It’s understandable. Life is busy, time is precious and it’s hard to keep track of everything that’s happening in the world. How are you meant to know that NASA found blue sand on Mars? Or that a fossil of a platypus-like fish was discovered in Queensland?

Thankfully, Alexa has you covered with a topical tidbit every single day that you can gracefully insert into conversation. Just ask: “Make me sound smart.”

It’s one of several specially curated daily news stories from Alexa. They’re fun, bite-sized and there’s one for everybody.

Do you like odd stories? Like the dog that learnt CPR or the bikini for the face, coming soon to a beach near you? Just ask Alexa to tell you something weird and she’ll delight you with the latest and strangest story.

If tales of wonder from the animal kingdom are your thing, ask for something wild and you’ll get it, from the Labrador that adopted orphan ducklings to the soccer-playing kangaroo.

Alexa likes a little bit of goss just as much as you and she’s got the latest from Hollywood, from Mariah Carey’s latest health obsession – spoiler alert: it’s milk baths – to Nicole Kidman dishing on her marriage to Keith Urban.

And if you’re simply after a smile, Alexa can help with that too. When you ask Alexa to brighten your day, there is no bad news. Alexa will scour the cloud and tell you something guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, like the story of the boy in Tasmania building bikes for needy kids. It’s the perfect cure to your any-day-itis.

These specially tailored packages are updated every day so be sure to ask regularly to get your fresh fix.

And of course, if you want to hear the latest headlines, from sport and entertainment to science and lifestyle, just ask, “What’s trending?