Microsoft Monday is a weekly column that focuses on updates in regards to the Redmond giant. This week, Microsoft Monday includes details about Windows 10 upgrade revealed, EU still not satisfied with data collection transparency, HoloLens used for designing operating rooms, the launch of Skype Lite, an investment in AirMap, Halo split-screen is returning, new features for the Mail and Calendar apps for Windows 10 and much more! Microsoft has recently announced that a fourth major Windows 10 upgrade is being planned. Microsoft made the announcement at Ignite Australia roughly about two weeks ago. The first three updates are known as November Update, Anniversary Update and Creators Update.

In my last blog, I discussed how digital complacency could put your business at risk and how technological change is fast outpacing businesses ability to adapt. This trend continues its relentless pursuit to consume those whom choose to answer today's questions with yesterday's thinking. Furthermore, as we move into 2017 yet another transformational technology is redefining the industry and it has the potential to change everything. Machine Learning is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that provides computers with the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning focuses on the development of computer programs that can teach themselves to grow and change when exposed to new data.

As the world becomes increasingly more digital, the number of passwords people have to manage is becoming a serious problem. Financial institutions need to investigate acceptable biometric alternatives for authenticating mobile banking users that balance both security and simplicity. For financial institutions, one of the primary goals of digitization is to improve the simplicity of banking. In an effort to improve the user experience, one of the stumbling blocks has been the password authentication process needed to access mobile banking. Combining the need to improve the security of accessing accounts due to increased data breaches, with a desire for greater ease of use, is a difficult balancing act.

Despite banks' simultaneous excitement and fear of artificial intelligence as perhaps one of the most transformative technologies for their business, they've been quieter about IBM's Watson. Watson is a cognitive technology and super-computer comprising AI that "learns" how to draw conclusions from data, natural language understanding – which allows it to read and understand unstructured data, like social media posts and digital photos – and a search engine that can comb through millions of data points in seconds. It holds enormous promise in the long term for banks, who hold troves of customer data they're constantly studying and using to create better customer experiences as well as improve operational efficiencies. "What a Watson could deliver to banks would be tools to ensure sales people are selling the right things to the right people at the right time," said Ryan Gilbert, a partner at Propel Ventures. "Wells Fargo probably wouldn't have an eight financial product sales challenge if it had a Watson," because Watson wouldn't have allowed such rules to be set for employees to follow.

More artificial intelligence, cheaper sensors and longer flying drones are only some of the technological advances that Kiwi farmers can look forward to on "data-driven" farms over the next 10 years. Microsoft Research principal researcher Ranveer Chandra has been in New Zealand for a week offering insights into precision agriculture and advances the United States technology company is working on to improve farming and food production. He said Kiwi farmers and their innovations could help lead world farming, but they would see more advances themselves over the next decade. Ranveer Chandra is a principal researcher for Microsoft. Farmers faced doubling food production to feed a growing population by 2050 and this would require more technological advances world-wide, he said..

One of the best features of the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones is the Google Assistant, Google's own voice-activated assistant that competes with Apple's Siri. With today's announcement however, it looks like Google Assistant will be available on more devices starting this week. The great thing about Google Assistant is that it allows users to talk to their Pixel and Pixel XL phones in a conversational or natural way. Whether it's asking questions, making reservations and appointments, Google Assistant is can do it all. It has proven to be quite an impressive AI assistant and has even been lauded by some as even being smarter than Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa and Microsoft's Cortana.

Current research projects show that artificial intelligence (AI) can help us solving global problems for the greater good of mankind. Despite the headlines presenting crashes involving self-driving cars, the applications of AI technology in this area could dramatically reduce injuries and deaths on the roads. Self-driving cars could also change our lifestyles. Thanks to this emerging technology, we will have more time to entertain ourselves of work during commutes. The decreased cognitive load and the increased comfort provided by shared transportation and self-driving may also affect where people choose to live.

Google announced today that Google Assistant will start rolling out to devices running Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and 7.0 (Nougat) later this week. Previously, the Assistant was only available on Google's Pixel phones, Home personal assistant, Allo messaging app and Android wear devices. Google is at the forefront of machine and deep-learning based natural language processing which they have used to power their vaunted speech recognition system. Google Assistant leverages this research to enable two-way, context-sensitive, conversational interactions between the user and the device. The Assistant syncs across devices and apps like Allo and Google Calendar and it allows voice-control of enabled smart-home devices.

With a connection this LG G6 can take advantage of the Google Assistant (Photo: Edward C. Baig) BARCELONA--The virtual Google Assistant is going to spread its voice beyond Google's own Pixel devices. Google announced that starting this week, it will roll out a software upgrade that brings the Assistant to all Android phones running Android 7.0 Nougat and Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Google Play Services. That's the software Google uses to update Google apps and services on Android devices. Google says the rollout will come first to English users in the U.S., followed by English users in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom, as well as German speakers in Germany. More languages will be added over the course of the year.

Assistant might be the future of voice-controlled intelligence on our Google devices, but Google hasn't made it easy to get it. There are versions of it on Google Home, the new LG watches, or in Allo chats, but if you wanted the full mobile Assistant experience you had to commit to buying one of the Pixel phones. That's all about to change with a coming Play Services update. Right on the heels of LG's declaration that the G6 would be the first third-party phone to feature Assistant, Google announced that it would be bringing its voice-activated conceirge to all phones running Nougat and Marshmallow. As it is with the Pixel, users will be able to summon Assistant by saying OK Google or long-pressing on the home button.