The Internet of Things (IoT) industry has quickly transformed from a futuristic idea to the next massive evolution of the internet. It's disrupting a variety of industries; savvy entrepreneurs, investors, and corporations are diving head first into this space, racing to carve out a piece of a pie that McKinsey Global Institute predicts could deliver up to $6.2 trillion USD in economic impact by 2025. Here is a list of executives, entrepreneurs, investors, CTOs, and influencers that are driving the Internet of Things industry forward. These are not consultants or commentators. Each person on this list is directly and positively impacting the industry in a significant way.

If Google was trying to keep all its October 4th announcements under wraps, it just failed in spectacular fashion. Droid Life has obtained images and details for three of the headliners, and it's clear that there are a few surprises even if you've been following the leaks pretty closely. To start, that rumored tiny Home speaker has a name and a face. It's the Google Home Mini (at left), and it's basically what you'd expect: an Echo Dot-like $49 puck that ditches the higher-quality speakers in favor of a laser-like focus on Google Assistant. You won't get to swap coverings like you can with the full-size Home, but you will have the option of an eye-catching coral color in addition to more pedestrian charcoal (black) and chalk (white/silver). The phone itself is a poorly kept secret, but we now know what it'll look like in finished form (it's pretty close to the renders) and how much it'll cost you.

Here's how her newest voice came into the world: Someone read aloud from a book, and Apple recorded it. Apple's goal with those recordings was to gather natural-sounding words and phonemes, or the sounds that comprise our words. To better understand the qualities of Siri's new voice, I sent clips of her speaking American English to Molly Babel, an assistant professor in the department of linguistics at the University of British Columbia. Babel asked me to record Siri saying specific words--among them pasta, pool, and boot--and a passage, well known in linguistics, that contains a plethora of word-sounds.

More than three-quarters of Americans now use smartphones, more than two billion messages are exchanged between people and businesses each month through Facebook Messenger, and usage of voice-enabled speakers, like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, is poised to grow another 130% this year alone. Rapid changes in the way people communicate aren't just impacting personal relationships, they're also hitting the retail market as consumer preferences evolve. In a new report released just this morning, the post-purchase solutions provider Narvar uncovers generational differences in how consumers prefer interacting with retailers, as well as a growing interest in using bots and voice technologies to communicate with brands. While email is still top dog in Narvar's survey, with 80% of consumers selecting email as their preferred communication channel, 38% now say they want to hear from retailers on multiple channels, with post-purchase communications being among the most-likely to be appreciated via text or push notification. "It's important that retailers understand customers' communications preferences so they can invest in the right channels, personalize outreach, and ultimately, create effortless yet emotional customer experiences," says Harsh Jawharkar, vice president, head of marketing and partnerships at Narvar.

Update: Apple's iOS 11 release time is here, as many users have started seeing the iOS 11 update appear. For iPads, iOS 11 will be compatible with: 12.9-inch iPad Pro (second generation), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (first generation), 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad (fifth generation), iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2. With iOS 11, users will be able to pay their friends and family with Apple Pay on iMessage using their device's Touch ID or Face ID for those who get the iPhone X. Using the information gathered, Siri will suggest topics on the News app, improve its suggestions on iMessage and will create calendar notifications based on things booked in Safari.

If you've got a friend you're dying to set up on a date, then there's good news as a new online dating app lets you play'virtual Cupid.' Hinge has unveiled a new standalone app called Hinge Matchmaker that lets people help their single friends to find love by suggesting matches based on your Facebook friends. The beta test version of the app is free to download, and is available to all Hinge markets in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and India. Hinge Matchmaker gives people in a relationship a chance to set up their single friends, based on your Facebook friends who have a profile on Hinge. As the matchmaker, the power is left in your hands to decide whether your friend should connect on Hinge, with the option to send an icebreaker message to get the conversation started. As well as randomly recommending potential couples, Hinge Matchmaker also has an option for you to take control and select a specific friend you'd like to help by selecting the'lock' option on their profile.

Amazon has unveiled a new tablet where users can summon virtual assistant Alexa with just their voice for the first time. Until now, the AI powered assistant could only be summoned on Amazon tablets and other mobile devices when a wake button was pressed or the Alexa app launched. The hands-free version of the assistant has been included in the new Fire HD 10, Amazon's latest tablet, which will go on sale on October 11 for £150 ($150). Amazon has unveiled a new tablet, the Amazon fire HD 10, where users can summon virtual assistant Alexa with just their voice for the first time. The technology giant introduced Alexa to its other tablets and its Fire TV streaming devices earlier this year, the assistant having previously only been available through the Amazon Echo smart home speaker. The company said that just like on the Echo speaker, Alexa on the Fire HD 10 can also be used to play music, as well as control other smart home devices such as light bulbs and connected heating systems.

In the world of consumer-level 10-inch tablets, there are basically two to buy: At the high end, there's Apple's 9.7-inch iPad, and at the lower end, Amazon's Fire HD 10. But Amazon's newest tablet aims to blur that line as much as possible. Amazon's fresh 10-inch Fire HD tablet ($150 and up on Amazon) is a huge improvement over the prior generation in nearly every way. It starts with the screen, which is now 1080p Full HD (1900x1200 resolution) rather than 720p (1200x800). It also has a 30 percent faster 1.8GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM, which is double the amount the previous model.

Roku could be next in line to create its very own smart speaker. The company's latest batch of job offers, and recent hires, have got Variety speculating that it may be prepping an Amazon Echo clone. Roku is currently advertising for multiple roles, with an eye on recruiting audio and voice experts. One open position for a senior software engineer claims the individual will be tasked with building the company's "center of audio excellence." It's also on the hunt for a "voice user interface designer" who will act as its "expert on all things voice related."

To date, Amazon's devices with hands-free voice control have been decidedly static. At last, though, they can go where you do. The internet shopping giant is launching an updated Fire HD 10, and it's the company's first tablet with hands-free Alexa built-in. If you want to turn down the lights or check the weather, you don't have to tap the screen or wander within earshot of an Echo. This is far from new in the mobile world (just ask anyone familiar with "hey Siri" or "OK Google"), but it's definitely helpful if you want access to Alexa's skills when your tablet is across the room.