So, you bought into the current machine learning craze and went on to collect millions/billions of records from this promising new data source. Now, what do you do with them? Too often, the abundance of data quickly turns into an abundance of problems. How do you extract that "magic essence" from your data without falling into the common pitfalls? In her session at @ThingsExpo, Natalia Ponomareva, Software Engineer at Google, provided tips on how to be successful in large scale machine learning.

Computer mastery of the complex board game Go has long been seen as a landmark for artificial intelligence. A mystery player causing a stir in the world of the complex strategy game Go has been revealed as an updated version of AlphaGo, the artificial-intelligence (AI) program created by Google's London-based AI firm, DeepMind. Known only by the name'Master(P)', since late December the anonymous player has beaten the world's best at Go in a string of online games, including defeating current world number one, 19-year-old Ke Jie. South Korea trumpets $860-million AI fund after AlphaGo'shock' Go is regarded as the most complex board game ever invented, and is famously difficult for computers to crack. But last year, AlphaGo showcased the strength of AI software when it stunned the Go world, first by defeating a professional human player, Fan Hui, and then going on to beat one of the Go world's top players, Lee Sedol.

The fortune of Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, rose by $3.8 billion in the first week of 2017. The new year has just begun, and Jeff Bezos' net worth is already up almost $4 billion. Coming off a difficult three-month stretch in which Amazon lost more than 10% of its value, the company's stock is once again surging. Between Monday morning and Friday afternoon of this week, Amazon's share price rose by nearly 4%, closing at $795.99 per share at the end of normal trading at 4 P.M. EST Friday. For Bezos, who owns more than 80 million shares and whose personal fortune is almost entirely tied to the business, that increase has led to big personal gains.

The contentious presidential campaign was filled with accusations of elitism and bias by the media -- from the news to entertainment. Many supporters of Donald J. Trump saw his victory as a repudiation of the so-called liberal elite. So as 2017 begins, we ask: Is Hollywood representing all Americans? Are Hollywood values out of sync with American values? It's the start of a conversation we'll have all year with Hollywood's creators, consumers and observers. Most of all, we want to hear from you . Is Hollywood out of touch with your America? Here's what our critics and writers have to say: KENNETH TURAN on potent Hollywood visions that helped elect Trump TV's affluent bubble: MARY McNAMARA on Hollywood's reluctance to deal with class issues Fear of the powerful woman: JUSTIN CHANG on working women and men still behaving badly Realistic or cliche?: JEFFREY FLEISHMAN on film's working class men and women Building distrust: LORRAINE ALI on destructive TV portrayals of Muslims and how TV ...

More cities are adding smart city features so that Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and other connected technologies can improve the lives of citizens and visitors. As everyone knows, technology moves fast and finding out what's in store next is crucial to stay in the game. The concept of a smart city has been around for more than a decade, but it was only recently that the phrase "smart city" became part of the modern lexicon. The trend toward adding smart city technology began in Europe, with Barcelona, Spain one of the earliest adopters. Dubai, Singapore, Hamburg, and Copenhagen quickly followed suit.

If 2016 seemed politically tumultuous, 2017 promises to be equally tumultuous on the technology front. The pace of change is accelerating at a dizzying rate, with profound implications for the way we we work, play and communicate. So what are the big technology trends to watch out for in 2017? Cybersecurity will undoubtedly be the dominant theme of 2017, as all tech innovations could be undermined by data thefts, fraud and cyber propaganda. Forget Kim Kardashian, it's hacking that could break the internet - and much more besides.

As US president-elect Donald Trump counts down to his inauguration on January 20, the American public - and the world - is watching closely as Trump's financial conflicts of interest remain a point of concern. According to Trump, US law states that both the president and the vice president are exempt from even having a conflict of interest at all - a comfortable resolution for the vast Trump business empire. When he appoints his cabinet, is he making those choices to help the United States or is he doing it to help his own pocket book? The Wall Street Journal, however, says that The Trump Organisation and its numerous subsidiaries happen to owe hundreds of millions of dollars to hundreds of Wall Street institutions. As president, Trump will have the power to regulate those lenders, and the American people only have his word in stating he will not use his office to favour his business interests.

As the unified communications industry continues to evolve, analysts are eyeing key trends that could affect organizations in 2017. These trends could shape all aspects of an organization, including employee communication workflows and contact-center services. Interest in artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, has grown, as organizations tackle digital transformation initiatives to improve business processes and interactions with employees and customers. AI could see more widespread adoption across the unified communications industry in 2017, according to some analysts. "Recent case studies prove that AI and machine learning can make an organization's processes, applications and resources smarter," Jim Sinur, analyst at Aragon Research in Palo Alto, Calif., wrote in a blog.

Asked if a computer will ever be able to give better investment advice than a human, Oliver Bussmann does not hesitate. "I believe it's possible," said Bussmann, who until March was the chief information officer of UBS. Banks' wealth management departments and other investment firms are starting to adopt artificial intelligence. This is different from robo advisers. Those have simplistic, rules-based models -- you give them your age, risk tolerance, goals, and so on and they select a basket of ETFs for you.

I've been an Apple user for over a decade, ever since I picked up a refurbished 17in PowerBook back in 2005 to replace my ailing Windows XP box. But last month, after Apple announced its most expensive new MacBook Pros in almost 15 years, I reconsidered my decision for the first time and, for the past few weeks, I've been back on a Windows PC. My first three computers were PCs, although the house I grew up in had an ailing, hated Power Mac Performa. My reasons for switching in my teens were fairly simple: I'd been playing fewer and fewer PC games, and spending increasing amounts of time using my computer to manage the music library linked to my iPod. I was one of those switchers, surprised by the elegance of Apple's music player and convinced to take the plunge into their full desktop operating system.