In this paper, we propose a listwise approach for constructing user-specific rankings in recommendation systems in a collaborative fashion. We contrast the listwise approach to previous pointwise and pairwise approaches, which are based on treating either each rating or each pairwise comparison as an independent instance respectively. By extending the work of (Cao et al., 2007), we cast listwise collaborative ranking as maximum likelihood under a permutation model which applies probability mass to permutations based on a low rank latent score matrix. We present a novel algorithm called SQL-Rank, which can accommodate ties and missing data and can run in linear time. We develop a theoretical framework for analyzing listwise ranking methods based on a novel representation theory for the permutation model. Applying this framework to collaborative ranking, we derive asymptotic statistical rates as the number of users and items grow together. We conclude by demonstrating that our SQL-Rank method often outperforms current state-of-the-art algorithms for implicit feedback such as Weighted-MF and BPR and achieve favorable results when compared to explicit feedback algorithms such as matrix factorization and collaborative ranking.

Sonos One users in Canada can now join their peers south of the border in yelling requests at their connected speakers – a free update issued today enables Amazon Alexa on the Sonos One. The One launched with Alexa support in the U.S., but while the speaker has been available to Canadian buyers since late last year, Alexa voice commands are new with the update. That means Canadians will be able to do tremendously Canadian things like ask for updates from The Weather Network, get flight info from Air Canada, listen to news reports from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and more. I know what all of these things mean because I am, in fact, Canadian myself. Canadians also have relatively few options when it comes to premium smart speakers on the market: The Apple HomePod and the Google Home Max have yet to launch in country.

On the surface, artificial intelligence voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, Cortana and Google Assistant seem smart, connected and somewhat human. They handle queries well and use natural speech to share information, news and keep you updated. But every so often, their true nature is exposed and they fail to come up with a proper response. In these moments, you are reminded more than ever that they're just computer-based systems. What's the key to eliminating said quirks and truly launching modern AI systems and assistants into the annals of human achievement?

Given that the B2B sector is largely influenced by trends taking place in the B2C world, it's no surprise that Amazon announced Alexa for Business last quarter in response to business needs. You can use a "personal assistant" that combines machine learning, natural language processing and predictive analytics to do more than simply turn on the lights or dial into conference calls. However, in order to break into the next level of productivity, enterprises need to understand how to train such technologies to adapt to specific business settings, and to employees' daily tasks. One way employees can train their digital assistants is by integrating them with their work calendars. A digital assistant that is fully integrated with your work schedule could, for example, inform you that, after your last in-person meeting at 3:00 p.m., you should have time, based on current traffic conditions, to drive home and take your last call of the day from your house. That information helps you avoid rush hour traffic and still finish everything you needed to do for the day.

Today the words "revolutionary" and "disruptive" are more than a little overused when it comes to how we describe technologies in this increasingly digitally-saturated world. One industry where these terms make total and unequivocal sense, though, is healthcare. That's why I've covered topics like what doctors think about tech and patient care and what challenges are associated with healthcare and the IoT because what's happening in this space fascinates me. Today, the focus in healthcare is on AI--and for good reason. Let's explore how AI continues to disrupt the healthcare industry--how AI is redefining healthcare and how, and why China is at the forefront of the revolution.

Taking things slow is pretty common once you've started dating someone. But an increasingly popular dating app lets you take things slow before you've even met. Buzz60's Josh King has more. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Taking things slow is pretty common once you've started dating someone.

Tomorrow's most effective individuals will combine their personal capabilities with customized digital boosters. This article is part of an MIT SMR initiative exploring how technology is reshaping the practice of management. Technology now touches and transforms every aspect of personal productivity in the workplace. Mobile devices, bots, and digital assistants are ubiquitous, while managers increasingly use key performance indicator (KPI) dashboards to monitor and measure employee performance. In industry after global industry, effectively collaborating with technology is as important as effectively collaborating with people.

The researcher tasked with dreaming up new capabilities for Amazon's Alexa is taking his talents to Google. Ashwin Ram, former senior manager and lead for Alexa AI at Amazon, is now technical director of AI for Google Cloud, according to a post on LinkedIn. Talent in artificial intelligence is scarce, and companies are willing to pay millions to obtain new talent. Managers like Ram, who have been working on the technology since before the deep learning boom, are even more rare. Google Cloud has been actively recruiting high-level talent as the business gains momentum, and competition with other cloud providers like Amazon and Microsoft becomes more fierce.

During a glitzy Amazon showcase along Barcelona's seafront, the company held two escape room experiences to drill home how very, very excited it is about its action series, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, coming to Prime Video later this year. Now, escape rooms are really popular. So is Amazon's Alexa assistant and all those Echo gadgets it likes to call home. The two things make the perfect storm for 2018. So we tried to solve the (not much of a) mystery.

Forget stealing your job… in the future, a robot may well steal your heart. Technology is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to the impact it is having on all aspects of modern life, including relationships. Long gone are the days of finding love in the traditional sense, with people opting to use apps like Tinder or websites like match.com, No more is the spontaneity of meeting someone over coffee or through friends something that rouses excitement of the unknown, where you have to invest time in finding out what someone is really like. Thanks to social media, you can find out more about your potential partner, their history and more before even meeting them!