The internet of things (IoT) has huge potential. According to one forecast, there will be a trillion connected computers in the world by 2035, built into everything from cars to toasters. Collectively, such IoT devices, which record, monitor and communicate data, herald what some call the "second phase of the internet". Companies at the forefront of IoT are set to be the winners of the future. But we have yet to see what industries and uses will benefit the most.

He invested $42 million in the project. LOS ANGELES -- Beyond delivery drones, space travel and other outside projects, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is also fascinated with time. Bezos announced in a tweet Tuesday that construction had begun on a 500-foot tall "10,000 Year Clock," showing a time-lapse, high-speed video of workers putting it together. The clock itself is described by Bezos as one "designed to be a symbol, an icon for long-term thinking. He is working with the Long Now Foundation to help build the clock that will keep time for the next 10,000 years, says Bezos. "As I see it, humans are now technologically advanced enough that we can create not only extraordinary wonders but also civilization-scale problems," he wrote on a 10,000 Clock website. "We're likely to need more long-term thinking."

In an age of self-driving cars, virtual reality worlds and artificial intelligence, some would say the future is already here. Technology moves at such breakneck speeds that companies in Silicon Valley often have product roadmaps that stretch five to ten years ahead. In the search for the next big thing, we often lose sight of the even bigger picture: of how the actions of today can affect our great-great grandchildren of tomorrow. The Long Now, however, is a foundation that aims to correct that. Created in 1996, the Long Now is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization dedicated to long-term thinking.