Alexa, the virtual assistant that forms part of the
Amazon Echo network-connected speaker, has been upgraded to allow it to read Google Calendar events. Android Central
reports Alexa can now be
linked to the user's Calendar and will respond to
queries about it, such as "Alexa, what's on my calendar?" and "When is my next event?" So far, it appears Alexa can only read appointments, not add new items, but this could be included in a future update of the device.
Facebook allows embedding of animated GIFs in newsfeed
An update to
Facebook rolling out to all users is allowing status updates to include animated GIFs. According
to The Next Web, users can paste the URL for a GIF file into their status from a third-party host, including Tumblr and Imgur, and it will appear in the newsfeed in a similar way to videos. It is noted that this will not work for GIF animations uploaded to Facebook itself, though it is possible Facebook may enable it in the future.