manage airspace, creating the latest conflict of interest between the US government and Elon Musk. The FAA posted (fittingly on the social network Musk also owns) that it is testing a Starlink terminal in Atlantic City, NJ, and two terminals in Alaska. The post claims that the department had been considering using the SpaceX tech since the prior presidential administration.

The agency, which oversees all areas of civil aviation, has levied fines and required reviews over the years related to various SpaceX operations. Most recently, the agency ordered SpaceX to investigate what caused a mid-flight explosion with its Starship rocket last month.

A source told Bloomberg that Musk had approved a shipment of 4,000 Starlink terminals to the FAA last week. The agency has an existing contract with Verizon Communications, worth $2 billion, for supporting and maintaining its infrastructure. Bloomberg‘s sources were unsure how the Starlink tests would impact the Verizon deal.

This isn’t the first time a Musk-owned business has benefited since the South African billionaire inserted himself into the US political landscape. He and his so-called DOGE group has been leading cuts within the federal ranks, including at the FAA and at other departments that oversee his companies. For instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration saw about a 10 percent reduction to its staff this month, including cuts to the small division overseeing autonomous vehicles such as those from Tesla.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/amid-a-musk-led-overhaul-the-faa-starts-doing-business-with-spacex-221900620.html?src=rss