It's become a punchline in the tech industry that every start-up is out to change the world. When it comes to medical technology, however, some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley are poised to do just that. Apple, Google and Amazon have announced or are reported to be developing cutting-edge technologies for managing diabetes, one of the fastest-growing chronic illnesses, affecting more than 420 million people worldwide. Experts say we're at the dawn of a new era of personal technology for a variety of chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. "It really isn't a surprise you'd see companies like Apple and Google focusing on this," said Mike Matson, a senior analyst at the investment firm Needham & Co. "They're always looking for new opportunities for growth and healthcare is a big market."

When Lois Seed wakes up in the morning, one of the first things she says is "Alexa, what is the weather?" Seed, who is 89 and has low vision because of macular degeneration, finds it convenient to get weather information by speaking to the Alexa voice-activated assistant on her Amazon Echo. She also asks her Echo to tell her the time and to play classical music from her former hometown radio station. "Life is more enjoyable [with Alexa]," she says, proving that the recent Saturday Night Live spoof about Alexa and seniors couldn't be further from the truth. Seed and about 50 other residents at the Carlsbad by the Sea retirement community near San Diego have been testing the personal-assistant technology inside their homes since late February.

Electronic assistants such as the Amazon Echo could be hacked by criminals to steal personal information, a security expert has warned. Millions have bought voice-activated speakers which play music, provide weather forecasts, order groceries and answer questions. The devices are brought to life by vocal commands such as'Alexa' or'Hello Google' but experts warn they pose a major security risk as they are always listening in and monitoring conversations. Criminals could hack into them to find out when families are away or steal credit card details when someone orders a takeaway over the phone. Cybersecurity expert Dr Jason Nurse warned: 'If hackers find a way to compromise these devices in our homes, they could have it recording all of the time and you wouldn't necessarily know.

AirPods soon will sync automatically with the Apple TV, with the device's upcoming update, tvOS 11 developer beta shows, 9to5Mac reported. The wireless headphones currently sync with other paired Apple devices, including the iPad, Apple Watch and Macs through iCloud. On the tvOS 11 beta, AirPods automatically show up as a speaker option on Apple TVs with iCloud accounts linked to iPhones that are paired with the wireless headphones. The update for iPads and iPhones will add speakers to HomeKit, which controls smart home accessories.

Apple revealed features that will be included in the upcoming iOS 11 update at WWDC this week. The iOS 11 is expected to roll out this fall, coinciding with Apple's new smartphone lineup, which will include the company's much-anticipated iPhone 8, which will be the company's 10th anniversary iPhone. Apple wants to help you out. The iOS 11 update will allow you to see floor plans, let you browse floors, view directories and search. The feature will be available at malls in select cities to start, including New York, Boston, Tokyo, Chicago and London.

Alexa is about to be even more useful when it comes to your entertainment needs. Simple voice commands already let you navigate apps like Netflix, but tools to incorporate those types of commands are now available to any TV company, streaming service and other content providers. Amazon just introduced its Video Skill API, which will allow developers to expand how Alexa lets users find content in their apps. With this tool, entertainment apps could let their customers find specific shows or movies, search genres or even change the channel with voice commands. As long as you have an Amazon Echo or other Alexa device, video apps taking advantage of the new function will be navigable by voice.

While Apple recently introduced the HomePod and iOS 11, former employees who worked on Siri told the Wall Street Journal the virtual assistant is lagging behind its competitors because of company concerns about user privacy. Siri, which competes with Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices, is struggling to rise above the competition because of Apple's culture, which prioritizes user privacy, making it hard to personalize and improve the product, former Siri team employees said. Read: Amazon Sees Apple's Siri Talking With Alexa Virtual Assistant, Report Says Amazon and Google assistants had an advantage over Siri because they had more data from their search engines they could use to train their virtual assistants and have less-restrictive privacy policies than Apple, the former employees said. The Journal report said Apple protects user privacy by randomly tagging Siri searches and keeping the information tagged for a timeframe of six months, unlike its competitors Amazon and Google, which retain the data until ask for it to be discarded. That issue has delayed efforts to boost Siri because Apple "relinquished control of data before it could be used to gauge the impact of software tweaks," employees told the Journal.

If you're looking for a one-night stand, you may have a better chance of finding one now that it's almost summer. According to a new report by dating site OkCupid, 33 percent more people are looking for a one-night stand in June than during any other month of the year. The results, compiled from a survey of over 18 million members between 2013 and 2016, suggest a 17 percent increase in people's interest for a one-night stand in April, May and June, with June being the most popular month for a fling. Winter months, on the other hand, are the least ideal time for anyone looking for something casual. The same survey revealed a slight increase of 2 percent in people interested in longer term relationships during the months of January through March.

The dichotomy between machines and living things is narrowing. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is embedded in all kinds of technology, from robots to social networks. This affects the youngest among us as we see the emergence of an "Internet of Toys." The trend is what prompted us to explore the impact of those "smart," interconnected playthings on children. We'll present our paper, "Hey Google, is it OK if I eat you?: Initial Explorations in Child-Agent Interaction," at the Interaction Design and Children conference at Stanford University on June 27.

At OneReach, some of us think the coolest part of the Iron Man movies is the artificial intelligence that helps power Tony Stark's armor and business operations. Virtual assistant services like Magic and GoButler already exist, but requests are all managed by real people on the other end. And while there are services like My Second that incorporate artificial intelligence into their service offering, there's nothing on the level of J.A.R.V.I.S. Siri is probably the most ubiquitous example of artificially intelligent personal assistant, but she's more of a recommendation engine than true AI. Similarly, Echo, Amazon's sparkling new home automation assistant, can only respond to simple voice commands. However, Echo's functionality is beefed up once you add in the fact that Echo can connect to other apps to access their capabilities.