Relaxnews Chinese tech giant Lenovo announced it was launching a smart home assistant powered by Amazon’s Alexa, becoming the latest firm to enter the market for voice-activated devices. The new Smart Assistant, to go on sale for $129, will compete with Amazon’s Echo speakers using the artificial intelligence developed by Amazon. Lenovo made the announcement ahead of the opening …

  Bloomberg Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. have formed a consortium with four medium-size automakers to speed development of auto- industry standards for in-vehicle apps, a step toward preventing Apple Inc. and Google from controlling how drivers connect smartphones to their cars and trucks. Ford and Toyota said that Mazda Motor Corp., PSA Group, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. …

  Bloomberg This fall, one of the hottest things in outdoor gear wasn’t a new drone or motorized skateboard. The tech tastemakers—from Outside Magazine to Gear Patrol—collectively drooled over a recreational vehicle. That’s right, an “RV” —specifically the Airstream Basecamp, a $35,000 teardrop of aluminum that can be towed behind a Subaru. The aerodynamic, riveted pod comes with one massive …