According to Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, more information now crosses the Internet
every second than the entire Internet stored 20 years ago. It
says, every hour Wal-Mart Stores Inc. collects 50 million filing
cabinets' worth of information from its dealings with customers.
Cloud computing is the practice of using a network of remote
servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, process data, and run
applications, rather than a local device. The services usually charge
monthly fees.
Microsoft has unveiled a system that can translate what you say
into Mandarin and play it back in your voice.
The Google Now
personal assistant can tell you if there's a traffic jam on your
regular route home and suggest an alternative.
Apple's
Siri can reschedule an appointment.
IBM's Watson
supercomputer can field an awkwardly worded question, figure out
what you are trying to ask, and retrieve the answer for you.