In the last few years, commercial organizations have relied heavily on immersive technology, effectively transforming operations, and even market competition. The internet makes cross-device integration increasingly common, particularly as more devices become connected. And as it becomes easier to connect with one another, the lines between reality and the digital world are increasingly blurred. Although artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning were huge buzzwords in 2016, in the coming year we expect to see even more cloud users become accustomed to dealing with bots and synchronize their lives and operations to include digital assistants. Last year, Google and Microsoft added more powerful AI services to their cloud platforms.

The update allows users to swipe through matches on their TV A remote lets users look at their matches' profiles and swipe through Tinder is pitching the update as'fun for all the family' over Christmas A remote lets users look at their matches' profiles and swipe through Tinder is pitching the update as'fun for all the family' over Christmas Apple's iOS 10.2 is here: Update adds 72 new emojis, a... Fancy a job as an EMOJI translator? A London firm is now... Amazon customers are warned of a scam email that aims to get... Meet Amal, the cyborg who has implanted wireless chips under... Apple's iOS 10.2 is here: Update adds 72 new emojis, a... Fancy a job as an EMOJI translator? A London firm is now... Amazon customers are warned of a scam email that aims to get... Meet Amal, the cyborg who has implanted wireless chips under... The update includes a new, swipeable remote control and a large-screen version of the app in HD. To start swiping, users can click the trackpad on the remote and browse through profiles, swiping left to say'No', or swiping right to say'Yes' Valley Stream Best Buy associates gift a teen with a Wii U Watch woman get dragged off jet by police in Detroit Syria: Footage emerges of Russian special forces'fighting ISIS' Trash is dumped on woman's door step after she fails to pay Documentary director attacked by gang of immigrants in Stockholm Horrifying moment woman is kicked down the stairs by stranger'I'm going to wing walk!' Schofield talks to Duke about wing walk Hunters forced to shoot a wild bear dead as it charges towards them Lads post the rudest mannequin challenge from "Scottish party" 'Scumbag unions': Chants outside Brighton rail station Impressive fireball lights up Spain's Costa del Sol night sky Adorable baby dressed as Lion comes face to face with real one Syria: Footage emerges of Russian special forces'fighting ISIS' Trash is dumped on woman's door step after she fails to pay Kanye West-wing: The Donald embraces his troubled'friend'... Terminally-ill boy, five, dies in Santa Claus' arms after... Trump's Iran stance could threaten a WORLD WAR and the... Democrats' all-out bid to smear Trump's victory as Clinton... EXCLUSIVE: Angelina demands Brad Pitt be drug tested four... It's not'he' and'she'. It's'ze': Oxford University union... Bride paralyzed at her bachelorette party opens up about sex... Shocking moment a woman was physically dragged off a Delta... Best Buy employees in Long Island chip in to buy a $300 WiiU... Woman left with huge bill after Plenty of Fish date eats...

Apple has finally released the AirPods, its controversial wireless earbuds. The little buds – which look like the company's traditional earphones but have no wires at all and sit in the ears – were unveiled along with the iPhone in September. They were pitched as Apple's fix for the fact that it had dropped the headphone jack from its phones, and the signal of a wireless future. But the AirPods never arrived when they were expected to, leaving some to worry that something had gone seriously wrong. Some reports indicated that it was having trouble making sure that the sound syncronised properly.

Microsoft doesn't just want its Cortana in your phone or on your desk -- it wants the voice assistant to be a mainstay in your smart home. As part of a WinHEC presentation, the company's May Ji has revealed that Windows 10 Creator Update will bring Cortana to Windows 10 IoT Core devices with screens. Combined with longer-ranged voice detection (key to Microsoft's Home Hub plans), you wouldn't have to be anywhere near a PC to use the digital helper -- you could ask your thermostat about the weather, or add an appointment to your calendar through your fridge. The Creators Update arrives in spring 2017, although you won't necessarily see Cortana-equipped appliances shipping at the same time. Hardware makers will still have to integrate the new Windows 10 release into their products, so it could take some months after that before you're upgrading your home.

Artificial intelligence will have a significant and lasting impact on the ways we live and work. As the AI era continues to unfold, the idea of a future driven by artificial intelligence can evoke mixed emotions. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates referred to AI as the "holy grail" in computer science. On the other hand, and taking a far more apocalyptic perspective, Tesla CEO Elon Musk likened the development of artificial intelligence technologies to "summoning the demon ." Regardless of our feelings on the matter, artificial intelligence is set to play an increasingly prominent role in our day-to-day lives.

That's what I find myself asking my Amazon Echo voice-activated device more often than any other -- not aloud but on the inside, as the comedian Bobby Collins might say, because you don't really want a robotic presence in your house doubting your commitment to your mutual relationship. Alexa, you might know, is the female persona inhabiting the Echo, a Wi-Fi-enabled black cylinder about the size of a Pringles can, which you prime to answer your questions or perform services by invoking her name. I was given a $179 Echo last year as a gift, and a $49 Echo Dot -- a squashed down version endowed with a lousier speaker but equipped with Bluetooth capability -- as another gift for Father's Day. According to Amazon PR, these devices have ranked among the firm's most popular items. With Christmas approaching, Amazon has been pushing the Dot mercilessly as a gift item, even bundling it in six-packs.

In 2017, your new fridge might be able to tell you corny jokes and serenade you, but still lack a witty answer to "Are you Skynet?" Microsoft announced during the WinHEC coference in Shenzhen, China that Cortana would arrive on Windows IoT Core as part of the Windows 10 Creators Update. The IoT version of Windows is designed for smart devices such as robots, maker projects, thermostats, toasters, doorbells, and picture frames. Windows IoT Core can sometimes lag a little behind Windows 10 PC releases so it's not clear when the IoT version will roll out. During the Windows 10 November Update in 2015, the IoT build lagged by about a month, though the earlier Anniversary Update arrived around the same time on both PCs and IoT devices. The impact on you at home: If I was in a betting mood I'd expect to see the new Windows IoT Core inspire multiple Cortana-powered smart speakers from third parties. Microsoft doesn't appear to have any interest in making its own smart speaker.

Amazon's Echo has made tangible the promise of an artificially intelligent personal assistant in every home. Those who own the voice-activated gadget (known colloquially as Alexa, after its female interlocutor) are prone to proselytizing "her" charms, applauding Alexa's ability to call an Uber, order pizza or check a 10th-grader's math homework. The company says more than 5,000 people a day profess their love for Alexa. On the other hand, Alexa devotees also know that unless you speak to her very clearly . . . I hate her, I love her," one customer wrote on Amazon's website, while still awarding Alexa five stars. "You will very quickly learn how to talk to her in a way that she will understand and it's not unlike speaking to a small frustrating toddler." Voice recognition has come a long way in the past few years. But it's still not good enough to popularize the technology for everyday use and usher in a new era of human-machine interaction, allowing us to talk with all our ...

Cronologics, the company that developed what it hoped would be an alternative smartwatch OS to Android Wear, has been acquired by Google for an unknown sum. The startup was founded by former Google employees, ironically enough, and recently launched the Alexa-powered and Amazon-blessed CoWatch. The Cronologics OS that powers it is based on Android Lollipop, and can supposedly run almost any Android app, assuming the CoWatch could sideload them (it can't). Google didn't reveal why it bought the company, and Cronologics just said (via a statement on its site) that "we see strong alignment with Android Wear's mission and look forward to working with our new colleagues at Google." It didn't specifiy if it would continue to sell the CoWatch, though that seems unlikely given that Google Home competes directly with Amazon's Alexa-powered Echo products.

At its recent I/O 2016 developer festival, Google signaled its intent to embrace artificial intelligence. With Google's fall release of the Pixel phone and, more important, its Assistant, the transition to an AI-powered future is underway. Artificial intelligence is here -- maybe not in a Sci-Fi way, but as it applies to addressing real consumer problems, needs, and desires via computing power. And Google is leading the way by moving away from its traditional search-engine format into a new realm that streamlines access to information as an integrated part of users' experiences. Its new messaging app, Allo, for example, integrates Google's Assistant, allowing users to play games, check out movie times and restaurant menus, or watch videos while chatting with other users.