Some tech trends fizzle out and die a quiet death, while others are so significant that they transform our world and how we live in it. Here are the top nine tech mega-trends that I believe will define 2018 and beyond. From chatting to friends in a messaging app or buying a coffee, to tapping in and out with an Oyster card or streaming music, today almost everything we do leaves a trail of data breadcrumbs. And this increasing datafication of our world has led to an unprecedented explosion in data. Just in the average minute, Facebook receives 900,000 logins, more than 450,000 Tweets are posted, and 156 million emails and 15 million texts are sent.With numbers like that, it's no wonder we're essentially doubling the amount of data created in the world roughly every two years.

Many, perhaps most, online businesses now offer "live chat" as a customer service option. Rather than calling or emailing with your support questions, live chat means you can speak to a customer service rep via instant messaging. This option is convenient and easy, and customers like it: live chat has the highest reported satisfaction rating (73%) of any customer service channel. It's part of a wider trend known as conversational commerce that's set to transform the world of digital commerce in the years to come. The term "conversational commerce" was popularized by Chris Messina, then of Uber, in a 2015 post on Medium.com

Microsoft's Cortana refuses to sit idly by as Amazon's Alexa hogs all the skills. Even though the two digital helpers are best buds (by way of their upcoming partnership), Cortana is feeling competitive. The AI can now connect to your Gmail account via Windows 10, allowing it to access multiple calendars, contacts, and -- of course -- mail, as spotted by Windows Central. Along with PC access, that support also extends to the Cortana-integrated Harmon Kardon Invoke smart speaker. And, Cortana apps on iOS and Android will also benefit from Google Calendar info.

My Amazon Echo Look review can help you to make a decision if you're not sure if this is a creep or a keep. Echo Look is Amazon's newest IoT gadget and at this time you have to request an invitation which you can do here: Amazon Echo Look My general view on the internet of things can be found in this article on my Entertainment Blog: I heard it from your freezer? A friend of mine is crazy for gadgets. She is a selfie-lover and lives on Instagram. Can you imagine how excited she is right now? Echo Look is a connected device that in addition to the regular Amazon Echo features can also take pictures and record video.

The acquisition gives Apple ownership of an app that helps users identify unfamiliar songs. Users are often directed to listen to those songs at Apple Music or Spotify, helping those services possibly reach new subscribers. Such referrals could help Apple boost the number of subscribers to its streaming-music service from its current 30 million. Spotify AB says its service has 60 million paid subscribers. Shazam, which made its debut as an app in 2008, also gives Apple access to extensive data and insight on people's musical interests.

Gartner has a tool known as the "hype cycle." It shows where a technology stands on a curve that represents the lifecycle of that technology -- including the peak of its "hype," or inflated expectations, followed by the low point of missed expectations, or the "trough of disillusionment." The lifecycle finally ends as the technology achieves what they refer to as the "plateau of productivity." AI is currently at the top of this hype cycle, discussed in every tech news cycle and mentioned with predictions of dire consequences from some of the greatest minds today. So, the question I'm sometimes asked is, "Why now?" Aren't we headed toward that "trough of disillusionment" where we realize that Siri won't cook dinner and Alexa won't take out the trash next week like we'd hoped?

A handheld device that performs tasks upon voice command used to be a figment of science fiction. Today, however, voice-search enabled digital assistants have entered the consumer market one by one. Each tech brand, in turn, continues to develop more voice-activated personal devices like Google Home, Amazon Echo, as well as a variety of tablets and smartphones. According to Google, more than 50% of search queries around the world are done using mobile devices. Of that statistic, 20% are voice searches.

Artificial intelligence (AI), once a topic only explored in science fiction movies, TV shows, and books, is something that has quickly become a part of the world of today. In 1969, management consulting firm McKinsey & Company released an article claiming that computers were not smart enough to make any decisions, but rather the human's intelligence behind the devices was powering them. With modern computers replacing skilled human labor in such fields as medicine, agriculture, and education, it is fascinating to see how incorrect this claim turned out to be. Some may even argue that artificial intelligence is the way of the future. With buzzwords like "artificial intelligence," "machine learning," and "bots" being tossed around, sometimes incorrectly interchangeably, it can be confusing to keep up with what is going on in this booming industry.

Say artificial intelligence (AI) and your first thought may be of futuristic robots, but the future may actually be closer than you think. Whether it's voice activated home assistants or internet connected cars – and machine learning is getting better, and more accessible every day. For the past decade companies and marketers have been moving towards marketing automation and nowhere is that potential greater than with AI technology. Powerful new possibilities are emerging, allowing marketers to deliver more personal and relevant messaging at a greater scale, made possible by AI. Seven out of 10 marketing decision-makers are already implementing AI-powered technologies, or at least have concrete plans to do so (KRC Research).

Amazon's Echo devices are powered by its Alexa artificial intelligence. LOS ANGELES -- Hey, Alexa, which of the seven Echo speakers should I buy, and what's the difference between them? And OK Google, the new Home Mini is so affordable at $29 for the holidays. How does it stack up to the entry level Echo, Amazon's Dot? If you're shopping for a smart speaker, here's how to decide which model and brand fits your needs and some advice on what to do once you own one.