Amazon’s Echo Hub just became the control freak your smart home needed

Amazon is giving its Echo Hub a major refresh, making the smart home control panel feel a lot more useful than before. The biggest changes aren’t what you’d expect.

Amazon’s Echo Hub gets a customizable new look and Ring’s AI features
Amazon’s Echo Hub gets a customizable new look and Ring’s AI features

Amazon’s rolling out a free software update for Echo Hub devices that gives the homescreen a much-needed update to the interface it launched with in 2024. It had already added Alex Plus AI support, but the new interface has a cleaner, fully customizable layout that fits more smart home info and controls on the screen […]

Amazon’s data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water last year
Amazon’s data centers used 2.5 billion gallons of water last year

Just after Seattle enacted a one-year data center moratorium that some of Amazon’s own employees pushed for, Amazon shared how much water its data centers use, reportedly for the first time. With concerns about water consumption and energy use a focus of new AI data center construction debates, Amazon says its global data center operations […]

Amazon’s Sleep Studio feature turns Echo devices into a soothing sleep-bringer for kids

Amazon has launched Sleep Studio, a new feature for Echo Kids devices that automates bedtime routines with curated sleep content.

You can now buy the most affordable Kindle Scribe on Amazon

The most affordable Kindle Scribe is finally on sale at $429.99, and Amazon has also launched the new Story So Far AI reading feature on all modern Kindles.

Amazon takes on $17.5 billion in new debt as AI spending pushes total borrowing past $225 billion
Amazon takes on $17.5 billion in new debt as AI spending pushes total borrowing past $225 billion

Amazon has agreed to a $17.5 billion delayed-draw term loan led by Citigroup, the latest in a borrowing spree fuelled by its race to build AI infrastructure. The cash is available through the end of September. Each draw has a three-year repayment windo…

Fresh off bond sale, Amazon borrows $17.5 billion from banks as AI spending continues

As AI spending continues to climb, the e-commerce giant has taken out a fresh $17.5 billion loan from a small coterie of banks.

Amazon’s Echo speakers can now help kids wind down and fall asleep
Amazon’s Echo speakers can now help kids wind down and fall asleep

Amazon has launched a new feature for its Echo and Echo Kids smart speakers called Sleep Studio that’s designed to make the daily transition to bedtime more enticing for kids and less stressful for parents and caregivers. The feature uses a combination of bedtime stories, relaxing sounds, and guided meditations along with scheduling and customization […]

Pinterest bets on creators with Amazon Storefront integration

Pinterest is adding support for Amazon Storefronts, allowing creators to earn affiliate commissions more easily while showcasing their product recommendations in one place.

Amazon’s UK investment passes £1bn in Northamptonshire with 4,000 jobs, and a floor full of robots
Amazon’s UK investment passes £1bn in Northamptonshire with 4,000 jobs, and a floor full of robots

Amazon is deepening its UK investment, putting more than £1bn into two sites in Northamptonshire and adding over 4,000 jobs in one of the largest single-county commitments of its £40bn UK programme. The company has opened a £500M fulfilment centre in N…