by Jennifer Van Grove, LA Times, excerpt You may not have unwrapped a robot on Christmas, but your new year will be filled with artificial intelligence. The digital gift comes courtesy of Facebook, Google, Microsoft and other technology companies, large and small, that are making rapid advancements with virtual personal assistants that can solve problems and even complete tasks. The assistants, sometimes referred to as “chatbots,” represent noteworthy advancements to computer programs that simulate conversations. Chatbots are not new — perhaps…

via Ed Sessions, Excerpt The modern world has an increasing ability to make information accessible to people from all walks of life. Each technological advancement, in some way or another, leads to a greater access to information for people as a whole. Is this really a good thing for us to come up against? Or is it something that could turn out to be a perilous problem for all who are involved? Brian Solis: Relevancy We each face many different…

By Heike Young, Salesforce Excerpt In September 2015, Salesforce Marketing Cloud launched our first podcast: the Marketing Cloudcast. On the show, Joel Book and I interview marketing thought leaders, practitioners, authors, and more about key trends, technologies, and topics in marketing today. We’ve featured guests from a variety of industries and business sizes, from B2B tech to nonprofit to beauty. They’ve taught us a lot, and if you work in digital marketing, I’m sure you can learn something from them,…

via The Young Turks Futurist, change management specialist and “X: The Experience When Business Meets Design” author Brian Solis sits down with The Young Turks’ Cenk Uygur to talk about the past, present and future and how more and faster change is coming, and the only question is whether you’re going to be a part of that change or a victim of it. Along the way, the two discuss how disruptive technologies and changing cultural standards will affect the news…

via Web.com As a small business owner, you have tough days – we all do. When you’re facing a challenge that seems insurmountable, are frustrated by a client, or feeling so exhausted you just want to nap for a week, read through these business quotes that inspired us in 2015. And here’s to a great 2016! Excerpt… Businesses are no longer the sole creator of their brand; it is co-created by consumers through shared experiences and defined by the results…

via Pam McBride, Leadsift, excerpt If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the fast-paced changes occurring in digital marketing, you’re not alone. But you don’t have to enroll in a two-year program or a certificate course just to keep your head above water. There are dozens of marketing experts who are eager to share their knowledge with you – for free. We’ve compiled a list of our seven favorite ebooks that everyone working in the digital marketing space should read. They range…

Ted Cohen interviewed Brian Solis at the SF Music Tech Summit about his new book X and what experiences mean to the future of artistry and the music business. Please listen below…

via Richard Nieva, CNET Excerpt Alphabet, the mama-bird parent company of Google, is hoping 2016 is the year Nest leaves the, well, you know what. Nest, which makes thermostats, smoke detectors and security cameras that connect to the Web, has operated pretty much independently since Google bought the company in 2013. And that was before the company formerly known as Google pulled apart its various divisions to turn them into individual companies. “We’re going to see a [move] toward an…