In the digital economy, data is the new gold– indeed, there's a new gold rush -- for businesses. To obtain value from gold, the raw material first needs to be processed -- minted into coins or fashioned into jewelry and other products that consumers desire to own and purchase. Similarly, data needs to be processed -- manipulated and analyzed -- to extract real business value. And this is where data science comes in. Data scientists are the prospectors and the tools they use are the innovations that make them more effective.

Although they achieve it in different ways, they all involve new ways of interacting and experiencing our increasingly digital world. As more and more of our lives – work, socializing, shopping, entertainment – move online, these new ways of interfacing with reality mean we can experience them in ways that are richer and more immersive. In working and professional environments, this means a greater ability to collaborate on projects with colleagues in digital spaces. In entertainment, it means games and activities that feel more "real" than ever before. This digitization of our lives has accelerated greatly since the start of the pandemic, leading to a growth in interest and innovation around XR and virtual worlds.

The new concept is built upon machine learning algorithms, according to the retailer, that "produce tailored, real-time recommendations for each …

A bunch of new tech sales cropped up at the start of the week for things like robot vacuums, game controllers and more, and many of them are still around today. A trio of iRobot devices remain discounted, with the most affordable of the bunch coming in at $179. Some of Amazon's Fire tablets are up to 50 percent off, while Xbox's Elite Wireless Series 2 controller is back down to $140. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today. The new Roomba j7 is $250 off right now and down to $599 at both Amazon and Wellbots. The higher-end Roomba s9 is also $250 and down to $850.

Instead, artificial intelligence is allowing business to move forward at an unprecedented rate. Machine learning will allow technologies to be more responsive, personal and efficient. In the year 2030, AI could be a huge part of the world's economy. In addition to faster productivity, there will also be a rise in consumption and demand. On a smaller scale, you can begin to adapt your company with AI in 2022 with these innovative technologies.

Products featured in this Mail Best article are independently selected by our shopping writers. If you make a purchase using links on this page, MailOnline may earn an affiliate commission. Amazon has continued to drop incredible deals in their New Year sale, and if you're looking to upgrade your smart home, we've found Amazon device deals you won't want to miss. Today the Amazon Echo Dot (3rd Gen) is now 45 per cent off, so you can score the hockey puck-shaped smart speaker for just £21.99 (typically £39.99). This isn't the only Amazon Echo device on sale right now, as the retailer has slashed the Echo Dot (4th Gen) price by 40 per cent to just £29.99.

Users who asked the voice assistant for help were told that something had gone wrong, with an error light showing on the tubes. Amazon does not run a service status page for its Alexa service in particular. The company's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent. But vast numbers of users across the world reported the problems, suggesting the problems could be very widespread. Amazon Web Services – which powers its online tools such as Alexa, as well as a variety of other websites that are not part of the company – does a run a page for service updates, which did not show any issues.

Retailers are looking at new ways to boost their bottom lines, especially after a disappointing holiday season where sales fell nearly 2 percent in December. To help combat that, brands and retailers are using artificial intelligence to bring more people back into stores and to make in-person shopping a better experience for customers. When it comes to shopping, most folks love the convivence and safety of no contact, online purchasing -- but many shoppers really miss the in-store experience. "People still want to touch, look and be there in person to try something on," said shopper Larisa Lotz. Kristina Wolinski is another person who likes prefers to shop in person.

When humans and machines work as one, will human values always triumph? If a crate of products is delivered to a store and left in the back room rather than unpacked and put on the shelf, an all-too-common problem in retail, the system records a decline in sales of the product. A reasonable analysis of the data assumes that demand for the product has declined and the product is either dropped by the retailer or reorders are reduced. Now along comes artificial intelligence (AI) and, using data, cameras or both, realizes that demand didn't drop, there's an operational problem that's causing sales to decline. If the system is a full suite of AI software, according to Bill Inzeo, Global Retail Technology Strategist of Zebra Technologies ZBRA, it will create and prioritize a list of tasks that need to be accomplished in the store and the left-behind crate problem will get addressed. That's one small example of how AI works; it finds problems and figures out how to solve them.

January is almost over, but the exhaustion that comes with the holiday season is likely still lingering--for some of us, at least. What better way to recover from the craze than giving your home a little extra TLC? Whether that means a therapeutic deep clean or upgrading your furniture to achieve maximum comfort, there's nothing better than a cozy space. Below, we've rounded up a variety of deals on everything from mattresses to robot vacuums to air purifiers. Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like).