Techies and gadget geeks alike have been talking about it for years already, but artificial intelligence made serious waves in 2018, showing up prominently in pop culture and our everyday devices. With companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft investing millions in AI, this will ultimately make it one of the major themes to look out for at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off in Las Vegas next week. CES is an opportunity to showcase the consumer use for that technology, so much of what will be displayed are "smart" devices or "smart" products -- take, for instance, this smart bathroom with voice-enabled lighting technology. While there are dozens of players in the AI space, we can expect that Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa are going to dominate the show this year. Both voice assistants are compatible with more than 10,000 devices, which -- as Wired noted-- will make the showroom floor quite noisy. We'll also see smaller players introduce even more smart gadgets and other AI-powered gadgets you would and wouldn't expect, everything from TVs to security cameras, and even golf equipment.

Organisers of the consumer electronics trade show (CES) in Las Vegas, that serves as a window into the year's hottest tech trends, is of the opinion that 2019 will be the year of 5G or fifth-generation mobile communications, artificial intelligence (AI) and self-driving vehicles (SDVs). Fifth-generation cellular networks, which will significantly quicken mobile internet speeds, is also expected to proliferate cyber security products for home networks as consumers, nowadays, own so many devices that can connect to the Internet. However, AI is expected to take the centre stage and those days are not away when you are always accompanied by a virtual assistant that obeys your commands so much so that it will slowly become an inevitable part of your life. The competition is between Amazon Alexa and Google Home, two most popular artificially intelligent assistants. In a bid to become your go-to digital companion, the two tech giants have teamed up with makers of devices like thermostats, doorbells, light bulbs and car accessories to add their virtual assistants to them.

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Sorry if it wasn't that clear before, I'll just re-iterate it again: The Makerlog Assistant is in "pre-launch" (you can see the grey dot by the name), and is launching tomorrow (the 6th of January). I have no control over this, as Google has to review the action first, and they're doing so as I'm writing this! Makerlog has arrived on Google Assistant!!! Keep track of your tasks right from your Google Assistant, whether your in the living room, in the kitchen, on your phone or in your car - no installation is needed. Get started with the Makerlog Assistant now, just by saying "Ok Google, talk to Makerlog". A one-time login process is necessary to link your Makerlog account, but after that logging tasks is easy from your phone, Google Home, TV, car, or any other Google Assistant-enabled device!

The world's largest tech show has become center stage for the digital assistant wars. Amazon Alexa was the belle of the CES ball two years ago when the e-commerce giant unveiled a long list of product integrations that included Ford vehicles and Whirlpool appliances. Not to be overshadowed, Google the following year constructed a large, eye-catching stage and announced four new Google Assistant-powered smart displays. Which brings us to CES 2019, kicking off next week. There, Amazon and Google are expected to make big splashes designed to show the rest of the tech industry that they -- not the other guy -- have the best platform for operating our smart homes, connected cars and voice-powered offices.

This year's Consumer Electronics Show is bringing the latest in tech including self-driving suitcases and motorcycles. The Numi toilet from Kohler was impossible to ignore. Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, 2018, the new $8,000 toilet was not just touted to "bring you the finest in personal comfort and cleansing," but it also had voice commands via Alexa. Ready to flush or want to heat up the seat? Just ask Amazon's Alexa personal assistant to do it for you.

At last, you've found yourself with an Amazon Echo speaker. The Echo (or Echo Dot, or Echo Tap, or Echo Show, or Echo Plus, or Echo Spot) is now in your kitchen, and it's ready for your every command. With so many Echo models, is that Echo even the best fit? Before you toss that gift receipt, here's a quick read to figure out which Amazon Echo is right for your lifestyle. Alexa can perform so-called "skills."

We've quickly come to accept that brands know as much about us as we know about ourselves. Facebook serves you ads for cat food after you talk about getting a cat. Target knows you're pregnant before you tell your friends and family. Even Instagram knows about your shameful predilection for Hallmark Christmas movies. So it stands to reason that fewer pics of you with your significant other on Instagram could signal to apps and brands that your relationship may be coming to an end.

A.I. is this year's buzzword of choice across the Tech industry, and speculation about what this field can achieve is already running rife. Let's separate fact from fiction and make some sense of all the hype. As we start the new year, the Tech propaganda machine is already ramping up its next generation of buzzwords, promising paradigm shifts and silver bullets that will make whole industries obsolete, enable huge efficiency gains, and make the world a better place. Blockchain, which used to top keyword search trends and social media posts, suffered a significant decline in interest, partly due to the fact that its initial hype was residual from the Bitcoin bubble. It seems that this year's buzzword of choice is going to be Artificial Intelligence.

The CES trade show is powering up again in Vegas. Most of the biggest names in tech and stacks of start-ups you've never heard of will compete for attention over the next week. Some products may launch new categories - past events presented a first look at video cassette recorders (VCRs), organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs and Android tablets. But many more will flop or never even make it to market. We've scoured the internet for hints about what will be on show... One of the biggest developments at the last few CES expos has been Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant's rival efforts to extend their reach in the home and beyond.