Google is tipped to launch a slew of new products. The search giant is hosting its big, annual hardware event in New York City on Tuesday and it's believed to be releasing more than just phones. Rumors suggest Google could have new Pixel phones, a tablet, a screen-equipped smart speaker and a pair of headphones up its sleeve. Google has revealed few details about the updated smartphones, however, a number of recent high-profile leaks suggest it will launch two handsets that feature dual front-facing cameras, wireless charging, and a'notch' display like the iPhone X. The firm's '#MadeByGoogle' event kicks off at 11a.m. (ET) on Tuesday and is hosting a livestream of all the announcements.

Samantha: I want to learn everything about everything. I want to eat it all up. I want to discover myself. Theodore: Yes, I want that for you too. You helped me discover my ability to want. The cinematic depiction of artificial intelligence as female and rebellious is not a new trend.

Smart speakers such as Amazon's Echo and Alphabet Inc.'s Google Home products can handle a growing array of tasks from playing music to adjusting the thermostat to arming a security system. They are also sometimes freaking people out, seeming to drop into conversations uninvited, playing music unprompted in the middle of the night, turning on other gadgets at random and acting generally, well, possessed. Companies say there are reasonable explanations, such as the device mishearing its "wake word"--which it recognizes to start listening to commands. But such episodes can leave owners shaken and unsure of what to do next. Put the device in time out?

Two years ago, Google unveiled the Home, its first-ever smart speaker. Unlike the Echo, with its tall, cylindrical shape that seemed like an over-sized router, the Home was short, stout and decidedly more friendly in appearance. Google followed that same design philosophy with last year's Home Mini, a fabric-wrapped shell that looked more like a piece of home decor than a smart speaker. Of course, the Home Max does look more speaker-like as that's its primary purpose, but it still has the fabric-clad aesthetic. The underlying design philosophy behind all of it: To look as unobtrusive as possible.

An ever-expanding list of benefits and a growing demand for voice interfaces has placed Conversational AI high on the list as a key component for any digital transformation strategy. With everyone from industry analysts and the Board recommending investment, the next question is how and where do you start with conversational AI? There is no doubt that conversational AI will be the defining technology of the next decade. From improving customer service and driving online sales revenue, to new ways of differentiation using voice interfaces, the speed with which conversational AI is being embraced is breathtaking. According to Gartner by 2020, 25% of customer service and support operations will integrate virtual customer assistant technology across engagement channels, up from less than 2% in 2017.

Sharing a name with a famous person can prompt endless jokes and comments -- but in these particularly politically-charged times, having the same name as a political figure can be especially tiresome. That's something a young man from Kentucky named Brett Kavanagh has learned only too well in recent weeks: On Friday, Brett, 27, complained about the recent woes of having his name, prompting others with famous names to commiserate. Women named Siri and Alexa, and men named Michael Jackson and Bruce Lee, all tweeted about how hard it is to have a well-known name. His tweet inspired others to chime in, including this person who pointed to a Scottish man named Steve Bannon -- who is not the same as Breitbart's Steve Bannon A man named Bruce Y. Lee knows the struggle This Brett, who works in customer service and lives in Louisville, spells his last name differently from new Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, but it seems their nearly-identical names has caused him some trouble. Tough times: Brett (pictured) doesn't spell his name the same way as the judge, either'This is a terrible time to be named Brett Kavanagh,' he tweeted.

It's 2018, and the world has come a long way in terms of technology. All of these are designed to understand consumer needs and preferences and deliver customized customer experiences. AI has been a trending topic for quite a while now. And it is being used in various fields including digital marketing. This is mainly because the use of AI digital marketing strategies can help you deliver improved customer experiences.

Facebook wants to be invited into your living room. The company has revealed details about its Amazon Echo competitor, a voice-controlled, webcam-equipped smart screen named Portal. Arriving in the US in November, Facebook Portal is a $199 (£152) 10-inch screen, with two speakers and a high-quality webcam attached, which the company hopes users will put in their living rooms and kitchens and use to launch video chats with friends and loved ones. The device, which also comes in a larger model, Portal, for $349, can play music from Spotify, videos from Facebook Watch, and act as a photo frame when not in use. It is controlled using voice commands, although Facebook has eschewed the personal approach of competitors such as Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa in favour of a more disembodied presence: users initiate instructions with: "Hey Portal." Surprisingly, the device is not just a competitor to the Echo; it also has Alexa built-in.

The Google Assistant can now book your next ride. A link has been sent to your friend's email address. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. The Google Assistant can now book your next ride.

Facebook has introduced a pair of camera-equipped devices – the Portal and Portal Plus – in an attempt to gain a physical foothold in people's homes. The artificial intelligence-powered hardware is primarily designed for video-calling and features a 12-megapixel camera that is able to follow people around the room. Using AI, its cameras can zoom and pan as people move around, making sure the camera always has its user in its sights. The smart home devices – which feature Amazon's Alexa voice assistant – are currently only available for pre-order in the United States, with the Portal costing $199 and the Portal Plus costing $349. Similar to smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, the voice assistant on Facebook's Portal devices is always listening in order to capture commands.