NRG Energy agrees to buy Utah-based Vivint, which sells smart thermostats, locks, lights, and more, for $2.8B in cash, a ~33% premium on Monday’s closing price (Rakteem Katakey/Bloomberg)

Jaclyn Allen / TheDenverChannel.com:
Utility company Xcel locked 22,000 Colorado users in an energy saving program out of their smart thermostats for hours on August 30 citing an “energy emergency”  —  22,000 people lost control of temperatures in their homes for hours Tuesday  —  DENVER — During the dog days of summer …

Shaji Mathew / Bloomberg:
Saudi Arabian food delivery service Jahez agrees to acquire local rival The Chefz for ~$173M in a cash and stock deal  —  Saudi food delivery firm Jahez agreed to acquire The Chefz in a cash and stock deal, almost a year after Delivery Hero SE’s attempt to buy the firm was thwarted by the local competition watchdog.

Yuvraj Malik / Reuters:
Enterprise spending management software maker Coupa agrees to be acquired by PE firm Thoma Bravo for $6.15B in cash, a 30.5% premium on its Friday closing price  —  Private equity firm Thoma Bravo will buy Coupa Software Inc (COUP.O) for $6.15 billion in cash, the business software maker said on Monday.

Financial Times:
YouTube introduces Shorts shopping features, letting users buy products while scrolling through videos, diversifying its revenue streams during a weak ad market  —  World’s biggest online videos platform seeks new forms of revenue  —  YouTube is ramping up its push into ecommerce …

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Amazon Alexa gains smart home features like a multi-camera view; Amazon says Alexa triggers 30%+ of users’ smart home interactions without users saying anything  —  Amazon today announced a number of new smart features designed to allow Alexa device owners to better control their smart home …

Adele Peters / Fast Company:
GiveDirectly and Google.org are using AI mapping and satellite imagery to find low-income hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico and Florida and send cash payments  —  Storms worsen inequality.  These $700 cash payments can help lessen the blow.  —  After a disaster like Hurricane Ian …