Alexa's new features detailed: Severe weather, NBA, and commuting

Amazon rolled out a number of new features for its Alexa personal assistant over the month of February, ones you may not have realized arrived. The new features are convenient for a wide number of users, including for people who regularly commute to work or school, basketball fans, and for anyone who lives in a region prone to severe weather. As previously announced, the personal assistant can also offer 2020 election updates, as well.

Amazon released a handful of new capabilities for Alexa throughout February, including new features for commuters. As of now, Alexa users can ask the assistant to send their daily commute info directly to their phone, mirroring a similar feature found on Google Assistant. These details can include traffic conditions, daily route info, and directions.

As well, the personal assistant is now able to provide users with severe weather alerts, assuming users enable the feature. To do this, tell the assistant, "Alexa, tell me when there's a severe weather alert." The AI will deliver these alerts whenever the forecast includes them going forward, including for things like tornado warnings and flooding in the region.

As well, Alexa also gained support for showing NBA video highlights on devices that feature a display, such as the company's smart displays. The commands are simple; users can say something like, "Alexa, play the [Team's name] highlights" in order to get the videos. According to Amazon, its assistant will play the highlights from the team's most recent game. Users can also request general NBA highlights for a wider selection.

Finally, Alexa is also now able to provide updates on the 2020 Election, including the most recent poll results, as well as providing information on the candidates' positions, recaps on past debates, and other similar things. Users can request updates on the election in general or on a specific event, such as 'the last debate.'