Facebook is launching two video call machines for the home in the midst of its latest data breach scandal. The Portal products automatically zoom in on users and follow them as they move, to offer a superior experience to existing smartphone and tablet apps. The devices rely on Facebook Messenger to make and receive calls and also feature Amazon's Alexa smart assistant. But consumers may have privacy concerns and a rival device-maker suggested the very concept was "tech clutter". "It's staggeringly unfortunate timing," commented Jeremy White, product editor at Wired UK magazine.

While it might seem like the annual Made by Google event has already taken place based on the Pixel leaks we've received on a daily basis, we actually still have another day until the big event. Google hasn't exactly been secretive about its new phone or much of anything else being unveiled tomorrow, but there's still plenty to be excited about. Here's everything we expect to see tomorrow, a few things we probably won't be seeing, and a couple of surprises that may be in store: The star of the show Tuesday will be the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL. With all the leaks, there's little left that we don't know about them. You can check out the details in our rumor roundup, but in a nutshell, the two phones will once again be separated by screen size, with the smaller one likely getting a 5.5-inch display and the larger one possibly getting a 6.7-inch one.

The smart speaker space continues to grow. The number of major players is expanding. In the past few weeks alone, we saw new products from Amazon, LG, and Google. The number of devices in people's homes is rapidly increasing as well. Data released last month by Adobe suggests about 32 percent of U.S. households now own a smart speaker, up 14 percent from January. A majority of new owners and longtime users say they're increasing their usage.

That's the blunt response I got from a colleague moments after I started to tell her about Facebook's Portal and Portal, the new voice-controlled, video-calling devices with Amazon's Alexa that Facebook starts taking pre-orders for on Monday. Another colleague was equally skeptical: "Why would I let Facebook have an internet-connected camera in my home?" he asked. Such distrust stems not only from Facebook's most recent revelation that 50 million user accounts were exposed to hackers, but also a prior breach when the social network disclosed that 87 million people had their profiles scraped and improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, a political ad-targeting firm. And therein lies the public relations challenge facing Facebook as it unleashes consumer hardware that is all about connecting families who may be miles apart. Never mind that Facebook says it has taken steps with Portal that the company claims will ensure user privacy and security.

When Amazon unveiled the Echo Show last year, many people made fun of it for its bulky, awkward appearance. But it proved to be a pioneer in the smart display category, showing that adding a screen to a voice assistant was actually useful. So much so, that Google followed a few months later with its own line of Echo Show rivals, thanks to partners like Lenovo and JBL. Google's smart displays were better-looking and had a more intuitive interface, with desirable features like step-by-step recipes and YouTube integration. Amazon must have taken note of the competition, however, because the new Echo Show has undergone a serious upgrade, with an improved design, superior sound quality and enhanced entertainment options.

It's never been easier to video chat with someone today -- you can thank the rise of ubiquitous webcams, front-facing mobile cameras and social networks for that. But the act of having a video conversation with someone is still a pain. You have to coordinate with whoever you want to call, make sure you're using a compatible service, and if you're chatting from your phone, you'll also be stuck holding it up for the entire conversation. So, for the past two years, Facebook has been working on a solution, and it's not at all what you'd expect. The company is unveiling two smart displays, the Portal ($199) and Portal ($349), which are focused on video chatting.

The second-generation Echo Show is better than the first in every respect, ranging from its industrial design to its audio and video performance. It's the best smart display today, but that could change as soon as tomorrow if Google announces its own smart display and it turns out to be great. Sonos, meanwhile, still has the best smart speakers for music (the Sonos One and the Sonos Beam). While the second-generation Echo Show is powered by the same system-on-chip as the first-generation Echo Show (a quad-core Intel Atom x5-Z8350), the new model is outfitted with a larger, higher-resolution display; better loudspeakers; a more attractive enclosure; an integrated ZigBee smart home hub; and even the option for hardwired ethernet. Alexa is also becoming a better digital assistant, a development that will improve every Echo model.

Machine learning is a modern science which enables computers to work without being explicitly programmed. The modern-day technology deploys algorithms that can train and improve on the data that is fed to them. Over the years, machine learning has made possible the concept of self-driving cars, effective web search, spam free emails, practical speech recognition software, personalized marketing and so on. Today, machine learning is increasingly being deployed in credit card purchase fraud detection, personalized advertising though pattern identification, personalized shopping/entertainment recommendations, to determine cab arrival times, pick-up locations, and finding routes on maps. The growth of machine learning is driving business and revenues to new heights.

From the advancements in natural language processing that make Siri and Alexa possible, to the machine learning advancements that give robo-advisors their trading chops, AI's ability to simulate human thinking means it can also streamline our lives. It can preempt our needs and requests, making products and services more user friendly as machines learn our needs and figure out how to serve us better.

I've let a few friends try Sony's newest flagship active noise-cancelling headphones, and the first thing they comment on is just how eerily quiet the world gets. Right now, as I write this, there's a construction crew ripping up the concrete outside my apartment. They've been at it for more than a week, and it's made it difficult to concentrate. With Sony's ANC on and my window open, the loud commotion is flattened to a light hum. With the window closed, I have trouble telling if they're still at it out there.