Xperia Z5 Compact’s color options. Photo: Sony

If you like small smartphones that are just as spectacular as the latest phablets, Sony’s Compact lineup really is your only option. And thanks to Amazon and Best Buy, the latest in the series — Xperia Z5 Compact — is now more affordable than ever.

Amazon has changed its mind. Photo: TechSmart/Flickr (CC-licensed)

Amazon has promised to bring back encryption for its own Fire OS operating system after removing it in its latest update. The retail giant’s decision was met with anger and confusion by Fire tablet owners when Fire OS 5 rolled out last week.

You might want to avoid Amazon’s Fire OS 5 update. Photo: TechSmart/Flickr (CC-licensed)

While Apple is embroiled in an ugly battle with the FBI in the hope that it can protect the privacy and security of its users, Amazon is throwing away the encryption it previously offered its own.

With its latest Fire OS 5 update, the company has removed the ability to encrypt data on its Fire tablets.

Maybe just go with your brain, too, when you hit the voting booth. Photo: NBC News

Keeping up with the latest information on the current presidential election just got easier if you’re an Amazon Echo owner.

NBC News has created a new “skill” for Alexa, the Echo’s virtual assistant: Now Alexa can read you top election headlines, candidate bios, election calendar events, and even the latest delegate counts.

Let’s see Siri do that, eh?

Amazon’s Echo and Alexa, helping us rhyme since 2016. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The latest update to the Amazon Echo adds a host of new news sources to the smart speaker’s Flash Briefing feature — and also gives it some mad rhyming skills.