Amazon introduces “Ask this Book” on Kindle — ask questions about the ebook you’re reading Amazon has added a new feature to the Kindle experience called “Ask this Book.” The tool lets readers pose questions about the book they’re currently reading and receive answers generated by Amazon’s systems. The feature launches initially for English-language Kindle eBooks in the United States. At launch, Ask this Book aims to help readers clarify plot points, look up facts from the text, or get quick summaries of characters and themes without leaving the Kindle app. Amazon hasn’t published detailed technical notes, but the functionality appears to rely on AI models trained to analyze book text and produce concise responses. How it works (what to expect) Ask questions directly inside the Kindle app about the…

Ubisoft acquires March of Giants from Amazon, plans Twitch promotion Ubisoft is expanding into the MOBA space after agreeing to acquire March of Giants and the development team behind it from Amazon. The deal — expected to close on December 16 — includes a partnership in which Amazon will help promote the game on Twitch. March of Giants is a free‑to‑play 4v4 title in which players command massive giants and direct armies of thousands of soldiers. Matches blend large‑scale combat (controlling giants) with strategic deployment of reinforcements called "Battleworks" — trenches, tanks and bunkers — to support your forces. What Ubisoft is getting The March of Giants intellectual property and live development work. The studio team from Amazon Games Montreal, including several developers with roots at Ubisoft (some were part…

"Slop" is Merriam‑Webster's 2025 Word of the Year — a verdict on AI‑generated junk Merriam‑Webster has chosen "slop" as its 2025 Word of the Year, defining it as "digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence." The selection captures a growing frustration with the flood of AI‑generated, low‑value content across social platforms and streaming services. The dictionary notes that "slop" carries a mocking, messy connotation — historically referring to soft mud or pig food — making it a pointed label for material that often feels disposable or annoying. In 2025 we've seen everything from AI‑fabricated songs and faux interviews to repetitive low‑quality videos and automated image spams. Where AI slop shows up Video platforms: automated clips, fake trailers and recycled short‑form content…

New indie games roundup: Skate Story, Unbeatable, Adrift and more to play now Indie game season is in full swing. Between showcases like The Game Awards and Day of the Devs, there’s a rich crop of new releases and demos worth checking out. Highlights this week include Skate Story — a surreal, story‑driven skateboarding title — plus rhythm, driving and cozy puzzle picks that span platforms from Switch 2 to mobile. Below we break down the standout new releases, a few promising demos, and what to expect from upcoming indie projects. Now available Skate Story — Play as a demon on a skateboard trying to reach the Moon in a strange, narrative‑heavy skate game. Out now on Nintendo Switch 2, Steam and PS5 for $20 (PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium members can…

Spotify outage resolved after thousands of reports — service restored Thousands of Spotify users reported service disruptions earlier today, with Downdetector logging more than 10,000 incident reports at the outage peak. Spotify’s official status account first acknowledged the problem and later posted an update saying all issues had been resolved. The timeline: Spotify Status tweeted that engineers were investigating around 9:45 AM ET, and by 10:39 AM ET the account posted that the incident was cleared. The company did not provide an immediate explanation for the cause of the outage. What users experienced Playback failures across mobile apps, desktop clients and the web player. Login or playlist access issues reported by some users. Widespread reports suggest a service‑side problem rather than isolated device errors. How to check and troubleshoot See…

Darkroom 7 brings a rebuilt core and Mac/iPad‑focused tools Darkroom has released version 7 of its photo editor, a comprehensive overhaul that emphasizes Mac and iPad users. The update centers on a reworked core engine and workflow improvements built for large displays and precise input methods, though the app remains available for iPhone as well. The release targets photographers and creatives who rely on larger screens and are looking for a more desktop‑class editing experience on Apple devices. Darkroom says the changes are aimed at improving speed, responsiveness and the overall editing workflow when using trackpad, mouse, Apple Pencil or keyboard shortcuts. What to expect in Darkroom 7 Rebuilt core engine focused on performance and responsiveness on Mac and iPad. Workflow and UI refinements optimized for large displays and precise…

Apple adds Live Translations in Germany; Google quickly expands live-translation AI Apple rolled out on‑device Live Translations to iPhones in Germany with iOS 26.2, letting users get real‑time spoken translations directly on their device. The feature aims to make cross‑language conversations smoother while keeping processing local to the phone for improved privacy. Within days, Google responded by significantly expanding its own live translation offerings, sharpening the competitive edge in real‑time translation services. Google’s push highlights the race between big tech firms to own the most capable and convenient translation tools—balancing accuracy, latency and privacy. Key differences to watch On‑device vs cloud: Apple emphasizes on‑device processing (privacy, offline use); Google often relies on cloud models that can offer broader language coverage and rapid updates. Availability: Apple’s Live Translations initially launched in…

Anthropic’s enterprise sprint: Snowflake $200M, Accenture tie‑up, Claude upgrades and governance moves In the last 48 hours Anthropic has dominated AI headlines with a string of commercial partnerships, product updates and governance contributions. The company announced enterprise deals, released model upgrades focused on transparency and agent reliability, and made moves to standardize agent tooling — signalling a push from research into large‑scale enterprise deployment. Below are the top developments and why they matter for businesses, developers and the broader AI ecosystem. Top developments Snowflake partnership — $200M: Snowflake announced a $200 million partnership to integrate Anthropic’s Claude into its Cortex AI platform for agentic workflows, embedding Claude into a governed enterprise data stack. Snowflake release. Accenture multi‑year partnership: Anthropic and Accenture formed a business group to train thousands of professionals…

Anthropic’s sprint to enterprise: Snowflake $200M, Accenture partnership, Claude upgrades and governance moves In the last 48 hours Anthropic has dominated the AI headlines with a string of commercial partnerships, product upgrades and governance contributions. These moves — from a $200 million Snowflake partnership to a multi‑year Accenture agreement and new Claude enhancements — mark a clear push toward large‑scale enterprise deployment. Top developments Snowflake partnership — $200M: Snowflake announced a $200 million deal to integrate Anthropic’s Claude into its Cortex AI offering for enterprise agent workflows. Snowflake release. Accenture multi‑year partnership: Anthropic and Accenture will train thousands of professionals and form a business group to accelerate Claude adoption across industries. Accenture announcement. Claude product upgrades: Anthropic released Opus 4.5 (and related updates) focused on transparency, introspection and safer reasoning…

Anthropic’s big week: Snowflake $200M deal, Accenture tie‑up, Claude upgrades and governance moves Recent reporting shows Anthropic dominating today’s AI headlines with a string of commercial partnerships, product upgrades and governance contributions. These moves — from a $200 million Snowflake partnership to a multi‑year Accenture agreement and new Claude transparency features — reflect a shift toward enterprise deployment and governance for large language models. Top developments Snowflake partnership — $200M: Snowflake announced a $200 million partnership with Anthropic to bring agentic AI to global enterprises. This integrates Claude into Snowflake’s data platform for governed, data‑centric AI workflows. Read Snowflake’s release. Accenture collaboration: Anthropic and Accenture launched a multi‑year partnership to accelerate enterprise adoption of Claude, including training thousands of Accenture professionals and establishing implementation support. Accenture announcement. Claude product upgrades:…