When Apple took to the stage to launch its new smart speaker, the HomePod, it began with an explanation that was more like an insult. It was introducing a smart speaker that was the first to include both voice control and good sound, it said, and it flashed up a picture of a Sonos, which it mocked for having great sound but for forcing you to use an app. Now that image may haunt the release of Apple's new speaker. Because Sonos just released the new One: a speaker that can be controlled with the voice and includes the same audio quality that Sonos has become famous for. And what's more, the Sonos speaker will be available weeks before Apple's HomePod, which arrives in December, ships.

They blink to life when Alexa hears its name, then whirl around the top of an Echo device while Alexa thinks. But when Sonos started working on integrating Alexa into its multi-room wireless music system a year and a half ago, though, that setup posed a problem. Most Sonos users have more than one speaker, and a surround sound system full of blinking lights would turn their homes into an ersatz light show. Plus, it felt wrong: Sonos is an audio company, betting its future on sound as the interface for all the tech in your home. There had to be an audible way for Alexa to let you know it's listening.

There is hardly a new digital marketing feature or product introduced today that doesn't incorporate -- or is at least informed by -- artificial intelligence and machine learning. But is marketing getting better for it? Yes, says Steve Sirich, general manager of Bing Ads at Microsoft. "While some have doubted the outcome of this relationship [between marketing and AI], evidence points to its success. In turn, marketing is becoming more data-driven as integrated marketing, efficiency and ROI become more of a priority."

Ahead of its Pixel 2 event, Google has quietly added a new voice to Google Assistant. The AI, which can be found on Google Home and the company's handsets, no longer skews female. As spotted by Android Police, Assistant now also boasts a male option. Fittingly, Google has bestowed the impersonal, robotic voice with the nondescript title: "Voice II." To switch to the new intonation (probably in US English only), select settings on your phone Assistant or the Google Home app.

Four new features that make Google Home a better connected speaker than it was--but it still has growing pains, reports USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham on Talking Tech. On Wednesday, Google is expected to unveil the next version of its Pixel smartphone, a potential rival to Apple's iPhone juggernaut, as well as an updated version of its voice-activated Home speaker and possibly other devices. Although last year's Google Pixel was a hit among critics, it failed to rake in the type of sales consumers have seen from Apple and its flagship smartphone. Will Google roll out devices that leave iPhone and Amazon Echo in the dust? Here's what we can expect from Wednesday's Google event.

Google will launch the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 tonight, but they're arguably not the most important new products we'll see from the company. Google is working on something much bigger than smartphones, and it's planning to bring it to more people than ever before. The Google Home Mini may just prove to be most important new product we'll see tonight. The successor to Google Home, which came to the UK earlier this year, the Mini is a small and affordable smart speaker. It will feature Google Assistant, a virtual assistant that both understands and responds to your voice commands. It's a clever piece of technology, which also lives on a number of Android phones, and is growing more and more capable by the month.

New features for Google Home and Google Assistant were discovered recently. The Home smart speaker now features a Night Mode, while Assistant now comes with a male voice. One of the problems with Google Home and other smart speakers is their volume remains static. For example, if a user sets the volume at the highest level while listening to music, the Google Assistant's voice will also have the same level of volume. The new Night Mode feature was first discovered by Android Police through the Google Home preview program.

Two new Pixel phones and a competitor to Amazon's Echo Dot are among the products expected to be unveiled today at an event held by Google. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL phones will be iterations of the first Pixel phones released a year ago, according to leaks, while the Google Home Mini smart speaker is expected to be similar to Amazon's shrunk-down Echo Dot smart speaker, squeezing the voice-control features into a smaller package but requiring a separate speaker for high-quality music playback. It appears the phones are part of the company doubling down its efforts to compete directly with Apple in smartphone hardware. Additionally, they will continue to provide Google the opportunity to demonstrate the extent of its software prowess when freed from the requirement to work closely with other Android device manufacturers. These are the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL https://t.co/cXCs560jNH

Artificial Intelligence is radically changing the way we think of technology. It is progressing rapidly, with key advancements ranging from virtual assistants (such as Apple's Siri and Microsoft Cortana) to fraud detection. This emerging tech now plays a part in everyday life. Another study performed by Forrester Research predicted an increase of 300% in investment in AI this year (2017), compared to last year. Tools and technologies play an important role in growth of any technology.

Four new features that make Google Home a better connected speaker than it was--but it still has growing pains, reports USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham on Talking Tech. Google Home is invading every room in your house--here's what you need to know (Photo: Reviewed.com) LOS ANGELES -- OK, Google, if you really want to take on Amazon with a connected speaker, why not really show off your smarts? Google Home debuted in 2016 to so-so reviews and respectable sales. But Home still paled in popularity to Amazon's Echo, which has a 70% market share, according to market tracker eMarketer.