Alexa, Remind Me to Feed the Meter

A custom Alexa comes to cars.

January 18, 2021 It's January 18, 2021. We hope you're celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in whatever way feels right to you. We can all make a difference, if we want.     ⏰ Today's Big Stories... in 30 Seconds Today We Watched, Read, and Listened to (so you don't have to): 221 articles, 8 podcasts, 9 press releases, 562 tweets, and 11 YouTube videos 1. Custom Alexa Coming to Cars Soon Amazon unlocked its Alexa voice tech for third-party companies to customize and include the digital assistant in their car entertainment systems. "Alexa, lower the roof and crank the Eagles." 2. Twitter Will Transfer POTUS and White House Accounts Next Week The White House gets new faces next week, and Twitter has revealed how it will transfer the official POTUS and White House accounts to a new administration. The company won't transfer all the current users, however.  3. Samsung Commits to "Gradually" Removing Phone Accessories When Apple stopped including a charging brick with the iPhone 12, the tech world was aghast. Now Samsung says it, too, won't always include chargers or earbuds with its phones. "Gradually," though, so they can always choose to include them if they want to. Best of both worlds, eh? 🦑 Go Deeper The pandemic has affected us all in various ways, with some of us worse off than others. Sascha Brodsky takes a deeper dive into how low-cost internet is helping struggling households stay strong.      🎱 By the Numbers It's not just phones Data: Market.us Samsung isn't just smartphones, like the newly-released Galaxy S21. The Korean company makes a ton of the electronics found inside the devices we use every day, including the iPhone.      🔥 Today's Hot Deal The Insignia NS-50DF710NA21 is a 50-inch 4K TV from Best Buy's in-house brand. It's a great deal at $50 off, putting its price at $300. While Insignia may not be as well regarded as other brands, this TV is hard to beat in terms of sheer value. Don't Miss This Deal 🤓 Nerd Out "Forget space-age metals, we're talkin' wood!" -Bob Schulties, Senior Editor Sick of space junk, Kyoto University has joined forces with a private Japanese company to manufacture satellites made of wood, which could burn up on re-entry. (Share on Twitter) 💎 You Know You Want It  So much better than Apple's case Image: Waterfield Designs If you're spending over $500 for a pair of high-end headphones like Apple's AirPods Max, you'll want a cover that, well, covers them with protection. Waterfield Designs' AirPods Max Shield Case is just what you want to keep your favorite cans safe and sound.  🎧 Listen Up Is it still worth the hype? IGN's Review Crew has its take on the Xbox Series X, one month on, on YouTube as a standalone video podcast. Take a listen and find out what this panel of gaming experts think about Microsoft's latest and greatest gaming console.     🗞 Extra! Extra! We've got you covered with the best in daily tech news! See the latest on our site or follow us on Google News. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here. Have something you'd like us to write about? We're always open for suggestions, too. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Tech Today newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here .   Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. A Dotdash Brand 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 2020 Dotdash • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.   [View in Browser]