This past August, over 250 people at FINRA took two days to find data driven solutions for FINRA. With over 45 teams, there were some amazing ideas that came out of this hackathon. Below are 13 awesome ideas teams came up with. This team, NG Sonar, realized that our data models rely on manual processes for testing, implementing, and improving. Instead of a manual process, they showed how machine learning could be used to set up feedback loops to constantly evaluate a model's effectiveness.

Today, IBM completed its first Cognitive College Virtual Holiday Workshop, exploring how artificial intelligence and cognitive systems can help customer engagement. Top influencers and IBM experts weighed in on how technology is reshaping the relationship between business and customers, and the expectations of the customers themselves. Last year, online shoppers spent $4.45bn on Black Friday and Thanksgiving. Obviously, that's a lot of inventory to monitor, and there's nothing worse from a retailer's perspective than turning away healthy demand for hot products that are out of stock. John Lawson points out that only 31% of customers think that their brand really understands them.

Dating apps "must take more responsibility" for protecting users' safety on dates, according to a police lead for LGBT issues. It comes as serial killer Stephen Port is found guilty of murdering four young men he met through dating apps and websites. The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:00 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel.

China may be behind in the smart home industry, but research shows it will be a $22.8 billion business by 2018. However, one firm is getting a head started with a voice-activated, cloud-based smart home speaker that does something the leading devices can't - it speaks Cantonese and Mandarin. The speaker, from Chinese firm LingLong and known as the DingDong, has an AI with a music library of 3 million songs, can take memos and share updates regarding news, traffic and weather in what the firm calls'cinema-like sound quality'. LingLong DingDong is a a voice-activated, cloud-based smart home speaker designed with a music library of 3 million songs, can take memos and share updates about news, traffic and weather in what the firm calls'cinema-like sound quality' LingLong DingDong is China's voice-activated, cloud-based smart home speaker that speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin that costs $118. It takes memos, organize schedules and share updates about news, traffic and weather.

Dating apps "must take more responsibility" for protecting their users' safety on dates, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) has said. It comes after Stephen Port was found guilty of murdering four men he had met through such apps and websites. Chief Constable Jane Sawyers, police lead for LGBT issues, said apps should provide safety messages. One app, Grindr, did not reply to a request for comment. Tinder said it took users' safety "very seriously".

I recently bought an Amazon Echo to "experiment with developments on the frontier of technology to see what the future of IT holds for us." Playing around with the device--a hands-free speaker you control with your voice--got me thinking about the role that vocal computing might play in enterprise IT going forward. Vocal computing is not appropriate for every interaction, but it is seductively convenient for certain interactions. For example, it works beautifully to connect Echo and the Alexa Voice Service to play music, or to provide information such as news and weather. And I was pleasantly surprised by Alexa's quality of vocal interpretation.

The holidays have traditionally been an important time for the consumer tech world, with electronics makers placing big bets that shoppers will venture into Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales with open minds and open wallets. But for some manufacturers, this year might be more important than others. Products in categories that consumers aren't yet familiar with -- think digital home assistants, like Amazon's Echo -- tend to bank the most on a successful holiday season, according to retail analysts. But those encountering competition for the first time -- again, think Amazon's Echo -- face a double whammy. First, they need to convince the public their product is more than a novelty, then they convince the public to choose theirs and not its rivals.

Alexa, the voice control assistant living inside Amazon's Echo, Echo Dot and Tap speakers, is extremely versatile. She can adjust your thermostat, give you news headlines from around the world and even start your robot vacuum. But can she help when your Aunt Shirley starts talking about her stamp collection during Thanksgiving dinner? Actually, we think she can. Here are our favorite tips and tricks for overcoming awkward family conversations during the holiday season -- with Amazon's Alexa.

This Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016, photo shows a damaged Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on a table in Richmond, Va., after it caught fire earlier in the day. Samsung Electronics said Tuesday, Oct. 11, that it is discontinuing production of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones permanently, a day after stopping global sales of the ill-fated devices. LOS ANGELES -- What's worse, a phone that explodes in your face or a drone that falls from the skies? It's a question worth pondering as we embark on our annual list of the top tech turkeys of the year. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The Samsung Note 7 received rave reviews for wireless charging, water resistant design and the ability to unlock the phone with your iris.

Right after you've given thanks for friends and family, and eaten an excessive amount of food, it's time for that other holiday: Black Friday. As fashionable as it is to say you're not interested and would rather do something else, it's hard not at least be mildly curious if there are some good deals to be found. If so, make sure you grab your smartphone and get it ready for all the shopping madness. You'll want to tap into the best shopping apps and some Google services to survive this day. Here's a brief guide that will help you find deals you didn't know you needed and navigate through the chaos so you don't spend all day in a fruitless chase.