In early December 2017, U.S. household penetration of smart speakers was 13%. In late February, comScore shows penetration at 20% of Wi-Fi homes, more than a 50% increase to 19 million homes now using a smart speaker.

It's still not massive, but the virtual and augmented reality market continues to show significant signs of life. The global market for VR and AR content grew 72% last year, reaching $3 billion, based on a new VR and AR forecast from IHS Markit.

The latest forecast shows the worldwide market for VR and AR head-worn devices growing 50% annually over the next five years. In 2022, a total of 121 million units will be sold.

The realities are finally getting mixed. While virtual reality essentially takes a user to an experience disconnected from the physical world, the other approach of augmented and mixed reality are about to come on strong.

AT&T is tapping virtual reality in an attempt to cut down on distracted driving. As part of its 'It Can Wait' campaign, the company created a VR experience for a nationwide tour of more than 200 locations.

A study of U.S. and U.K. consumers shows that smart speaker ownership continues to rise and most people who own one use it every day. Consumers who have smart speakers also are using them to do a wide range of things.

While virtual and augmented reality keep advancing, there still are obstacles to mass adoption. The most significant one is serious, since it involves the technology itself.

The smart TV market has plenty of room for growth. At CES, companies like Samsung and LG made it clear that smart TVs are the only way to go for consumers moving forward.

Robots are beginning to look more human, but not all will act that way. Will Smith found that out in a potentially romantic meet-up with Sophia the Robot.

The patent application just published shows Apple creating advanced, in-car virtual and augmented reality experiences -- some solo and others shared by everyone in the car.