Navigating the AI Assistant Arena

AI will fix everything, right? In this episode, friend of The Verge (and Waveform co-host) David Imel joins Nilay and David to talk all about Alexa Plus, and the AI-powered voice assistant Amazon thinks can do everything from turn on your lights to order your friend an Uber. The hosts also talk about the other gadgets of the week, from the wild new Sigma BF camera to the boring iPhone 16E. Finally, in the lightning round, they talk about TikTok becoming YouTube and YouTube becoming TikTok and Instagram becoming YouTube and TikTok, plus the latest in Brendan Carr being a dummy and what's coming next from Automattic, DOGE, and everything.

Further reading:

• Amazon Alexa Plus Event 2025: live updates and product announcements
• Amazon announces AI upgrade for Alexa
• Amazon’s Alexa Plus’ AI upgrades cost $19.99, but it’s free with Prime 
• Amazon is launching Alexa.com and new app for Alexa Plus 
• Alexa engagement continues to grow.
• Alexa Plus leaves behind Amazon’s earliest Echo devices
• Sigma’s BF is a minimalist full-frame camera with no memory card slot
• iPhone 16E review: Eh, it’s alright
• Framework’s first tiny Desktop beautifully straddles the line between cute and badass
• More than 1 billion people are now watching podcasts on YouTube every month
• Instagram’s Reels may get its own app
• From TechCrunch: In challenge to YouTube, TikTok revamps its desktop platform
• Someone flooded HUD HQ TVs with an AI-generated video of Trump and Musk.
• Bluesky banned this video
• Elon Musk claims federal employees have 48 hours to explain recent work or resign
• DOGE asks federal workers to justify their recent work or resign.
• Donald Trump and Elon Musk threaten to ‘semi-fire’ workers who don’t answer email
• Amy Gleason officially named as DOGE administrator
• Apple responds to tariff threat with a $500 billion US investment plan
• Trump shed some light on his meeting with Tim Cook.
• Starlink poised to take over $2.4 billion contract to overhaul air traffic control communication
• FCC to brief lawmakers on George Soros investigation in closed-door meeting
• FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Probes iHeartMedia Over How it Pays Musicians
• FCC Chair Brendan Carr taking first steps in eroding key legal protection enjoyed by Big Tech
• Automattic combines its Beeper and Texts.com messaging services

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