"Any sufficiently advanced technology," wrote the sci-fi eminence grise Arthur C Clarke, "is indistinguishable from magic." This quotation, endlessly recycled by tech boosters, is possibly the most pernicious utterance Clarke ever made because it encourages hypnotised wonderment and disables our critical faculties. For if something is "magic" then by definition it is inexplicable. There's no point in asking questions about it; just accept it for what it is, lie back and suspend disbelief. Currently, the technology that most attracts magical thinking is artificial intelligence (AI).

On Saturday, as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gave a speech in Caracas before a large military assemblage, drones carrying explosives approached, detonating near the stage. While Maduro was unharmed, Venezuelan information minister Jorge Rodriguez said that the attack injured seven soldiers. It's a method of assault that only a few years ago felt unthinkable, but has quickly become inevitable. Details remain scarce about the exact nature of the attack, which Rodriguez characterized as an "assassination attempt," including what type of drones were used and the nature of the explosives involved. In a televised address to his country, Maduro appeared to attribute the strike to far-right factions in Venezuela and Columbia.

Smart speakers are taking over British homes. A recent UK Gov survey found the number had doubled in three months, with around 10% of Brits owning one – and that 75% of these were Amazon Echo devices. The overwhelming majority are used for basic tasks like playing music and answering general knowledge questions – but with the right tips, tricks, skills and accessories you can get the Echo's digital assistant Alexa to do just about anything… Privacy please You can always mute the mics on an Echo device to stop it listening, but if you're concerned you've been over-sharing, deleting your recordings and query history is the next step. Doing so is easy: you can select individual recordings in the Alexa app, or take the nuclear option and delete your daily, weekly, monthly or entire history through the Alexa privacy settings on the Amazon website. If you have multiple Alexa devices you can use them as an intercom in your home.

Machine learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) represent one of the biggest disruptions to your career according to John Roese, CTO of Dell Technologies. During the Dell Technology World keynote, Roese made this bold but accurate statement. Despite the hype, AI is real and can't be ignored. Leading businesses are using machine learning to deliver quantifiable business value today. For example, Google used the AI knowledge gathered from its DeepMind acquisition to improve its cooling systems, saving the company of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Google.cn for China website is seen on a computer screen in this photo illustration. Google is reportedly working on a censored version of its search engine to comply with China's government's demands. The Google.cn for China website is seen on a computer screen in this photo illustration. Google is reportedly working on a censored version of its search engine to comply with China's government's demands. Google is testing a mobile version of its search engine that will adhere to the Chinese government's censorship demands, including the blocking of certain websites and search terms, according to multiple reports.

Kevin Chen, of the Harvard Microrobotics Laboratory said it was hoped these HAMR robots could eventually be used in rescue and emergency situations.

AI researchers have demonstrated a self-teaching algorithm that gives a robot hand remarkable new dexterity. Their creation taught itself to manipulate a cube with uncanny skill by practicing for the equivalent of a hundred years inside a computer simulation (though only a few days in real time). The robotic hand is still nowhere near as agile as a human one, and far too clumsy to be deployed in a factory or a warehouse. Even so, the research shows the potential for machine learning to unlock new robotic capabilities. It also suggests that someday robots might teach themselves new skills inside virtual worlds, which could greatly speed up the process of programming or training them.

The race to create self-driving trucks just got a little less crowded. That's because Uber announced Monday that the ride-hailing giant is shuttering its self-driving truck program, a division that made history in 2016 by completing the world's first autonomous truck delivery -- 50,000 cans of Budweiser. That division -- a part of Uber's Advanced Technologies Group -- had other successes as well, including delivering freight on highways in Arizona using automated Volvo big rigs. The robot-driven Volvo trucks were rolled out in November and included a human backup driver, the company said. The company did not have a formal partnership with Volvo but, instead, retrofitted Volvo trucks with its technology.

A Saudi-led coalition has launched air raids on Yemen's Hodeidah, in an apparent resumption of military operations on the strategic Red Sea city after Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi oil tankers and one of the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) main airports. The Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said in a series of tweets on Friday that coalition air strikes had targeted a radio station inside the city and a fishing pier. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The latest offensive on the port city of Hodeidah came a day after Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Abu Dhabi's international airport. According to the Al-Masirah television channel, the Sammad-3 drone launched three attacks on the airport.

An egg bank in Spain is using face recognition technology to match people with donors who look like them. The idea is that this way prospective mothers will get a child who resembles them even though they are not genetically related. Egg donation is relatively common in Spain compared to other European nations. It has strict laws protecting the anonymity of the donor, which makes it a popular destination for women across Europe seeking eggs for IVF.