I'm writing a piece for the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) website looking at how the digital world is changing the economics of the automotive industry. 

I want to hear expert and industry perspectives on the impact of a web-enabled economy and need to learn how design, production and marketing are changing. I'm particularly interested in knowing how digital technology has lowered barriers to entry as new nations join the global car-manufacturing club.

Please note that this article is focused on the macro-economic story. I want to learn about movements in the wider car industry. I am not writing about in-car navigation or digital driving gadgets.

I hope to conclude interviews by close of play on Friday 29 August. So the sooner commentators with genuine insight into the motor industry get in touch the better. 

IT and Financial Services is the theme for the Financial Times Connected Business Report in September and I will be writing a piece on Mobile Banking*.

The whole mobile communications area is guaranteed to generate a snowstorm of comment from myriad industry sources. I'm not interested in hearing this. I only want to talk to people who can give a realistic perspective on how customers are using their mobiles for banking today.

Just because someone is checking their balance does not mean that they are a full mobile banking customer. Are a significant number of people really carrying out the entire range of banking functions on their mobile devices as opposed to using more established online channels?

I'm curious as to how far mobile banking adoption goes in different nations and how much of it is tied to demographics. It is human perception, not geek-driven apps, that will dictate how this particular trend travels. This will vary with geography and age. If you can shed some light here then get in touch.

I hope to conclude interviews by early September. I've got a lot of other work on and will close this story down as soon as I have sufficient information so do please chase up any relevant  contacts now.

*Article 8. Mobile Banking. The rise of mobile banking has been a common prediction over recent years. However the reality appears to show many consumers using their mobile devices to view account information while still relying on the PC screen for transactions. Will the majority of consumers ever feel secure moving money around on mobile devices?

I'm writing a short piece for the Economist Intelligence Unit on how companies can design goods for the much-hyped Internet of Things.

I want to know how people are going about fitting connectivity into their white goods and other devices. And I'm really interested in knowing how anyone can figure out what consumers actually want out of this concept. Is there a real appetite for mass connectivity in everyday objects?

Please note this is a very specific commission. I don't want to hear from everyone with an opinion on the Internet of Things, only people who can give factual observations on how the design component is emerging.  My deadlines are very tight, so I'm interviewing this week, up to Friday 15 August.