The Internet Of Things
I always love how everything is named. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a pretty good name for what we are doing to ourselves in the 21st century. It is both exciting and frightening at the same time. Internet of things refers to having the majority of objects surrounding us connected to the Internet and subsequently to other devices and the cyber environment required for controlling this miasma. Objects can be everything from cell phones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of.
The IoT is quite significant because it maps objects digitally and provides means of interaction and control with that object. It is exciting because the object is connected to surrounding objects and myriad of data and functions on the web. At the same time, it is truly frightening, because the object is not just yours any longer. Any 5th grader with a good root kit owns your fridge, the warming pad in the back of your “connected” jacket, the ads on your glasses, washing machine …
So, you may be wondering why are we are diving head first down the rabbit hole? Well, there are a lot of benefits to IoT which can’t be ignored:
Most devices become human aware:
Lights and thermostats will operate autonomously to save on energy cost. They will be turned off automatically when everyone will leave the place.
There will be smart cars that will give drivers a better sense of real-time traffic making the trip more pleasant.
Devices will become space aware:
Machine monitoring sensors in your factory will diagnose and predict pending maintenance issues, short-term part stock-outs and even prioritize maintenance crew schedules for repair equipment. the same sensors in the parking garage will access data on your car and predict when your engine will die because the poor car is crying to have its oil changed. (that one is just made for me)
Searching for your keys doesn’t have to be as difficult as it is every morning because your keys can now become “smart-keys” using a tag, you can easily locate them.
Cross device awareness will make your life easier:
How many times have you met someone at a party and you knew their face but could not place their name? Well your glasses may be able to save you from looking stupid.
You could even meet someone for the first time and know more about their interests and hobbies with IoT. You could find out more about them in one glance than you would have in months of conversations.
& My personal favorite: Alarm clock wakes you up at 6 am but notices you are not moving, resets itself for 6:05 and notifies your coffee maker to start brewing coffee 5 minutes later than usual and twice as strong.
Experts say “By 2020, there will be tens of billions of data-spouting devices connected to the Internet. I think that is a bit of a hyperbole. But between Intel having entered the augmented reality realm, Apple, Google, and the herds of Beacon companies, and Beacon aware apps, I must say that I think we are well on the way of becoming engrossed in the IoT by 2020.
We already know privacy is dead; with IoT, your private information will be out there for display. I just dread how many times my glasses will show me the nearest Ice Cream shop, when some one can ctach a glimpse of it, or god forbid constantly reminding me that I have not exercised since Moses left the desert in public.
This turn of events is inevitable and we better get ready for the ride. By the way, if you still have any illusions about privacy, I refer you to a relatively older book (from the mid 2000s) called “Nowhere to Hide”. Even back then our privacy was dead as a door nail. So, I suggest instead of moaning about it, finding ways to layer your information. Look at this space for all the concepts on information layering in the near future.
See the original article as posted by Leslie at Technology By Dream Warrior.
