As advancements in Quantum Computing and Artificial Intelligence are always popular media topics, I thought it'd be interesting to take a look at how the two are converging and what such a convergence might mean for cybersecurity. Today's traditional computers operate by processing information as "bits." A bit can be either a "1" or a "0." Even massive data-crunching super computers such as the US Department of Energy's Titan Cray XK7 operate in this fashion. These computers explore potential solutions to problems in a methodical, sequential manner.

His session, "IA for AI: New Methods for Designing a New Class of Products," will explore how cognitive design can help measure and optimize the performance of artificial intelligence systems. In it, he will be introducing new biometric discoveries about our emotional responses to Artificial Intelligence systems by measuring heart rate, skin conductance and facial expressions. In the past two years, artificial intelligence (AI) has forayed into our daily lives through systems like Siri, Cortana, Alexa and Google Assistant. John, a PhD in Cognitive Science with more than 15 years of experience in user-centered design, will delve into how we can optimally architect AI experiences by analyzing how humans structure their commands to AI systems and react to AI responses. Do we prefer systems that give better answers, or ones that feel more human?

Apple announced Thursday the venue and date for its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which is where the company updates developers on the latest iOS and macOS news. Last year Apple unveiled iOS 10, which revamped iMessage and the Photos and Maps apps, along with other features. At this year's event iOS 11 (if that is what Apple calls it) is likely to feature improvements on Siri. At the WWDC, which will be held in San Jose, California this year, Apple introduces the newest versions of its software platforms. Siri will have to make improvements so that Apple can lead among tech companies in AI.

Amazon's Echo and its Alexa virtual assistant had a big head start before Google debuted Home, but the company has regularly announced new features to try and make up ground. Today, Google revealed a big addition and will it close to home for Amazon: shopping. You can now use Google Assistant on the company's connected smart speaker to order goods from its Express shopping service. This means that you can order food, medicine, pet supplies and more from stores like Whole Foods, Costco, Walgreens, PetSmart and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Currently, Google Express shopping offers access to over 50 retailers for same-day delivery in 12 states.

For today's knowledge workers, heavy workloads and slow productivity growth is a major challenge. Some products and services emphasize processes and systems such as continuous improvement and removing wasteful steps. Others emphasize the human aspects of productivity -- a manager training a junior employee to take over a task, for example. AI assistants offer another approach to the workplace productivity challenge, but are they ready for "prime time" use in the enterprise? As with user interface and design innovation, consumer AI assistants have made important early contributions that are finding their way into enterprise solutions.

Users of Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant can now ask it questions about the contents of their Microsoft-hosted calendars. On Wednesday, the assistant gained the ability to interact with calendars from Outlook.com and Office 365, similar to how it works with Google Calendar. Amazon didn't make an announcement for the new feature. When asked about the change, a spokesperson for the company said that it was designed to only work with personal calendars. That said, it was possible for me to connect my Office 365 calendar, which is provided through an enterprise subscription.

Amazon's Echo smart speakers and Google Home can already turn on your lights, adjust your thermostat, play music, and even unlock August Smart Locks. But the next skill coming to your smart home speaker could be the biggest yet: phone calls. Amazon's Echo is versatile and powerful; it's a terrific value all around. Both Amazon and Google are reportedly looking into adding the ability to send and receive phone calls over their respective smart speakers. The calling would probably use voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology similar to services like Skype, according to The Wall Street Journal. Before VoIP lands on smart speakers there are apparently some logistical concerns the companies want to address, such as what to do about 911 calls.

Baidu is furthering its push into artificial intelligence after it announced the acquisition of Raven Tech, a Chinese startup that developed an AI voice assistant platform. Baidu confirmed it has bought the startup's tech, product and staff of 60. The deal comes a month after Baidu hired noted AI expert Qi Lu, formerly with Microsoft, as its COO and Group President. Baidu didn't reveal how much it is paying for Raven Tech, which is an alumnus of the Microsoft Venture Accelerator and Y Combinator and has raised $18 million from investors like DCM Ventures and Zhenfund. Raven Tech's Flow product was likened to a Chinese version of Siri, but it has failed to take off.

As consumer devices become more capable, with voice control assistants such as Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, Microsoft's Cortana and Google's Assistant, it is only natural to expect these artificial intelligence (AI) applications to move into more business settings. These capabilities could emerge in a number of areas, such as voice control-style interfaces on common productivity applications and voice output to warn IT managers of potential infrastructure faults or breaches. This makes sense -- after all, there is already an AI-enabled toothbrush that learns exactly how you clean your teeth and offers ways to improve your dental hygiene. It is just a matter of time before major industry players develop B2B apps with similar smart features. Today, voice-enabled products can be used for mundane tasks, such as dictating emails or text messages, querying internet searches or playing music and TV shows.

We first started hearing whispers about Samsung Hello a couple of weeks back. It's unclear at this point in time what this device is going to be but according to a new report, Samsung Hello might be the Korean company's answer to Google Home, a smart speaker that's powered by the company artificial intelligence assistant. It would make sense for Samsung to come out with something like this particularly when you consider what it's due to introduce with the Galaxy S8. Reports suggest that the Galaxy S8 is going to come with an all new AI-powered virtual assistant called Bixby. It has also been said that Samsung plans on expanding Bixby to devices other than smartphones.