There's a good chance learning a new language is one of your New Year's resolutions, unless you're hoping Google Translate will be enough for your next international adventure. Either way, you'll need a reliable method to guide you through speaking and understanding the foreign language of your choosing. Fortunately, we're no longer confined to flashcards and textbooks as you can learn using your phone from the comfort of your couch. Many of the best language learning apps today offer a multi-tier approach, with AI-powered conversations, extensive vocab libraries and even podcasts you can listen to to help you master your target language. Whether you're just starting because you're just trying to understand what Bad Bunny means when he says "un verano en Nueva Yol," or you want to brush up on your Korean before that planned vacation, there's a language learning app to suit your needs.

Learning a new language can be difficult, especially if you approach it the wrong way. Instead of cracking open a textbook or settling in for stuffy video lessons, why not gamify your learning experience? There are several apps that offer to teach you a new language, but few offer speech recognition software and a brand new augmented reality (AR) feature to help drive the lessons home. Much like the supplementary language learning app Memrise, this new app offers a simple and fun way to learn over 33 languages. Tap or click here to learn about Memrise.

Apple's first iPhone launched in 2007, decades after the concept of machine learning -- a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that employs mathematical techniques that "teach" software to make sense of complicated datasets -- rose to prominence. But it was only recently that the two collided. Apple launched Core ML, a framework designed to speed up machine learning tasks, alongside iOS 11 in May 2017. The Cupertino company shipped its first chip purpose-built for AI, the A11 Bionic, in last year's iPhone X. And at the 2018 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), it took the wraps off Core ML 2, a new and improved version of Core ML; and Create ML, a GPU-accelerated tool for native AI model training on Macs.

TALK OF THE TOWN: Memrise, a U.K.-based startup that uses machine learning for language lessons, has raised $15.5 million, TechCrunch reports. Octopus Ventures and Korelya Capital led the Series B round. Avalon Ventures and Balderton Capital, two existing investors, also took part. The company's CEO tells TechCrunch he wants to expand the AI platform, adding more features. He also wants to get a bigger office space.

Memrise, a UK startup whose eponymous language-learning app employs machine learning and localised content to adapt to users' needs as they progress through their lessons, has raised another $15.5 million in funding to expand its product. The funding comes after a period of strong growth: Memrise has now passed 35 million users globally across its 20 language courses, and it tipped into profitability in Q1 of this year. Ed Cooke, who co-founded the app with Ben Whately and Greg Detre, told TechCrunch that this places it as the second-most popular language app globally in terms of both users and revenues. This round, a Series B, was led by Octopus Ventures and Korelya Capital, along with participation from existing investors Avalon Ventures and Balderton Capital. Memrise is not disclosing its valuation -- it has raised a relatively modest $22 million to date -- but Cooke (who is also the CEO) said the plan will be to use the funding to expand its AI platform and add in more features for users.