With 60% of Americans using the voice-activated concierge service on their smartphone every day, people are growing accustomed to the idea of interacting with a virtual assistant. Tapping into the trend, Amazon has launched a smart speaker that acts like a home assistant.

Whether it's headbands that help you meditate or apps that claim to stretch the memory; we're increasingly looking to technology to train our brains. But what's the real science behind this growing industry? And why are so many people turning to technology to get their heads in the right space?

Setting unrealistic goals is something we all do, especially when it comes to self-improvement. We strive to be fitter, smarter, kinder, or to eat more healthily. But shaking off old habits is hard. Sometimes we don’t even get started. Can a step-by-step app, informed by behavioural science, come to our rescue?

People prefer wearable devices that are unobtrusive, fit into daily life and existing habits, and look stylish. But even if all these boxes are ticked, do they really want to wear technology on their wrists, faces and around their necks?