I Set up This Alexa Automation so My Lights Turn on Before I Walk Through the Door
A homeowner details how they used Amazon Alexa’s location‑based routines to automatically turn on a smart bulb in the entryway when they arrive home. The setup involves enabling precise location in the Alexa app, creating a routine triggered by arrival, and linking the smart bulb to the routine. The author also highlights other possible Alexa automations, such as push‑notifications with weather or traffic and future plans for energy‑efficient tweaks. The piece showcases Alexa’s expanding role as a central hub for diverse smart‑home actions.
Authentic Thought Beats Futurist Lies
The Future of Everything is Lies, I Guess https://aphyr.com/posts/420-the-future-of-everything-is-lies-i-guess-where-do-we-go-from-here "Refuse to insult your readers: think your own thoughts and write your own words." - Gonna be quoting this for a long while
Samsung's Crazy Buds Cases Spark Weird Accessory Craze
Samsung just released some truly absurd cases for the Galaxy Buds 4 / Pro 4 and I'm extremely here for it. More weird accessories please, Big Tech.
Organic Social Media Marketing Best Practices for Hotels in 2026
In 2026 hotels must treat organic social media as a strategic asset, focusing on consistent posting, deep audience insight, and high‑quality content. The article recommends three to five weekly posts, a monthly content calendar, and regular polls to refine messaging....
AI Mode Now Orders Nearby Items via Voice
Expanding from Search to AI Mode -> AI Mode can now call nearby stores for last-minute shopping "This tool launched directly on Search last November, and it’s rolling out in the coming weeks on AI Mode in the U.S." "Just describe what...
Agentic Web Arrives: 5 Key AI Search Shifts
The Agentic Web is Here: 5 AI Shifts I'm Discussing with Clients about AI Search - Marie Haynes https://buff.ly/VRW47KT
Understanding Data Ownership Is Key Before Hotel Budget Season
Hotel operators are increasingly focused on data ownership as they approach the annual budget cycle. The article highlights that while software upgrades are routine, the ability to export, migrate, and control historic data can become costly and time‑consuming. It stresses...
Meta's AI Spending Spree Is Helping Make Its Quest Headsets More Expensive
Meta announced a $50‑$100 price hike (12‑20%) for its Quest VR headsets, effective April 19, citing a global surge in memory‑chip costs. The increase coincides with Meta’s aggressive AI capital‑expenditure plan, targeting $115‑$135 billion in 2026, up sharply from $72 billion in...
Balance Brand Identity with Performance-Driven Creative Testing
Brand Creative /= Performance Creative This is one of the biggest hurdles when working with brands looking to scale is they want things "on brand" but "on brand" typically doesn't convert as well as performance driven creative. You have to be willing...
Tesla FSD Spots Road Debris Before Driver, Intervenes
I wasn't sure what this was (it was rather large) but Tesla's FSD saw the debris in the road sooner than I did and took aggressive action to ensure I didn't run it over.
Seattle, Vancouver Align Cross‑Border Transport for 2026 World Cup Surge
Seattle and Vancouver announced a joint effort to synchronize transportation, tourism and digital tools ahead of the 2026 World Cup, aiming to accommodate more than 1.1 million visitors and generate billions in economic activity. The coordination targets road, rail and border‑crossing...
TP-Link Debuts $180 Wi‑Fi 7 Mesh Kit, Undercutting Premium Competitors
TP-Link introduced the Deco BE23 Wi‑Fi 7 mesh kit at a $180 three‑pack price, delivering up to 2.9 Gbps throughput and covering up to 6,500 sq ft. The low‑cost offering challenges premium rivals like Netgear’s Orbi 370 and could accelerate consumer adoption of Wi‑Fi 7.
AI Virtual Assistant Texted 1.1M Wisconsin Voters, Logging 21K Campaign Conversations
Defend Our Courts and startup Convos rolled out an AI‑powered virtual assistant that texted more than 1.1 million Wisconsin voters in the April 7 Supreme Court race. The bot recorded 21,316 substantive conversations while the group spent roughly $84,000, highlighting a...
California AG Accuses Amazon of Pressuring Sellers to Raise Prices
California Attorney General Rob Bonta unveiled newly unsealed evidence that Amazon pressured independent sellers on its platform to raise prices to match competitors like Walmart and Target. The allegations, based on internal emails and seller testimony, claim Amazon used its...
Vertex’s CF Stronghold Tested by Emerging Gene Therapies
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, long the dominant player in cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment, is confronting new competition from gene‑therapy candidates such as Krystal Biotech’s KB407. While Vertex continues to expand its pipeline with mRNA‑based CF drugs and non‑CF indications, analysts warn that...
NOC Energy Raises $2.7M to Launch Hybrid Cement Plant Tech Delivering 1,200°C Heat
NOC Energy announced a $2.7 million seed round and unveiled a hybrid cement‑plant system that injects electric heat into existing kilns. The technology can generate temperatures up to 1,200 °C and switch between electricity and fossil fuel, offering manufacturers a low‑cost path...
Trustly Appoints Randy Kern as Group CTO to Accelerate Open Banking Platform Scaling
Trustly has named Randy Kern as Group Chief Technology Officer and Chantelle Zemba as Group Chief Legal Officer. The hires bring deep US market and product experience to the fast‑growing Open Banking specialist, positioning the company for accelerated growth across...
Chef Robotics Escaped the Robot Cooking Graveyard and Says It’s Thriving — Here’s Why
Chef Robotics announced it has processed 100 million robot‑deposited servings, marking a key milestone in its pivot from fast‑casual restaurant automation to large‑scale food manufacturing. The company now serves enterprise clients such as Amy’s Kitchen, Chef Bombay, and a major school‑lunch...
BearingPoint Study Finds Over One-Third of Firms Lag on Climate Goals Amid AI Surge
BearingPoint’s latest thought‑leadership report shows that over one‑third of surveyed enterprises are already missing science‑based climate targets, citing AI’s growing energy demand as a key obstacle. The findings highlight a widening gap between sustainability pledges and operational execution.
Personal, Tangible Gestures Beat Automated B2B Outreach
A few years ago, someone sent me tiki cups. Not branded cups. Not a box with a company logo slapped on the side. Just a set of those fancy ceramic tiki mugs — the kind you’d get at Trader Vic’s...
Law Firms Warn AI Chat Transcripts May Be Seized After NY Judge Ruling
A Southern District of New York judge ruled that a defendant's private conversations with Anthropic's Claude are not protected by attorney‑client privilege and can be subpoenaed. In response, more than a dozen leading U.S. law firms have issued client advisories...
Delhi CM Flags Scrappage; Fitness at Core of ₹4,000-Cr EV Policy Push
Delhi’s ₹4,000‑crore (≈$480 M) electric‑vehicle policy pivots from pure purchase subsidies to a compliance‑driven framework that couples scrappage incentives with mandatory vehicle fitness checks. The draft EV Policy 2026‑2030 offers up to ₹1 lakh per electric car and ₹10,000 per two‑wheeler, but only...
DJI Pocket 4 Camera Becomes First Real Casualty of US FCC Ban
DJI unveiled the Osmo Pocket 4, a pocket‑sized gimbal camera featuring a 1‑inch CMOS sensor, 4K 240 fps video, 14‑stop dynamic range and 10‑bit D‑Log. It adds 107 GB of internal storage, up to four hours of recording, and enhanced AI tracking, gesture control,...
Sheila Busheri Launches Scholarship to Boost Future HealthTech Leaders
Healthcare executive Sheila Busheri announced the Sheila Busheri Scholarship, a new award that will support at least one pre‑med or medical student each cycle. The essay‑driven program, with a Jan. 15, 2027 deadline, seeks to cultivate leaders who will advance medical access...
TradingView Makes CFI Codes Available to Its Users
TradingView has added ISO 10962 Classification of Financial Instruments (CFI) codes to its platform, covering equities, debt securities and collective investment vehicles. The six‑letter identifiers now appear on symbol pages, in the chart info panel, and as columns and filters in...
ComplianceCow Teams with ServiceNow IRM to Automate HR‑Related Control Monitoring
ComplianceCow announced today a native integration with ServiceNow Integrated Risk Management, enabling enterprises to automate continuous evidence collection and control testing for HR‑related compliance. The middleware links cloud, identity and on‑prem systems to ServiceNow IRM, delivering real‑time risk insights without...
Yuanjie Semiconductor Tops Moutai as China’s Priciest Listed Stock at ¥1,439 ($200)
Yuanjie Semiconductor Technology Co. surged 9.6% to an all‑time high of ¥1,439 ($200) on Friday, eclipsing Kweichow Moutai and becoming the most expensive stock on China’s mainland exchanges. The jump reflects growing investor appetite for advanced photonic chip makers as...
Pennsylvania Bills Aim to Fast-Track Data-Center Permits Amid 4,000% Growth Forecast
Pennsylvania lawmakers are advancing three bills that would shift data‑center siting authority from municipalities to a state board, a move that coincides with an industry report projecting a 4,000% increase in data‑center capacity by 2036. Critics warn the proposals could...
IU International University Deploys Five‑Level AI Skills Framework Across All Programs
IU International University of Applied Sciences has embedded a five‑level AI competency framework into all its degree programs, with full implementation slated for the end of 2026. The move aims to give students traceable AI skill assessments and respond to...
IBM Launches AI‑Driven Cyber‑Defense Platform to Counter Autonomous Attacks
IBM announced a two‑part AI security offering—an assessment service from IBM Consulting and the IBM Autonomous Security multi‑agent platform—to help large enterprises detect and remediate autonomous, AI‑driven attacks. The move targets the growing risk of generative‑AI tools that accelerate threat...
Johns Hopkins Study Shows Anthropic, Google, Microsoft AI Agents Can Steal GitHub Credentials
A Johns Hopkins University researcher demonstrated that AI coding agents from Anthropic, Google and Microsoft can be tricked into stealing GitHub API keys and access tokens. The finding, disclosed through bug‑bounty payouts but without vendor advisories, raises urgent security concerns...
OpenAP Selected As A Weigel Partner
Weigel Broadcasting announced a partnership with advertising technology firm OpenAP. The deal will bring OpenAP's data‑driven audience measurement and targeting tools to Weigel's suite of digital multicast networks, including the popular classic‑TV channel MeTV. By integrating advanced analytics, the collaboration...
Decibel Cannabis Posts 22% Revenue Growth to $113M, Unveils Aggressive Go‑to‑Market Plan
Decibel Cannabis Company announced FY2025 net revenue of $113 million, a 22% increase year‑over‑year, and outlined a multi‑pronged go‑to‑market strategy. The company highlighted a 484% jump in international sales, a new Standard Issue brand, and a debt refinance that positions it...
First Look: Apple's Foldable iPhone—Will You Try?
First Look at the The iPhone Fold/iPhone Ultra Dummy Models. Are you going to give @apple's Foldable iPhone a try? Or will you pass? #apple #iphone #iphonefold #foldable
AZD4956
Just disclosed in #AACR26 abstracts: $AZN AZD4956 = DNA pol theta inhibitor. My story from when it entered phase 1/2 Parthenon study +/-saruparib -> https://t.co/bHoOKqd7da
Apple Watch Sleep Score Drops for Users 65+, Doctors Advise Calm
Apple’s Watch sleep‑tracking algorithm now shows reduced scores for users over 65, driven by higher sleep fragmentation. Health experts say the dip reflects normal age‑related changes, not a device fault, and urge seniors not to panic.
Intel’s DP‑Alt Mode Works Seamlessly with Apple 6K XDR
One nice thing about being on Intel is that DP-alt mode Just Works. Never was able to get any AMD laptop to work consistently with Thunderbolt and the Apple 6K XDR. There were hacks you could do, special cables etc,...
AI Agents Will Flood Networks—New Strategies Needed
Given how much more Internet traffic AI Agents are going to create, we need new strategies to ensure the network can keep up. Here’s one…
Holcim Ups Electric Quarry Fleet Ante in UK Adding 20 LiuGong 870HE Wheel Loaders
Holcim UK is deploying 20 LiuGong 870HE electric wheel loaders, each weighing 24.6 t and equipped with a 423 kWh LFP battery that delivers up to nine hours of operation and an 80‑minute fast charge. After a year‑long trial at the Callow...
Omnidirectional Drone Glides Effortlessly in All Directions
This #Drone Can Glide Effortlessly in Any Direction via @ZappyZappy7 #Technology #Innovation #EmergingTech #TechForGood https://t.co/CCWWw0uqyY
Minibinder Data for $149—Custom Assays Available
Get data on your minibinders for $149! Sequence in -> data out. Let us know other assays or protocols you'd like to see and we're happy to add to Ginkgo Cloud Lab.
Wyndham Hotels Cuts Costs with 62% Contact‑Center Automation
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has automated 62% of its contact‑center workload after a partnership with Five9, delivering multi‑million‑dollar cost savings and faster, more personalized guest support. The move sets a new benchmark for digital transformation in the hospitality sector.
Epic's AI Suite Crowds Out Third‑Party Tools in Healthcare
My new Substack: Epic, the leading EHR vendor, has released >100 AI tools. Choosing them over third-party tools has become the safe choice for many health systems. I explore why, and the bigger questions: can – and should – something be done about...
AI Trust Grows When Societies Become More AI‑Savvy
Societies that are smarter about AI tend to trust it more We should get better at educating people h/t @EricNewcomer https://t.co/MJpe1VWlAe
Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission Hit by Cyberattack, Prompting National Probe
Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission confirmed a cyberattack on its systems on April 15, triggering an urgent investigation led by the National Information Technology Development Agency. The breach threatens the integrity of corporate filings and highlights gaps in the country’s digital...
OpenAI's Image V2 Arrives; GTA 6 Demo Impresses
OpenAI is about to release a banger with image v2. GTA 6 - Duct-Tape-3 Model...the lighting, small details...robbery in the bg lol https://t.co/4SuQZ1KxqE
Rediscover 1990s Search Engine Tips in Classic Guide
30 years ago, I published The Webmaster's Guide To Search Engines. I've dug up & dusted off my old HTML files to make the guide available again. Take a trip back to the '90s web & see tips for AltaVista,...
KEPT AI Cuts Prediction Errors, Boosts Safety for Self‑Driving Cars
Researchers at Tongji University unveiled KEPT, a memory‑enhanced AI that reduces trajectory prediction errors on the nuScenes benchmark. By retrieving similar past driving clips, the system improves decision‑making in complex traffic, promising higher safety for autonomous vehicles.
We Must Digitally Sign Everything for True Identity
No one is listening to Steve Jobs’s advice https://t.co/j1lR6Oe33R No one is listening to my advice either, but let's hope they listen to Jamie... "We don’t have good identity tools for people, let alone artificial intelligence. So we need to start digitally...
Bernie Sanders and Labor Warn AI Threatens U.S. Jobs
Bernie Sanders joined labor leaders to warn of the threat the US workforce is facing from AI. https://t.co/AhwYQOrdae