Skip to main content

Alexa adds new features to help with your holiday shopping

An Amazon smart display on a kitchen counter.
Amazon

Alexa is one of the most popular smart assistants, and this month it’s becoming even more useful. Just in time for the holidays, Amazon has rolled out three new features to assist with your trips to the grocery store.

One of the coolest new features allows you to scan your handwritten shopping list and instantaneously convert it to an Amazon Shopping list. After opening the Alexa app and heading to the Shopping List menu, simply press the Scan button to start the process.

Recommended Videos

The other two Alexa updates relate to shopping at Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods Market. The first update lets you find and apply deals instantly using a code in the Amazon app. These deals will populate below each list item and are easy to find in a hurry.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

When we tested the feature, scanning the handwritten word “soap” added it to our shopping list and pulled up dozens of different products below the list item — giving us a chance to pick our favorite brand or find the best deal. It’s a surprisingly useful feature, and one should make it easier than ever to streamline your shopping experience and save money.

The final update lets you place a Fresh or Whole Foods Market order directly from the Alexa Shopping List in the Alexa app. This is done by selecting the Shop your list button at the top of the screen, which will automatically load the Amazon app.

Amazon hopes the features will ease the pain that is Thanksgiving shopping. The features will be sticking around beyond the holidays too, so be sure to check them out before your next trip to the grocery store.

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
Pawport shows off new smart pet door security features at CES 2025
The Pawport pet door installed outside next to a pet mat.

Most smart home gadgets are designed for humans, but the Pawport Smart Pet Door is a bit different. While you can control most of its functions manually, it’s built from the ground up to give your pet an easy way to get in or out of your home -- all while keeping out unwanted guests that might sneak in with traditional pet doors. At CES 2025, the company expanded the system to include a new exterior pet door, creating a two-door system that’s among the most secure pet doors on the market.

Originally shown off at CES 2024, Pawport is a smart pet door that actuates when your pet is trying to leave or enter your home. Using a lightweight waterproof tracker tag and motion sensing, the door (which is installed inside your home) will automatically open when your pet approaches. When it’s not nearby, the door will close to prevent pests, animals, or bad weather from getting inside. The Pawport Smart Pet Door can be mounted indoors over existing pet doors, making it an easy addition to most homes.

Read more
These buttons and dials offer a unique way to access your smart home
The Flic Smart Button on a table.

One of the major pain points of the modern smart home is its digital nature. Whether it’s controlling your smart lights, robot vacuum, smart lock, or thermostat, there’s a good chance you’re using a smartphone for most of your interactions. That makes it less than ideal for other members of the household -- or even guests -- to make changes to your setup. This is where Flic comes into play, as the company offers a lineup of physical buttons and dials so everyone can use your favorite smart devices without the need for a digital interface.

I’ve been testing out both the Flic Smart Buttons and Flic Twist, and while they lack certain functionalities, they’re bound to be a fun addition to most smart homes. That’s especially true if you use Alexa or HomeKit, as both platforms work with the innovative smart buttons.
The Flic app makes setup a breeze

Read more
This smart display alternative can now use AI to plan all your meals
The Skylight Cal Max installed on a wall.

Skylight is a smart home company that produces a variety of smart display alternatives, such as the Skylight Cal Max. These serve as a central hub for all your daily planning -- they’re primarily used as a digital calendar, but you can also use them to track chores, make lists, or meal prep. That last aspect just became much more exciting, as Skylight is officially introducing Sidekick, an AI-powered assistant that can plan all your meals in just a few minutes.

Sidekick is a new AI feature for Skylight devices. It’s capable of generating personalized recipes based on your budget, family size, and dietary restrictions, and it’ll even create a shopping list and load up step-by-step cooking instructions. Skylight hopes the new feature will save families 10 hours every month, as they’ll no longer need to worry about the logistics surrounding meal prep.

Read more