Televisions, cars, washing machines, smartphones, smoke alarms, the fridge — everything you can think of is getting connected. But what will it mean for your life?
1. It’s about connected computers in everything
As technology buzz phrases go, the Internet of Things is at least plainly descriptive — it’s about putting the internet in things. Fridges, televisions, cars... it’s all getting wirelessly connected to the internet and to the other items.
2. David Cameron is a big fan of the idea
The UK government has invested £73 million (about Dh450 million) in it, which the Prime Minister sees as key to a new industrial revolution centred on technology.
3. It’s not just the British government that is investing in it
Research firm CB Insights recently said investors pumped $1.1 billion (about Dh4 billion) into Internet of Things technology last year in 153 investment deals.
4. Google is also splashing its cash
Nest Labs, a US firm co-founded by Tony Fadell, the father of the iPod, won critical acclaim with its connected thermostat and smoke alarm. In January, Google bought the company for $3.2 billion.
5. Connected cars are big
Your car is one of the biggest things getting connected. Apple recently unveiled CarPlay, which puts your iPhone in charge of your car’s infotainment system. Google has Open Automotive Alliance to do the same thing for Android, while Microsoft has been in cars since the late 1990s.
6. Smart washing machines are still a thing
Internet fridges and smart washing machines are being wheeled out every year, with scant proof that there’s much demand for them. Technology firm Berg’s Cloudwash washing machine sends text alerts before starting its final cycle with buttons to buy conditioner and detergent online.
7. We’re going to talk to devices
Once devices are connected in our homes there’s the question of how we will interact with them. Using smartphones and tablets is one safe bet, but voice control may play a big role.
8. Will they talk to each other?
How all these connected devices will communicate if they’re not made by the same manufacturer is yet to be solved. Research firm Gartner thinks that by 2020 there will be 26 billion connected devices, producing huge amounts of data.
9. Privacy issues to consider
When Google bought Nest, there was some unrest among internet users about who will have access to data from their homes and for what. Fadell stressed publicly, “The data we collect is about our products and improving them.”
10. Will your home end up more hackable?
There are important security issues to consider around the Internet of Things, because every connected device is vulnerable to intruders. Last year, a hackable smart toilet made for comedy headlines, but cars being e-attacked, for instance, is a more serious concern.
— Guardian News and Media Ltd
