The wrist wearables market is going strong, especially in the category of smartwatches. Driven by Apple and Android Wear, smartwatches are projected to rule over all other wearable categories for at least the next four years. Other areas for connectedness include clothing, eyewear and most notably wrist bands, according to the new IDC global quarterly wearable device tracking forecast.

While the Internet of Things will produce mountains of data, many consumers are concerned that someone will access some of the data relating to them. Part of the issue around data also comes down to who consumers will trust with it. A large majority (73%) of U.S. broadband consumers express a desire to keep tight control over access to their personal data, with nearly half being very concerned that someone will access the data without their permission, according to a new report by Parks Associates.

Improving customer experience is one of the main drivers of digital transformation in business. At least that's what CEOs around the world say, most of whom give themselves good marks for execution. A large majority (79%) of CEOs describe the digital experience they offer their customers as either excellent or good, based on a new study.

The capabilities of wearables continue to evolve, but there's one feature that may give a real boost to adoption of the devices. That feature is the ability to pay for something via a wearable device, such as a smartwatch or fitness tracker. The majority (60%) of consumers say they would be interested in using a contactless form of payment, like by a smartwatch, to pay for something while exercising, according to a new study.

The U.S. government is getting involved with self-driving cars, at least from a regulation standpoint. Various forms of connected cars have been coming for some time, on the road to fully autonomous vehicles. The U.S House of Representatives just passed legislation that would make it easier for autonomous car makers to be exempted from normal safety standards for up to 100,000 cars for a one-year period while they are tested.

There's clearly a lot of money in and around the Internet of Things, but some of the projections are getting rather stratospheric. The latest involves the amount of money that IoT will mean to operators of mobile networks. The IoT revenue opportunity is estimated to reach $1.8 trillion by 2026, according to the GSMA, the industry trade group that represents mobile operators worldwide.

Virtual reality continues to remain a wildly successful technology just around the corner. For the moment, though, ownership of VR headsets remains relatively small. Eight percent of U.S. households with Internet access own a VR headset, based on a new study on virtual reality.

The idea of marketers targeting consumers based on their location is hardly new. However, the location information has been improving greatly over time, thanks in part to data from various sensors, most notably beacons. Ad campaigns now are being created based on location patterns, such as how long a person stays in a particular store or fast food restaurant and where they come from and where they go from there.

The Internet of Things requires speed. Connecting billions of smart Internet-connected devices and enabling them to work in real time is going to require a major effort. Consumers already are aware of the speed of network transmissions and they want more of it, based on a new study.