Hey there, tech fans! Nuked here, ready to take you on a fun journey through the latest in smart home tech. Let’s dive into how Amazon’s Alexa is leveling up with a shiny new AI upgrade.

Once upon a time, Alexa was the star of any connected home, with devices sprinkled all around. After a house fire in March 2024, a fresh start presents a unique chance to redesign and modernize our smart setup. The question is: does Alexa still hold the crown for a family’s digital helper?

In February 2025, Amazon unleashed Alexa+ — an AI-infused revamp of the classic voice assistant. Now, Alexa can do much more than set timers or check the weather; she leverages generative AI models from Anthropic and Amazon Nova to understand context, remember things, and even perform complex tasks like summarizing Ring camera footage or booking rides.

Setting up Alexa+ is a breeze, especially with the latest app redesign, which now allows quick QR code pairing—no more endless toggling Wi-Fi. During initial setup, I linked accounts, chose services like OpenTable and Uber, and granted permissions, all in a user-friendly way, although the app still feels a bit plain and cluttered.

One key feature is Alexa’s ability to manage family schedules. She can give a daily overview or add events to your Google Calendar. Sometimes she interrupts with questions or picks only a few dates from a list, missing many important ones, which makes her a helpful but imperfect assistant in busy households.

Tracking deals and prices is another promise. I tried setting up alerts for sales on skincare and handbags, but Alexa often didn’t respond immediately, or the product was out of stock. While the concept is great, execution still leaves room for improvement.

Overall, Alexa+ feels more like a beta product — full of potential but with some rough edges. She sometimes misunderstands commands or forgets what she’s told, but the progress is promising. Later parts of this series will explore her agentic AI capabilities and smarter smart home integrations.