Having an Alexa-enabled car is convenient if you want to make a call, check the weather or order groceries while you drive. But that convenience quickly disintegrates when you drive through tunnels, parking in garages or remote areas and lose signal. Amazon wants to fix that. It’s released version 2.0 of its Alexa Auto SDK, which now comes with a bunch of offline functions. With the new SDK, users can ask Alexa to do things like turn on the AC, tune the radio or make a call -- even when connectivity is intermittent or nonexistent. That's thanks to a "Local Voice Control" extension that allows automakers to add a scaled-down version of Alexa's cloud-based service to a vehicle's infotainment system. It acts as a backup and is meant to increase the resiliency of Alexa's cloud-based capabilities.

Apple TV Plus free for Apple users

One of the biggest surprises at Apple's iPhone 11 event concerned the price of its new Apple TV Plus service. No, we're not talking about the normal price: $5 per month, with the first shows starting streaming on November 1st. We're talking about the throw-in price: free. Apple TV Plus will be free for the first year – ostensibly a $60 value – with any purchase of an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod Touch starting now. In its press release, Apple says the offer applies "to both new and refurbished models, including devices from the iPhone Upgrade Program, is not restricted to any specific sales channel (e.g., Apple Store, resellers) and will be available in all countries where Apple TV Plus will launch." Apple did not announce when the offer would end, but it does characterise it as a "limited time offer."