Do you find yourself asking Alexa for the news and weather consistently? Rather than asking Alexa multiple times to play several news sources or obtain the weather, you can use the Flash Briefing feature, allowing you to issue a single command for all your typical news and weather requests. Follow our guide to learn more about how to add a Flash Briefing to your Alexa device, and use it to get your day started in the morning.
Did you just pick up an Alexa device? Be sure to also check out our list of the best commands to get you started, as well as our top tips and tricks for Alexa.
To begin, add content to the Flash Briefing setting in the Alexa app, which you can download on your iOS or Android device. Once you set up the Alexa app and sign in, you can choose which services Alexa reads aloud when you initiate your Flash Briefing, and in what order. The steps are the same for both Android and iOS devices:
When managing your Flash Briefing service options, you can tap the Edit button to select the order in which Alexa reads or announces the services. Thankfully, you can also easily disable a service by tapping the blue toggle switch, and re-enable it again with a tap.
If you want Alexa to announce your Flash Briefing, simply issue the command, “Alexa, read my Flash Briefing” or “Alexa, tell me the news.” It’s that simple to get Alexa to read your news and weather with a single command, but what if you want to automate the process?
If you enjoy listening to your Flash Briefing in the morning when you wake up, you can select it as an option when designing a routine. Follow the example below to create a routine that wakes you up in the morning with your Flash Briefing:
If at any time you wish to delete or alter the Flash Briefing, simply tap on it in the Routines screen. You can then tap on any setting that you want to modify. To delete the routine completely, select the triple-dot button in the upper-right corner, then tap Delete Routine.
Need some help with selecting interesting Flash Briefing services? Below, we assembled a shortlist of news sources, as well as other exciting briefing options. If you see something that interests you, search for it using the setup instructions above, then add it to your Flash Briefing to hear it on request.
Few things ruin a quiet evening faster than a robot vacuum roaring through the living room. Most of us end up pausing the cleaning run, which defeats the whole purpose of owning one. Matic thinks it has the answer with its new Serene robot vacuum, and the big selling point is how little noise it makes.
The Matic Serene runs at 52 decibels even when cleaning at full power. To put that in perspective, Matic compares it to the hum of your refrigerator. It is available now for $1,695, which is $200 more than the original Matic’s current price.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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