Reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman indicates a new Apple TV and HomePod Mini will launch in the September/October timeframe and will support Apple’s new Siri AI (we’re diving into Siri AI in our upcoming iOS vs. Android video, so stay tuned!). This makes a lot of sense, given Apple will likely need upgraded hardware to run the new Siri models locally on these two devices. The only question now is how much more it’s gonna cost and how much RAM it’ll need.

As reported by The Verge, Alexa Plus can now link with more services, including Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo, Eufy, and others. But perhaps more importantly, Amazon is embracing MCP (Moden Context Protocol), the same open standard for AI agents Anthropic’s Claude uses to integrate with all sorts of services, like WordPress.com, Google Drive and more. This should further expand the services Alexa Plus will be able to interact with.

We haven’t had any videos on Alexa Plus yet, but recently I have been blown away by its ability to take an exported grocery list from NYT Cooking and add all the ingredients to my Whole Foods shopping cart, something the old Alexa could never do.

The Verge took a fascinating deep dive into the history of Philips Hue in the latest episode of their Version History podcast. Definitely worth a watch (or listen) for anyone interested in the smart home.