Connect with us

Technologies

Alexa Plus AI Can Order Food From Uber Eats and Grubhub, but Only With the Right Device

The new food delivery features showcase Alexa Plus’s latest integrations with third-party apps.

When I tested Alexa Plus last year, I liked that the conversational voice assistant could connect with third-party apps, such as Uber, but many app integrations were still distant promises. That future is now: Starting this week, Alexa Plus is expanding to food delivery, letting users order from Uber Eats and Grubhub. 

Once you connect your Uber or Grubhub app to an Alexa Plus device, you’ll be able to ask about food deliveries and open a window to talk your order out. While Alexa Plus is usually very chatty (in all of its various personalities), the food ordering experience is designed to be minimal, showing your current thoughts and menu decisions in real time. 

When I tried this feature, I could only use it on my Echo Show, not in the Alexa app, because Alexa quickly told me it needed the larger Echo Show to visually walk me through the process. (Amazon says you need an Echo Show 8 or larger.) You may have to reboot your app and devices to reconnect third-party apps before you can start experimenting.

Watching the order text lets you see what you’ve chosen and change it with additional voice commands as you think through your order. Alexa will speak up if you ask for food ideas or help with a meal choice. It’s meant to be a more adaptive, adjust-on-the-fly experience. 

A representative from Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

«What excites us about Alexa Plus is how it turns restaurant discovery and ordering into one seamless, conversational experience,» said Tapojoy Chatterjee, vice president of product at Grubhub. «Customers can simply talk through what they’re craving, ask questions, get recommendations, and build their order in real time.»

You can talk to Alexa Plus about local restaurants, ask to see different menu sections, and get tracking updates by saying, «Alexa, where’s my food?»

How to get Alexa Plus

You currently have a couple of different options. First, you can subscribe to Amazon Prime, which starts at $15 per month and includes Prime Video and Alexa Plus. This is the most affordable option right now.

You could also subscribe to Alexa Plus as a standalone voice assistant service, but that will cost $20 per month. There’s a free version of Alexa Plus you can experiment with on the web app, but remember, without a larger Echo Show, this food delivery conversation can’t happen. 

A small word of warning: When I tested Alexa Plus, it sometimes fell into the trap of promising too much but failing to deliver. That could be risky if you’re asking Alexa about food allergies or menu substitutions, so pay close attention to your final order. 

Related Topics:

Technologies

Google’s Latest Enticement for Its AI Pro Plan: 5TB of Cloud Storage

Most of Google’s cloud storage plans come with extra access to AI tools like video generation.

Google is sweetening the deal for those who might want to upgrade their plans to use more AI features. The company’s mid-tier AI Pro plan, which costs $20 a month, now includes 5TB of cloud storage that can be used across services, including Gmail, Google Photos and Google Drive.

In addition to that, the plan also bundles in Google Home Premium Standard, which costs $10 on its own and adds expanded capabilities to Google Home devices, like a 30-day event history. A one-month free trial is available for the AI Plus plan. 

In a post on X, Shimrit Ben-Yair, Google’s vice president and general manager of Google One and Google Photos, said that, along with the extra cloud space, AI Pro subscribers or $250-per-month AI Ultra subscribers will get access to new features, like Chrome auto browse to automate online tasks. 

Google has three AI-focused plans: AI Pro, AI Ultra and AI Plus. AI Plus, the lowest paid tier, offers 200GB of cloud storage and access to a limited set of AI features for $8 a month.

To make matters more confusing for those who only have a casual interest in AI, in addition to free Google plans that include 15GB of storage, the company offers nine paid plans, all with monthly or annual billing options. Plans start with a $2-per-month Basic plan and go all the way up to the $250-per-month Ultra plan with 30TB of storage.

Google’s closest non-AI plan is its $10-per-month Premium, which includes 2TB of cloud storage and some access to the Veo 3.1 video generation model. 

With OpenAI deciding to shutter its Sora video generation service, there may be more interest in Google’s image and video generation tools. All of Google’s plans that are $20 and up include 1,000 monthly AI credits, which can be used with Google tools, like Whisk and Flow, to create videos. Depending on the tool and type of video, it can cost anywhere from 10 to 100 AI credits to produce one.

Continue Reading

Technologies

Fuel Your Gaming Sessions With a Free $25 Taco Bell Gift Card From Best Buy

It’s included with select Razer gaming accessories but the offer is only valid for today.

You want to know what’s even better than picking up some new gaming gear on sale? Free tacos. And right now, you can find both at Best Buy. For today only, the tech retailer is offering a free $25 Taco Bell gift card with select Razer accessories, including controllers, mice, headsets and keyboards. Just be sure to get your order in before tonight or you’ll be paying full price at the drive-thru.

Not all eligible accessories are on sale right now but there are still a handful of great discounts available. The Basilisk V3 Pro gaming mouse has 30,000 DPI optical sensor and 13 programmable buttons, and it’s currently $71 off, dropping the price down to just $89. Or you can save $50 on this BlackShark V3 Pro wireless headset with ANC and 12mm microphone. With this deal, it’s on sale for just $200.

If you’re in the market for a new keyboard, this compact Huntsman V3 Pro Mini is on sale for just $129 right now, which saves you $51 compared to the usual price. To get the deal, just add any eligible items to your cart, and the digital gift card will be added automatically at checkout. Plus, new and returning subscribers will also get one free month of Discord Nitro with the purchase.

Why this deal matters

Razer makes some of the best gaming accessories on the market, and you can grab some at up to $71 off right now at Best Buy. Plus, these deals come with a free $25 Taco Bell digital gift card as a bonus.

Continue Reading

Technologies

This Budget-Friendly 5G Samsung Phone Just Dropped to Its Lowest Price Ever

Amazon has slashed $115 off the Galaxy A56, which puts one in your pocket for a record-low $385.

Even newer 5G phones don’t have to cost a fortune these days. This Samsung Galaxy A56 hit shelves just last year, and it’s currently on sale for just $385 at Amazon. That’s $115 off, which knocks this phone down to a new all-time low price.

Only the 128GB graphite configuration is on sale right now, and there’s no set expiration for this deal. But if you don’t want to risk missing out on these savings, we’d recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later.

While this phone won’t compete with the cutting edge Galaxy S26 Ultra, it still has a ton to offer for less than $400. It supports 5G connectivity and even this basic configuration comes with a respectable 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. Plus, it’s equipped with an Exynos 1580 processor, which supports some helpful AI features like Circle to Search and Object Eraser for photo editing.

The screen is a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, which boasts a 2200x1080p resolution and 1900 nits of brightness. Plus, it has a durable IP67 design and a 5,000 mAh battery that supports 45W fast charging. And the triple-lens rear camera has a 50MP sensor so you can take some stunning photos as well.

It’s also worth noting that Amazon has its own trade-in program where you can save up to $380 if you have an old phone to exchange.

MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Samsung makes some of the absolute best Android phones on the market right now, and this is your chance to snag one at a great price. It’s the biggest discount we’ve seen for the Galaxy A56, which supports 5G connectivity and a lotof helpful AI features.

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version