You’ve just unboxed a brand new Amazon Echo product, and Alexa is now at your beck and call — but what do you ask? You’ve likely already asked for the weather a few times, maybe even for a news update ...

Katie covered all things how-to at CNET, with a focus on Social Security and notable events. When she's not writing, she enjoys playing in golf scrambles, practicing yoga and spending time on the lake ...

When you set up a smart bulb in a lamp, you get to name that lamp, so Alexa will know which lamp you are asking her to turn on. In my living room, I’ve set up lamps called table lamp and floor lamp.

Virtual assistants will soon be as commonplace as smartphones -- in many parts of the world, they already are. Most smartphones have a built-in assistant powered by artificial intelligence (AI), ...

I’ve got Amazon Echo devices in a few of my rooms at home as the gateway to my smart home system. I started with one Echo Dot in the living room, but added a new Dot with a clock to the bedroom and ...

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Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years ...

Amazon's Alexa makes for a great smart home hub, adding voice command capabilities to multiple devices, as well as letting you setup daily routines.