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Amazon’s Alexa+: A New Period of AI-Powered Private Assistants

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AI-powered private assistants have turn out to be important in our fast-paced lives, serving to us handle duties, management sensible gadgets, and keep organized. Amongst them, Amazon Alexa has led the best way, bringing voice management into tens of millions of properties. Now, Amazon is taking issues to the following degree with the launch of Alexa+, a brand new and improved model powered by superior generative AI.

Alexa+ is an enormous step ahead in private help. Its superior machine studying and sensible residence options supply a extra intuitive and customized expertise than ever earlier than. From dealing with advanced duties to adapting to particular person behaviors, Alexa+ is designed to simplify day by day life in beforehand unimaginable methods. Its potential to course of detailed instructions, create content material, and work together throughout a number of platforms units it other than the obtainable voice assistants.

What’s Amazon Alexa+?

Amazon Alexa+ is the following technology of voice assistant know-how, designed to be smarter and extra customized than earlier variations. Whereas the unique Alexa may already management sensible residence gadgets, reply questions, and help with fundamental duties, Alexa+ goes additional with enhanced AI and higher language understanding.

Alexa+ connects with extra gadgets, making it greater than only a voice assistant. It integrates with every thing from lights and thermostats to safety methods and home equipment, simplifying management throughout the house. Alexa+ learns over time, adapting to how folks use it and providing smarter options. As an example, it will probably alter the temperature earlier than somebody arrives residence or counsel meals based mostly on previous preferences.

Superior pure language processing (NLP) permits Alexa+ to know instructions and the context behind them. For instance, when requested in regards to the climate and adopted up with a query about needing an umbrella, Alexa+ remembers the preliminary question and supplies related, up-to-date data with no need to repeat something. Its potential to have interaction in multi-turn conversations makes interactions really feel extra pure and human-like.

Alexa+ additionally excels in its potential to combine with third-party companies and gadgets. It really works with numerous merchandise and platforms, together with Google Calendar, Microsoft Groups, and numerous sensible residence gadgets. This integration ensures that Alexa+ can management a number of gadgets from totally different manufacturers with out guide setup. For instance, a easy command like, “Alexa, activate the lounge lights” will management all appropriate sensible lights with out requiring further configuration.

With its mixture of superior AI, intuitive management, and seamless gadget integration, Alexa+ units a brand new commonplace in voice assistant know-how, providing a wiser, extra customized, and extremely adaptable expertise.

How Alexa+ Differs from Earlier Variations

Alexa+ represents a major enchancment over earlier variations, providing higher efficiency and new options that make it rather more superior.

One of many key upgrades is its sooner response occasions and improved accuracy. With Amazon’s sturdy cloud computing infrastructure, Alexa+ processes requests shortly and precisely, guaranteeing that instructions are carried out immediately. Moreover, its understanding of context helps cut back misunderstandings and pointless repetition, making for a smoother expertise.

Alexa+ can also be extra clever and succesful, introducing new options like superior routine automation. This permits Alexa+ to deal with extra advanced duties. For instance, it will probably routinely alter the temperature, begin a morning playlist, and replace a procuring listing when provides run low. By studying from consumer habits, Alexa+ turns into extra proactive, anticipating wants and making on a regular basis duties simpler.

Furthermore, Alexa+ works finest with Amazon’s newest Echo gadgets, which have been upgraded to assist its enhanced options. These gadgets supply higher audio high quality and stronger Wi-Fi connectivity and are designed to handle extra superior sensible residence options. This ensures customers can maximize Alexa+’s capabilities, making a extra seamless and environment friendly sensible residence expertise.

The Expertise Behind Alexa+

Alexa+’s spectacular capabilities are powered by superior synthetic intelligence (AI) and machine studying applied sciences. These methods permit Alexa+ to course of massive quantities of information, perceive advanced instructions, and supply related, customized responses based mostly on the consumer’s wants.

Pure Language Processing (NLP)

A key element of Alexa+’s intelligence is its NLP capabilities. NLP allows Alexa+ to know and work together with human language extra naturally. Whereas earlier variations of Alexa may deal with fundamental voice instructions, Alexa+ can deal with advanced queries with a number of components and keep multi-turn conversations with out repeated clarification.

For instance, when requested, “What is the climate like as we speak?” adopted by, “What about tomorrow?” Alexa+ can instantly acknowledge that the second query refers back to the subsequent day’s forecast, offering the related data with out repeating the unique request. This potential to know context and reply intelligently makes interactions with Alexa+ really feel smoother and extra intuitive.

Personalization By means of Machine Studying

Alexa+ constantly improves its responses utilizing machine studying. Over time, it adapts based mostly on interactions and begins to foretell wants. As an example, whether it is ceaselessly requested for climate updates within the morning or to set reminders for particular duties, Alexa+ will routinely supply these options with out the must be requested.

As Alexa+ continues studying, its responses turn out to be extra personalized, guaranteeing a personalised expertise past a normal voice assistant.

Cloud and Edge Computing for Sooner Efficiency

Alexa+ makes use of a mixture of cloud computing and edge computing to make sure each highly effective efficiency and fast responses. The cloud handles large-scale knowledge processing, permitting Alexa+ to entry huge data shortly and ship correct solutions. Alternatively, Edge computing processes some knowledge regionally on the gadget itself, lowering latency and making Alexa+ extra responsive.

This mixture of cloud and edge computing ensures that Alexa+ can deal with a number of duties concurrently with out delays, offering environment friendly and fast suggestions whatever the complexity of the request.

How Alexa+ Transforms Every day Life

Alexa+ brings a number of new options, making it greater than only a voice assistant. One of many key enhancements is its potential to anticipate wants. As a substitute of ready for instructions, Alexa+ can act independently based mostly on what it has discovered. For instance, it will probably routinely alter the temperature or lighting based mostly on the time of day or when somebody enters or leaves the house. This proactive method makes the house extra responsive and in tune with on a regular basis routines.

One other distinguished function is Alexa+’s artistic skills. It isn’t nearly managing duties; Alexa+ can generate customized content material, corresponding to telling customized tales, creating music, or suggesting enjoyable actions. This makes Alexa+ a beneficial companion for work and leisure, providing a extra interactive expertise.

Over time, Alexa+ will get extra clever by studying preferences. It could actually fine-tune its actions, corresponding to suggesting the proper music for various occasions of the day or adjusting the temperature routinely when somebody is anticipated residence. The extra Alexa+ is used, the extra it adapts to make on a regular basis duties extra manageable with out being requested.

Alexa+ additionally improves the consumer expertise by lowering the necessity for enter. It could actually supply updates or reminders with out being prompted, like sharing climate updates routinely within the morning or giving reminders at set occasions. This makes Alexa+ really feel much less like a software and extra like a useful companion, all the time a step forward in helping with day by day routines.

The Backside Line

In conclusion, Alexa+ is a major step ahead in voice assistant know-how. With its superior AI, machine studying, and seamless sensible residence integration, Alexa+ affords a extra customized, proactive, and intuitive expertise. It manages duties extra effectively and adapts to particular person preferences, making it a useful companion in on a regular basis life. Whether or not it affords options, automates duties, or creates customized content material, Alexa+ enhances comfort, productiveness, and creativity.

Because it continues to study and evolve, Alexa+ redefines what a voice assistant can do, offering customers with a extra progressive, extra related option to handle their properties and day by day routines. With these improvements, Alexa+ is setting a brand new commonplace for private assistants within the fashionable world.

ios – Methodology Swizzling Not Calling Authentic touchesBegan and touchesEnded Strategies in Swift


I’m attempting to implement methodology swizzling in Swift to intercept touchesBegan and touchesEnded strategies throughout all UIResponder situations. Nonetheless, I am encountering points the place the unique strategies contained in the UIViewContoller usually are not being known as,

In brief

The swizzled strategies usually are not calling the unique touchesBegan and touchesEnded strategies in my UIViewController

Right here is the code I am utilizing:

extension UIResponder {
    static let swizzleTouchMethods: Void = {
        let originalBeganSelector = #selector(touchesBegan(_:with:))
        let swizzledBeganSelector = #selector(xxx_touchesBegan(_:with:))

        guard let originalBeganMethod = class_getInstanceMethod(UIView.self, originalBeganSelector),
              let swizzledBeganMethod = class_getInstanceMethod(UIView.self, swizzledBeganSelector) else {
            return
        }

        method_exchangeImplementations(originalBeganMethod, swizzledBeganMethod)

        let originalMovedSelector = #selector(touchesMoved(_:with:))
        let swizzledMovedSelector = #selector(xxx_touchesMoved(_:with:))

        guard let originalMovedMethod = class_getInstanceMethod(UIView.self, originalMovedSelector),
              let swizzledMovedMethod = class_getInstanceMethod(UIView.self, swizzledMovedSelector) else {
            return
        }

        method_exchangeImplementations(originalMovedMethod, swizzledMovedMethod)

        let originalEndedSelector = #selector(touchesEnded(_:with:))
        let swizzledEndedSelector = #selector(xxx_touchesEnded(_:with:))

        guard let originalEndedMethod = class_getInstanceMethod(UIView.self, originalEndedSelector),
              let swizzledEndedMethod = class_getInstanceMethod(UIView.self, swizzledEndedSelector) else {
            return
        }

        method_exchangeImplementations(originalEndedMethod, swizzledEndedMethod)
    }()

    @objc func xxx_touchesBegan(_ touches: Set, with occasion: UIEvent?) {
        if let contact = touches.first {
            print("Swizzled contact started at: radius (contact.majorRadius)")
        }

        // Name the unique methodology (which is now swizzled)
        self.xxx_touchesBegan(touches, with: occasion)
    }

    @objc func xxx_touchesMoved(_ touches: Set, with occasion: UIEvent?) {
        if let contact = touches.first {
            print("Swizzled contact moved at: radius (contact.majorRadius)")
        }

        // Name the unique methodology (which is now swizzled)
        self.xxx_touchesMoved(touches, with: occasion)
    }

    @objc func xxx_touchesEnded(_ touches: Set, with occasion: UIEvent?) {
        if let contact = touches.first {
            print("Swizzled contact ended at: radius (contact.majorRadius)")
        }

        // Name the unique methodology (which is now swizzled)
        self.xxx_touchesEnded(touches, with: occasion)
    }
}

ultimate class MyViewController: UIViewController { 

  override func viewDidLoad() {
     tremendous.viewDidLoad()
     UIResponder.swizzleTouchMethods
  }

 override func touchesBegan(_ touches: Set, with occasion: UIEvent?) {
    tremendous.touchesBegan(touches, with: occasion)
    print("unique touchesBegan occasion")
   
}

 override func touchesEnded(_ touches: Set, with occasion:  UIEvent?) {
    tremendous.touchesEnded(touches, with: occasion)
    print("unique touchesEnded occasion")
  
  }
}

US EV Gross sales Rise As Tesla Gross sales Fall



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EV gross sales in the USA rose 11 % throughout the first quarter of 2025, to about 300,000 vehicles and lightweight vans, in keeping with Cox Automotive. That’s a lot better than the general new automobile market, which confirmed no enhance from 2024. General, about 8 % of latest home automobile gross sales have been electrical, Cox mentioned, a slight enhance from 2024. “Regardless of many obstacles — and what chances are you’ll learn elsewhere — electrical car gross sales proceed to develop at a wholesome tempo within the US market,” Cox mentioned.

One electrical automobile firm that’s not experiencing progress is Tesla. It nonetheless is the electrical automobile gross sales chief within the US, with 44 % of the market in keeping with Cox Automotive, however a 12 months in the past within the first quarter it had 51 % of the market. Its efficiency within the US mirrors its efficiency globally. Tesla gross sales in March have been 337,000 vehicles worldwide, 13 % fewer than in March of 2024. CleanTechnica readers know the explanations — an growing old choice of fashions, poor gross sales of the Cybertruck, rising competitors, retooling manufacturing traces for the brand new Mannequin Y, and Musk’s embrace of MAGAlomaniac insurance policies which has led to protests at Tesla dealerships and alienated many patrons.

Gross sales of the Cybertruck have been 6,400 within the first quarter — double the overall from a 12 months in the past — however the firm was simply ramping up manufacturing final 12 months, so any comparability is skewed. The true check of what’s occurring with the Cybertruck is the truth that Tesla now refuses to simply accept them as trade-ins for brand new Tesla automobiles, a coverage no different producer has ever instituted. If Tesla doesn’t need its personal automobiles, why would anybody else? It’s now trying to spice up gross sales by reducing costs on decontented fashions, however would you purchase any car for those who knew the producer would refuse to offer you ten cents for it after you’re taking supply?

The large winner seems to be GM, which delivered 10,300 Chevy Equinox EV vehicles within the first quarter, a robust exhibiting for a automobile went on sale towards the tip of final 12 months. The Chevy Blazer EV is now in showrooms and having fun with robust curiosity from prospects. All collectively, gross sales of GM electrical vehicles, together with Cadillac and GMC, accounted for 11 % of the electrical car market within the first quarter — up from 6 % a 12 months earlier. Whereas GM suffered by means of sluggish and typically painful product launches for its electrical vehicles in 2023 and 2024, these fashions are actually beginning to see important numbers of gross sales.

GM Is An EV Gross sales Chief

Greater than 30,000 EVs from Basic Motors manufacturers have been bought final quarter, almost doubling the amount from a 12 months in the past and passing each Ford and Hyundai alongside the way in which. Whereas the Ford Mustang Mach-E was the perfect promoting EV within the US that was not a Tesla, Honda and Acura added greater than 14,000 EVs to the US market final quarter. That’s up from zero a 12 months in the past. Anybody who tries to say the EV revolution within the US is useless is both misinformed or mendacity.

The remainder of 2025 will probably be a risky one for EV gross sales within the US, regardless of the introduction of latest fashions. If the brand new auto tariffs maintain, they’ll pose a monumental problem for a lot of automakers, notably as a result of tariffs on metal and aluminum. About two thirds of the EVs bought within the U.S. final 12 months have been assembled within the US, however like all fashionable vehicles, the required elements and parts are sourced from across the globe. China is the world’s main provider of EV battery supplies,  which suggests the present tariff conflict between the US and China will distort the market considerably.

The present so-called president loves nothing greater than forcing others to “kiss his ass,” as he’s so fond of claiming. How elegant. Add to that the heavy hypothesis that the brand new administration will reverse Biden-era EV gross sales incentives and the story for EV gross sales in Q2 and past is murky at greatest. Cox Automotive analyst Stephanie Streaty mentioned, “The 12 months definitely began robust, however the highway forward will likely be something however easy.”

EV Gross sales Are Up Worldwide

Per week in the past, my colleague Jose Pontes reported that gross sales of EVs — each plug-in hybrids and battery electrics — have been up 49 % in February 2025 in comparison with February 2024 and now account for 19 % of the worldwide new automobile market. In Norway, effectively over 95 % of all new vehicles have plugs and Pontes speculated that Singapore will probably be the subsequent new automobile market to change into just about all EVs. It needs to be famous that EV incentives in lots of nations have been lowered or eradicated lately. Germany particularly has sharply curtailed its incentive program, which led to a steep drop in EV gross sales in 2024.

Nevertheless, within the first few months of this 12 months, EV gross sales in Europe have been up strongly — up 17 % in February regardless of the general market being down 3 %. That final stat ought to seize your consideration. Globally, new automobile gross sales are declining. Fewer new vehicles are being bought and extra of them are battery electrics or plug-in hybrids.

And but, the temper in America about electrical vehicles remains to be fairly chilly. The key US automakers have a plan to counter the brand new tariff madness from the Moron of Mar-A-Loco and it’s this — construct extra pickup vans and huge SUVs. The furor over Elon Musk’s fascist diatribes has had a knock on impact on all electrical vehicles as a result of for the previous decade or extra America has related electrical vehicles with Tesla. In my condominium group in DeSantistan, a modest proposal so as to add two EV chargers is going through opposition from homeowners who’re satisfied they’ll make their insurance coverage premiums go up and topic their pets to electrocution. We’ve neighbors who nonetheless inform us we can’t drive our Tesla by means of a puddle or take it to a automobile wash.

Thankfully, regardless of their mania for larger, heavier automobiles, Ford and GM have saved their electrical automobile applications alive with Chevrolet now the main electrical automobile firm not named Tesla. The Equinox EV is promoting effectively and the Blazer EV is now available after a rocky begin attributable to software program glitches pressured the corporate to droop manufacturing for some time to determine issues out. The brand new up to date Chevy Bolt will likely be in manufacturing quickly. Hyundai now has its first devoted EV manufacturing unit in operation close to Savannah, Georgia and continues — together with Kia — to supply Individuals a choice of interesting electrical and plug-in hybrid fashions at reasonably priced costs.

The EV revolution within the US could also be taking longer than many people hoped but it surely continues to construct momentum. EV advocates prefer to tout an extended listing of advantages that come from proudly owning an electrical automobile — no oil adjustments, no smelly fuel pumps, no transmission repairs, fewer brake jobs, and so forth — however the perfect purpose to personal one is the driving expertise. Folks have to really feel the easy move of immediate energy, the enjoyment of regenerative braking, and the quietness of the trip for themselves. It’s just like the distinction between an quaint propeller pushed airplane and a jet. When you expertise it, there isn’t a going again.

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Boumarang buys Wavedrone so as to add maritime methods to drone portfolio

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Boumarang buys Wavedrone so as to add maritime methods to drone portfolio

Boumarang has added floor and subsurface robots to its drone lineup. Supply: Wavedrone

Boumarang Inc., a pacesetter in hydrogen-powered autonomous aerial drones, final week mentioned it has acquired all mental property rights to the Wavedrone platform from Shore Home IVF, a expertise developer primarily based within the Faroe Islands.

“This acquisition aligns with our mission to guide in autonomous, sustainable options,” acknowledged Dánial Hoydal, director of Shore Home IVF. “Boumarang’s imaginative and prescient and capabilities place Wavedrone for speedy commercialization and international deployment.”

Wavedrone is an autonomous system designed for aquatic environments, providing twin above-and-below-surface filming capabilities, modularity, and plug-and-play usability. Developed to deal with real-world challenges in marine commentary, search operations, and environmental intelligence, the uncrewed floor vessel (USV) has already garnered sturdy curiosity throughout various sectors, mentioned Shore Home.

Wavedrone extends attain from sky to sea

The worldwide drone market may surpass $100 billion by 2030 with growing demand for hybrid and water-based options, in line with Market.Us. Boumarang claimed its hydrogen-powered drones “have set new requirements in efficiency and sustainability.”

The Irvine, Calif.-based firm has designed multi-purpose, AI-driven robots to deal with industrial, infrastructural, humanitarian, and army challenges. From autonomous last-mile product supply to emergency response and infrastructure restore, Boumarang mentioned its customizable methods provide efficiency, patented stability, and superior lifting capability.

Boumarang added that its integration of Wavedrone positions it to seize important market share past aerial drones. The corporate mentioned it’ll lengthen its attain into aquatic purposes together with:

  • Environmental monitoring – Actual-time information for water high quality, local weather affect, and air pollution mapping
  • Media and leisure – Cinematography above and beneath the floor for movie, sports activities, and exploration
  • Search and rescue – Fast aquatic surveillance for life-saving operations
  • Aquaculture and fisheries – Monitoring marine well being, infrastructure, and fish shares

BioKey additionally invests in Boumarang

The $3.5 million acquisition was executed solely in Boumarang widespread inventory and marks a big step in Boumarang’s strategic enlargement from air to sea.

In a concurrent transaction, BioKey Worldwide (Nasdaq: BKIY) invested in Boumarang by buying 5 million shares in change for 20% of BKIY’s issued and excellent shares. The businesses mentioned this strategic fairness swap strengthens their synergy, aligning their long-term objectives within the quickly evolving autonomous expertise sector.

“The partnership not solely enhances Boumarang’s capitalization and visibility, but in addition supplies BioKey with direct publicity to Boumarang’s cutting-edge hydrogen-powered drone improvements throughout aerial and maritime purposes,” the corporate asserted.

Boumarang mentioned it’s in search of companions, traders, and trade stakeholders concerned about exploring Wavedrone’s potential. Demonstrations, prototypes, and partnership alternatives are actually obtainable upon request.


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javascript – ajax/fetch promise not resolving in Chrome iOS cellular [root cause unrelated]


Server is in my native community, serving HTTP (not HTTPS). It makes use of libraries categorical, cors, bodyparser.

Passing net shopper is on Chrome macOS model 135.0.7049.85.

Failing net shopper is on Chrome iOS model 135.0.7049.83.

I’ve confirmed that CORS shouldn’t be the difficulty, and I can see server logs accepting the request and returning response.

I attempted disabling “protected searching” in Chrome settings, no change.

I attempted changing $.ajax with fetch, no change.

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