It's hard to believe there's anything to look forward to in 2018, but as the ecommerce wars heat up, there's at least plenty to pay attention to. During these pivotal moments, artificial intelligence and augmented reality continued to shake up how people--and the ecommerce industry--use their phones and the experiences they seek. Most of the trends coming in 2018 are pointing towards making the consumer happier than ever. You probably think this section is about you, don't you? Well it is, as another trend expected to pick up in 2018 is personalization, some of it driven through AI and mobile.

The scope and pace of technological innovation is ascendant, advancing at a pace that is impossible to keep up with. Much ado about artificial intelligence, blockchain, the internet of things, virtual reality, … the list of emerging technologies continues to grow. But for the buzz, all the investment, and all the 2017 roundups and 2018 predictions, we often fail to remember technology's secret. The most powerful disruptions rarely occur from single technologies but well-timed convergence of multiple existing technologies to foster something altogether unprecedented. In my analysis of the impacts of emerging technology, I identify how and where people, organizations, and ecosystems are being transformed by technological convergence.

An 18-count indictment alleges the men arranged meetings at victims' homes through a social media dating platform for gay men. Investigators say most victims were tied up, assaulted and robbed at gunpoint.

The HomePod had a bit of a notable production setback, back in December, but Apple's high-end smart speaker is still on-track for an "early 2018" release. As it preps for the release of its first Siri-focused device, the company is making some tweaks to its voice assistant. As 9to5Mac first noted, the latest beta version of iOS (11.2.5) sports a new news feature.

No, it wasn't for a Christmas card: Mom wanted to nail the perfect dating profile pic. She has been on Match.com, Revenue from dating services was projected to hit $2.7 billion in 2017, according to market research firm IBISWorld. And going forward, the ones geared toward baby boomers are expected to see the most growth. I met Lauryn at a bar while chatting up strangers about online dating.

An advertisement for online dating site eHarmony has been banned by British ad regulator the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for making claims that the service is scientifically proven to work. The ban, handed down by the ASA Wednesday, will require eHarmony remove the advertisement from the billboard display on a London Underground platform where it had first appeared in July 2017. The ad in question from eHarmony contained a headline that read, "Step aside, fate. It's time science had a go at love." The ad also included additional text that read, "Imagine being able to stack the odds of finding lasting love entirely in your favor.

We've found the running theme for TVs at this year's CES: built-in voice assistants. Hisense has revealed that some of its 2018 4K TVs will include Amazon Alexa, letting you control both the set itself and your smart home. You can change inputs, stream online radio or turn on your lights without budging from the couch. Hisense isn't saying much about the TVs themselves, but it does note that a 100-inch laser TV will be one of those receiving the Alexa treatment. You should hear more about Hisense's lineup by the time CES kicks off.

Today's artificial intelligence (AI) technology movement is transformational and will require new leadership skills that are embracing of change. However, the key driver will not be technology alone, but the maturing of the right capabilities. Companies committed to adopting AI will need to develop corporate strategies and governance policies that will require in-depth knowledge of the capabilities to assure expectations are in alignment with the promised value to their business partners. The expectations for AI are astronomical with irrefutable results. You don't have to look any further than your wrist to ask Siri what are the best Thai restaurants within a five-mile radius of my current location.

The deployment was the result of thorough evaluation and an online trial of a number of methods, including profile-based, collaborative filtering and hybrid algorithms. Results taken a few months after deployment show that the recommender system delivered its projected benefits. Traditionally these systems have been used to recommend items to users. The work we describe in this article concerns people-to-people recommendation in an online dating context. People-to-people recommendation is different from item-to-people recommendation: interactions between people are two-way, in that an approach initiated by one person to another can be accepted, rejected or ignored.

Apple's delayed HomePod is coming to challenge smart speakers from Amazon and Google. The device will use Siri as its intelligent assistant front end, and is supposed to sound pretty good to boot. Now, according to a report at 9to5Mac and confirmed on our own iPhones, Siri includes a new ability to play you a podcast when asked what the news is. The feature appears in the latest iOS beta, 11.2.5, which is available for developers now. When you ask, "Hey Siri, give me the news," you'll get a daily news podcast from The Washington Post.