Alexa will now ask follow-up questions if it doesn't understand a command or order, thanks to the new Teachable AI feature Amazon introduced on Friday. The feature, which Amazon demonstrated during its September devices event, allows users to directly instruct the voice assistant about their preferences instead of manually setting them up on the app or rephrasing the request to work around the gaps in Alexa's knowledge. Teachable AI essentially lets a user program definitions into Alexa in real time with their voice. Whenever the voice assistant doesn't know a reference, it will ask the user to define it. The first phase of the feature is specifically for smart devices like lights and thermostats but will eventually include other kinds of commands.

Amazon Scout, the e-commerce giant's fully-electric autonomous delivery robots, are heading south. Announced Tuesday in a blog post from Amazon Scout VP Sean Scott, Amazon says that it is set to start delivering to select customers in these markets as part of the company's continuing "field test" rollout. It has also been delivering packages in Snohomish County, Washington, and the Irvine-area of California. "We're thrilled to bring Amazon Scout to two new communities," Scott writes. "Adding Atlanta and Franklin to our existing operations gives Scout devices the opportunity to operate in varied neighborhoods with different climates than they operate in today. Amazon also has a significant presence in these areas through our corporate offices and logistics facilities. And, we know they are both great places to find world-class talent that can help us continue inventing for customers."

Amazon has launched a new robot delivery service in the US using a six wheeled machine that is "the size of a small cooler". The Amazon Scout uses self-driving technology to navigate through neighbourhoods to deliver packages to Amazon Prime customers, though its initial roll out is limited. The first deliveries are taking place in Snohomish County, just to the north of Amazon's headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Deliveries will be limited to daylight hours between Monday and Friday amd only six of the Scout delivery robots will be deployed at first. Each will also be accompanied by an Amazon employee to ensure they can safely navigate around any pedestrians or pets it might come across.

Your questions will never go unanswered again by Alexa. Amazon is rolling out a feature called'Answer Update' that notifies users when Alexa learns the answer to a question that it didn't know right away. The feature, which was first spotted by Voicebot, should start appearing for users in the coming days. Amazon is launching a feature called'Answer Update' that notifies users when Alexa learns the answer to a question it didn't know right away. Users can opt in to the feature by asking their Echo device to'turn on Answer Update.' Alexa will then respond by explaining what the feature is.

Amazon.com Inc has installed more than 15,000 robots across 10 U.S. warehouses, a move that promises to cut operating costs by one-fifth and get packages out the door more quickly in the run-up to Christmas. The orange 320-pound (145 kg) robots, which scoot around the floor on wheels, show how Amazon has adopted technology developed by Kiva Systems, a robotics company it bought for $775 million USD in 2012. The robots are designed to help the leading U.S. online retailer speed the time it takes to deliver items to customers and better compete with brick-and-mortar stores, where the bulk of Americans still do their shopping. The robots also may help Amazon avoid the mishaps of last year's holiday season, when a surge of packages overwhelmed shipping and logistics company UPS and delayed the arrival of Christmas presents around the globe. Amazon offered shipping refunds and $20 gift cards to compensate customers.

There's massive acceleration happening here,