Apple transformed the cell phone industry with the release of the first-generation iPhone in 2007. At the time, Steve Jobs described the first-generation iPhone as an "iPod, a phone and an Internet communicator." The first-generation iPhone included the basic functions of calling and text messaging, browsing the internet, and listening to music. But it did not have a video recording function, front-facing camera, or GPS, and at the time in 2007, the most popular smartphone applications today had not yet been created, such as Instagram and Uber. Following the first-generation iPhone, Apple and its competitors have continued to offer innovative and helpful features and applications on each new smartphone model.

As part of Firebrand Talent's #Digitalks event series, Lisa Bouari, Executive Director at OutThought, recently spoke to audiences on the topic'AI Assistants: How to take your business to the next level'. The key areas Lisa focused on are detailed below. I'm not sure about you, but I wasn't surprised to hear the latest stats from Gartner suggesting that 25% of organisations will use Chatbots in their customer service by 2020. It's a large number when we consider the thousands of organisations that are yet to adopt this technology – but the take-up rate and activity in the marketplace would suggest we are well on our way. IBM states that 70% of consumers also prefer to message over calling, for customer support.

So many people were asking Alexa what song they just heard and who sang it that Amazon responded with a new Echo feature. Rolling out first to Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers and Prime Music listeners in the US, Song ID will tell you the title and artist of each song before it plays on your Echo device. That should cut down on the "hundreds of thousands" of music questions Alexa hears daily. Don't worry, Song ID is optional, and you'll be able to turn it on and off with a simple voice command. When you use the feature, Amazon hopes it will "aid in music discovery" and make the speaker more of a personal DJ.

Interracial emojis have been approved by Unicode in response to a Tinder petition. Emojis are getting more inclusive. In response to the more than 52,000 people who signed an online petition posted by the Tinder dating app last year, Unicode, the global organization responsible for emoji standards, released the artwork for emoji that represent interracial couples. Tinder wrote that, "While emojis for people of color and emojis for same-sex couples both became a reality in 2015, one group of people is still excluded from emoji representation: interracial couples. Isn't it time all love was represented?"

TechRepublic's James Sanders spoke with Oblong Industries John Underkoffler about how smart assistant technologies from data-driven companies like Google and Amazon are leading the market, while Siri and Cortana are falling behind. The following is an edited transcript of the interview. James Sanders: Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana are really closer to the back of the pack for smart voice assistants, while data driven companies like Google and Amazon are leading the race. What does the future hold for smart assistants and how they integrate into people's lives? John Underkoffler: I think we're at a pivotal moment for the larger field let's say, that smart assistants might be one example of, and then a set of enabling technologies like machine learning, I refuse to say AI, that tend to power them.

According to a Forbes Survey from last year, 70 percent of buying decisions are influenced by how clients feel they are being treated; therefore, a superior personalized customer experience can go a long way towards increasing sales. Personalization requires the right product or service to be offered to the customer at the right moment and at the right price. With a plethora of product and service suites available, customers often defer to the expertise of the business to recommend the right solution for them. Businesses that can predict customer needs and supply effective solutions can ensure that their client base is always satisfied. The adage "the early bird gets the worm" has never been so true.

"Alexa, what to watch on Roku?" Streaming device Roku now has three ways to use voice control to get programming, the Google Assistant, Roku's own voice search and now Amazon Alexa. Roku makes the most popular brand of low-price streaming players to connect to TVs and bring in internet channels, and it also has a low-priced branded Roku TV from TCL that's among Amazon's best sellers in the category. Roku's chief rival is Amazon, which counts the Fire TV Stick streaming player is in its top best sellers category. The Fire TV Stick uses voice search from Alexa. More: What exactly is a'smart' device anyway?

Roku's devices aren't exactly suffering from lack of hands-free control: they already support Google Assistant and their built-in OS has its own voice AI. That list could still feel incomplete if Alexa is your virtual assistant of choice, though, which is why the company's latest update is a welcome one. The company's streaming devices and TVs are now finally compatible with Amazon's voice AI, thanks to the new Roku skill for Alexa. You can issue commands through an Alexa-powered device, such as Amazon's Echo speakers, and by adding "on Roku" as a suffix. The new feature can switch Roku TVs on or off and change channels with spoken commands.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has witnessed an exponential rise in the adoption by various sectors. The technology has unknowingly become a part of our day to day life. From Google search results to Amazon's products recommendations and Netflix's film suggestions to bank's VRU system, there are several AI-powered tools that even non-tech-savvy individuals' use. Due to the technology's ability and efficiency to offer a personalized experience, its use is set to grow immensely during the next two years. Research firm Gartner recently released results for their study about the influence of Artificial Intelligence on businesses.

Saying thank you to Google home. LINK Talk with Marcus Nyman, Sales Director Oracle, explaining us how they went from on-premise software to a SaaS player and how AI and blockchain are helping Marketing Depts. to improve in performance #MWC19 #Oracle #futureofcommunications