From the bottom of the oceans to the skies above us, natural evolution has filled our planet with a vast and diverse array of lifeforms, with approximately 8 million species adapted to their surroundings in a myriad of ways. Yet 100 years after Karel Čapek coined the term robot, the functional abilities of many species still surpass the capabilities of current human engineering, which has yet to convincingly develop methods of producing robots that demonstrate human-level intelligence, move and operate seamlessly in challenging environments, and are capable of robust self-reproduction. But could robots ever reproduce? This, undoubtedly, forms a pillar of "life" as shared by all natural organisms. A team of researchers from the UK and the Netherlands have recently demonstrated a fully automated technology to allow physical robots to repeatedly breed, evolving their artificial genetic code over time to better adapt to their environment.

Advances in AI, making use of machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) have proven adept for voice recognition and identifying …

Distance learning and remote teaching have increased reliance on tech making it a reality, and able to traverse borders with less regard for physical geo-locations. There are numerous restrictions that prevent online learning from being ubiquitous such as internet accessibility, access to learning platforms, adequate attention for learners individually, and language barriers. Video-based learning could be enough for urban pupils, but for rural areas, connectivity becomes low, less reliable, and interrupted lessons. For international students, pursuing higher education or probably taking vocational courses, a lack in fluency in English or any other intermediary languages can play a significant role in limiting proper online learning. Learning a new language is the objective for work or to further studies, but the bigger question is how technology can bridge the language learning divide.

Imagine you're taking an online business class -- the kind where you watch video lectures and then answer questions at the end. But this isn't a normal class, and you're not just watching the lectures: They're watching you back. Every time the facial recognition system decides that you look bored, distracted, or tuned out, it makes a note. And after each lecture, it only asks you about content from those moments. This isn't a hypothetical system; it's a real one deployed by a company called Nestor.

Imagine you're on the Tube and the person in front of you is wearing a really nice pair of trainers. To find them, you could search for "black suede trainers with off-white soles" and leaf through hundreds of possible results. Or, in a world of perfectly accurate visual search, you could find and buy the exact pair instantly from a picture. Three-quarters (74%) of consumers agree that text based keyword searches are inefficient in helping to find the right product online. This opportunity gap will be explored at Dmexco this week in a number of sessions dedicated to smarter search, and it emphasises that brands need to prepare themselves for visual search.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a spectacular start to the New Year! Yes, 2017 should have received a speeding ticket, since it went by too fast! And, I'm sure, 2018 will similarly speed along at an unsuitable pace – apparently time flies when you're having fun, or is it just old age? So, it's 2018, and I thought in this month's column I would steer away from the traditional diet of "Here are my predictions for 2018." To be honest, I simply couldn't swallow writing a piece of this ilk, as I'm sure plenty of others will have their own unique perspective.

Just as the Amazon Echo appears poised to maintain its dominance of the voice-activated connected intelligence device category, it's now ready to make another leap in that space by adding a screen to the mix. Pre-orders for the $299 Echo Show began less than a week ago, but it already is a top-selling electronics device (on Amazon, naturally). Promising consumers "everything you love about Alexa," Amazon says "now she can show you things: Watch video flash briefings and YouTube, see music lyrics, security cameras, photos, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, and more. The influence of voice-activation and connected intelligence is already threatening to up-end traditional advertising and even calls into question the value of a website, as Birchbox CEO Katia Beauchamp has opined. Does Amazon Echo Show's video and touchscreen device further alter expectations among consumers and brands?

If you look at what life is from around the world, It's basically boils down to atoms which interacts with each other to form molecules and chemical reactions. In-fact all life on earth -- is just a bag of chemical reactions. All of us are just a bag of chemical reactions walking around. If that's the case, then my argument would be, if life is full of chemistry and if we call complex chemistry -- "biology", then why can't I call a chemical reaction in my lab -- Life? Most people would say, life is conscious.

David Cheng is an investment manager at DCM Ventures where he focuses on opportunities in the consumer internet, mobile applications and SaaS space. In living organisms, evolution is a multi-generational process where mutations in genes are dropped and added. Well-adapted organisms survive and those less fortunate go extinct. Resilience is great, but if you don't grow gills in time for the flood, then tough luck. Engineering, on the other hand, is a deliberate process with reliable steps designed to reach a stated objective.

David Cheng is an investment manager at DCM Ventures where he focuses on opportunities in the consumer internet, applications and SaaS. In living organisms, evolution is a multi-generational process where mutations in genes are dropped and added. Well-adapted organisms survive and those less fortunate go extinct. Resilience is great, but if you don't grow gills in time for the flood, then tough luck. Engineering, on the other hand, is a deliberate process with reliable steps designed to reach a stated objective.