Voice-recognition lets people benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) almost without a second thought – and this technology is increasingly popular. Amazon had record sales of its Alexa device last year, with millions sold over the holiday season. Google reports that since last October, it has sold at least one Google Home smart speaker every second. And at CES 2018--the world's largest tech event--we saw a host of digital assistants that use a voice interface, from Microsoft's Cortana to Baidu's DuerOS and Samsung's Bixby. This trend will continue into 2018.

Google has begun rolling out Routines, a new feature of Google Assistant that allows users to string together a number of actions with a single phrase. There are six routines in the initial roll out: "Good morning," "Bedtime," Leaving home," "I'm, home," Commuting to work," and Commuting home." . To use them, go into the Google Home app, click the "hamburger" menu icon (the three horizontal bars in the top right), scroll down and click "more settings." Inside the services group, you should find Routines. If not, you'll need to update the app.

A personal assistant who works for you 24/7 -- it sounds rather tempting, doesn't it? Dreams of such a helper anywhere you go are transformed into a business idea in many branches, and hospitality is just on its way. Any of your customers would gladly gain an instant access to needed information, so maybe it's time to consider a new business idea for your company? An AI-powered concierge app is a right decision -- you'll win hearts of your customers before artificial intelligence conquers the hospitality market. Follow us if you want to know more details and all the benefits.

Apple, Amazon and Google have been dead-locked in a battle of the voice assistants for the past several years. But it's no secret that Amazon and Google have charged ahead with their respective services, Alexa and Assistant, while Apple's digital assistant Siri has lagged behind. Siri's troubled seven-year history is likely a result of poor management, slipshod decision making and an inconsistent vision at the company of what the product should be, according to a new report from the Information. At least a dozen former Apple employees spoke in detailed candor about how Siri was created and the drama that ensued among executives and engineers. Many people involved in creating Siri from the beginning cite Apple founder Steve Jobs' death as a tipping point in the product's failure.

Tinder has introduced a new feature that it claims will help you come up with a better chat-up line. 'Feed' is a timeline that shows the activity of all your past matches, including new photo they have uploaded and changes to their favourite songs on Spotify. Tinder says the new feature is'an exciting new way to see more of what someone is all about by giving you a true glimpse into their world.' But many users claim the service is'creepy' and allows their matches to'stalk' them online without them realising. The new'Feed' tab shows all updates that matches make to their profile such as new photos (left) and even what they are listening to on Spotify (right).

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) is quickly becoming a part of our daily lives. Nowadays, we don't think twice about using virtual assistants like Apple's Siri to answer a quick question, and the notion of self-driving cars is becoming less absurd than originally thought. This is set to be the year that AI technology hits our offices and desks. This article will discuss how AI is looking to affect business in 2018. AI will not only disrupt business processes but will also help customers by providing them with a more personalized user experience; one that most marketers could have never thought possible.

Artificial intelligence (A.I.), in some form or fashion, is all around us; its presence pervades our lives in ways seen, hidden and/or overlooked. Its influence is growing and will continue to do so for years to come. As currently constructed, though, it will not lead to the idyllic future researchers and enthusiasts predict, but rather an ideal-adjacent alternative owing to one missing element: natural language processing (NLP). Why is that so important? Well, beyond revolutionizing the concept of a user interface in ways undeniably more natural and efficient, it would truly upend the way we interact with and utilize machines forever.

I recently asked my Amazon Echo's Alexa what the future of cloud computing is. Alexa paused, with her blue lights blinking, and then said, "Sorry, I don't know that one." She could, however, give me a thorough definition of cloud computing and confidently point out that the word "future" can have different meanings, which she then diligently recited until I stopped her. It's not the first time that Alexa and I have had different opinions about how we see the world. But overall, I have become very fond of Alexa.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, will begin on June 4, the company recently announced. WWDC is one of Apple's biggest events of the year, giving it a chance to preview what's in store for gadgets from the iPhone to the Mac and beyond. The headlining news is usually a look at the next version of Apple's iPhone and iPad software, called iOS. Apple typically uses WWDC to show off the new features coming to the iPhone and iPad in the following months. But Apple may take a different approach this year, focusing less on flashy new features and more on performance upgrades.

By now, you must have heard the term "virtual assistants." The natural evolution of virtual assistants is the virtual experts. Going from former to the latter is a substantial technical challenge not many companies are willing to meet yet, because the simpler "assistant" version has untapped commercial potential and a quick ROI. Nevertheless, virtual experts is the real game changer – a paradigm shift – that will have social and economic impact beyond our wildest imagination. The rise of virtual experts is just hiding behind the puzzle of the most effective machine learning approach.