The concept of machine learning is becoming better understood as we increasingly interact with it every day. From Netflix and Amazon recommendations, to Siri and Cortana voice recognition, to Google Maps travel time calculations, we're all becoming more familiar with machine learning technologies--even if we don't quite realize it yet. Applying machine learning in industry, however, is a different story. Though several companies are doing it, it's not nearly as ubiquitous as the consumer-oriented applications mentioned above. And that's what made a presentation by Kathy Applebaum and Kevin McClusky of Inductive Automation during the Ignition Community Conference 2018 so interesting.

As we look back to 2018, we can trace some technologies which impacted the lives of an ordinary man both in the personal and professional terms. Artificial intelligence which was thought to be a simple assistant for making a person's life easier has now become an integral part of many people's lives in certain spheres. Did you ever imagine in your wildest dreams that in future you will be conversing with an artificial assistant? We always used to think it as a scene straight out from the Hollywood science fiction movie, but as we usher into the brave new world of incredible inventions, fictions are turning into reality making us question the very existence of the statement "This is not possible." This was highly questioned as consumers were in a dilemma how trustworthy would it be, but as in case of every new invention people are skeptical in the beginning but get used to it with each passing year.

The virtual assistant on your smart speaker and smartphone draws on artificial intelligence; so do every Google search and every Netflix recommendation. And while the bulk of the investment in AI and machine learning--the subset of AI in which computers look for patterns in large data sets--is coming from the tech sector, it is spilling into other areas. Which uses of AI will come to ubiquitous fruition? Bloomberg offers a simple test: "Ultimately, the future of AI will depend on its ability to make money." Financial services seems like fertile ground for AI to generate profit.

When we reviewed Amazon's updated Echo Plus, we concluded that the $120 device was a solid improvement with "some noticeable thump" and "crisper and more detailed" music tracks. But as a gadget that doubles as a smart home hub, it's less impressive. In particular, we were disappointed by the lack of support for Z-Wave or Lutron Clear Connect protocols, especially since the control over smart devices like the Hue bulbs felt basic and underwhelming for a smart home hub. While the audio and the price caught our attention, we ultimately didn't feel it was a necessary upgrade over the first-gen Echo. But that's just our take -- now we'd like to hear yours.

You no longer have to pull out your phone (or look at your watch) to track your dietary habits. Lifesum has introduced what it says is the first food tracking app for Google Assistant, making it easier to keep tabs on your eating patterns. If you ate a large meal or grabbed a glass of water, you just have to use your voice to add that to your log. You can also update your body weight, tackle challenges (such as hiding sugary food in your kitchen) and ask for updates on your progress. Lifesum personalizes meal sizes based on your goals, but it's not very specific beyond that.

Vuzix has been making smart glasses for well over a decade, primarily for enterprise use such as medical applications or stocking shelves in warehouses. Last year, Vuzix teased a prototype of the Blade, a smaller, slimmer pair made for consumers. Not only does it come with a floating display a la Google Glass, it's also compatible with Alexa (and, eventually, Google Assistant). Now the company says it's ready to ship the Blade for $1,000 as it attempts to pick up where Google Glass left off. "This represents a huge step forward for us," Vuzix CEO Paul Travers told Engadget.

Recommender systems are one of the most common used and easily understandable applications of data science. Lots of work has been done on this topic, the interest and demand in this area remains very high because of the rapid growth of the internet and the information overload problem. It has become necessary for online businesses to help users to deal with information overload and provide personalized recommendations, content and services to them. Two of the most popular ways to approach recommender systems are collaborative filtering and content-based recommendations. In this post, we will focus on the collaborative filtering approach, that is: the user is recommended items that people with similar tastes and preferences liked in the past.

Facebook's business practices dominated much of the year's biggest talking points, alongside new data regulations coming into force in Europe and the continuing rise of Fortnite as a global phenomenon. Facebook came under intense scrutiny during 2018, as the company's approach to data privacy and its handling of personal information was put under the spotlight. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, which exposed not only how data could be scraped from Facebook users but also the flaws in the company's own data policies, sparked much of the scrutiny. Despite several appearances in front of lawmakers in the US and European Union, Mark Zuckerberg and his firm failed to satisfy many with questions over how the social network operates and has seen its public trust and even its share value plummet. It also sparked an ongoing battle with a House of Commons select committee, which looks set to continue into next year.

Artificial intelligence in 2019 won't reach the level of the replicants of "Blade Runner" -- the 1982 movie that was set in this year -- but experts expect smart technology to become more common and more disruptive. Twenty percent of business executives told PwC consultants that their companies will begin to use AI in their businesses in 2019. Automation has already put plenty of people out of their jobs in recent years, but, according to PwC, 38 percent of business executives say AI will create more jobs, while only 19 percent say it will cause cuts. Sales of smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home are expected to boom massively this year, with Deloitte consultants projecting the industry to surpass 250 million units sold by the end of 2019. But some expect the kickback to be strong, as users increasingly sour on big data collection and may push back on AI viewed as too overbearing and non-transparent.

CES 2019 will be my 16th consecutive jaunt to Las Vegas to see the latest and greatest that the consumer electronics industry has to offer. So I'm extremely confident in predicting that we'll see plenty of the following: Those, of course, are the table stakes -- the same trends that have been on display for the past three, five or even 10 years of the world's biggest electronics show. To that end, these are the biggest questions we have going into the show -- the answers to which will set the tone for the rest of 2019. Qualcomm showed off a 5G phone prototype in Hawaii last month. There is little doubt that 5G -- the next-generation wireless standard that promises hyperfast speeds with almost no latency -- is the key game-changing technology for 2019.