Computer technology has witnessed a number of moments of transformation. The invention of the IBM PC, the rise of the Windows Operating System and Intel processors ushered in a new era of personal computing and ensured that every average home and office had the opportunity of tapping into the vast possibilities of the Personal Computer. As the world was trying to grasp the full potentials of these amazing innovations, Sir Tim Berners-Lee ushered in the most transformative innovation in the history of mankind with his invention of the World Wide Web. The Web with its endless possibilities and immeasurable potentials, created new industries, transformed existing ones and changed the way we work, play and connect. To complete the chain of technology as we have it today, were the invention of the iPhone, the rise of Cloud Computing, IoT and the rise of Holographic Computing.

Google used the Super Bowl to plug its Google Home connectivity service, but the TV commercial apparently confused the systems in homes of those who already have it. For them, Google Home went whacko. Those who already have Google Home took to Twitter to complain that it interfered with their units. Apparently, the home systems heard the TV broadcasts calling its name, and it became befuddled. "The Google commercial had my Google Home going haywire," complained a Twitter user with the handle CheezusPrice.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, file photo, an attendee snaps a photo of the Vince Lombardi Trophy and team helmets during NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's news conference for Super Bowl 51, in Houston. The Atlanta Falcons will face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday. Fox will show the game online for free, but you're out of luck on phones unless you're a Verizon customer. FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, file photo, an attendee snaps a photo of the Vince Lombardi Trophy and team helmets during NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's news conference for Super Bowl 51, in Houston. The Atlanta Falcons will face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The 2017 Voice Report is a look ahead at what to expect in the coming chat wars between companies like Microsoft, Samsung, Google, and Amazon. It's also a survey of Google Assistant and Alexa users, and a look into why some startups make more successful Alexa skills than others. The report was put together by VoiceLabs, a voice analytics startup tapped by Google for the launch of its Actions on Google, a platform for the creation of Google Assistant actions. VoiceLabs works with developers making Google Assistant actions and Alexa skills. The company was created last year by Alexandre Linares and Adam Marchick shortly after Marchick stepped down as CEO of mobile marketing company Kahuna, which he cofounded in 2012.

Hold on to your phones Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P owners. There isn't a need for a hardware upgrade on your end, because a software update is bringing some of Google Pixel's features to your handsets including Google Assistant. As of late, voice-activated AI assistant Google Assistant is exclusive to Google's Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. But things are about to change because Google is rolling out the feature to the Nexus devices as well. Though it's a remarkable feat for Google Assistant to reach out to other handsets, it won't be the first Pixel-exclusive feature to make it to the Nexus devices.

Anticipatory Design is possibly the next big leap within the field of Experience Design. "Design that is one step ahead" as Shapiro refers to it. This sounds amazing, but where does it lead us? And how will it affect our relationship with technology? I've dedicated my Master thesis to this topic to identify both ethical as design challenges that come with the development of predictive UX and application of Anticipatory Design as design pattern.

On the Stanford University campus, you could practically throw a rock and hit 100 graduate students who are building apps that enable people to communicate more effectively. But Terry Winograd is particularly enthusiastic about the app one of his graduate students, Catalin Voss, is working on. Voss, a native of Germany who completed his bachelor's and master's degrees last June at the age of 21, is working on an app that deploys Google Glass, linked to a smartphone, to help autistic children recognize human emotions through facial expressions. Venture capitalists weren't interested, even though Voss had created and sold a startup that used eye-tracking technology to monitor attentiveness to a Toyota subsidiary while still a freshman. But Terry Winograd was interested. "It runs, it has AI [artificial intelligence]," says Winograd, who 20-odd years ago advised another graduate student on the then nascent field of searching the World Wide Web. "It's at a stage where we've actually put 30 devices into homes. Our goal is to have 100 in the trial." Voss says his objective is to build a medical product that insurers will be willing to pay for. "We want to prove the investors wrong, who didn't believe in it, and build an aid for people with autism, and other mental disorders as well," he says. "We believe we've built a fairly holistic system for mental health." Winograd was Voss's first choice for an advisor even though the 70-year-old professor retired from teaching three years ago.

More and more of the devices in our homes come with an internet connection, hooked up to your wifi to do various "smart" things. And while the smart-home dream where everything just magically does your bidding without you having to lift a finger is still a long way away, even the most mundane devices will soon be able to do something to make your life easier. Right now, the internet of things is still a bit of a mess, but with the right gear you can make you home work more efficiently to fit in with your daily routines. Perhaps you just want the lights to come on when you're getting close to home. Maybe you want the heating to fire up so it's not burning gas unnecessarily but it's still toasty when you get in the front door.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced machine learning (ML) are made up of technologies and processes like deep learning and neural networks. What began as algorithms to automate manual tasks, borrowing from advanced statistical techniques has developed into a broader framework and architecture that learns like a human might, and can use historical data to predict the future. These systems will become more adaptable and potentially operate autonomously. Cearley noted, "Applied AI and advanced machine learning give rise to a spectrum of intelligent implementations, including physical devices (robots, autonomous vehicles, consumer electronics) as well as apps and services (virtual personal assistants, smart advisors). These implementations will be delivered as a new class of obviously intelligent apps and things as well as provide embedded intelligence for a wide range of mesh devices and existing software and service solutions."

Microsoft is gearing up to launch a new Cortana beta program for iPhone users. This new program shall enable users to have early access to a few of the new enhancements and features. Cortana which is akin to Siri and Google Now is Microsoft's own voice-activated digital assistant that was a part of the Windows 8.1 update. The company has now come up with an enhanced Cortana for iPhone users, albeit in the beta stage. For the unfamiliar, Cortana has a beta program for Android users.