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When I look at the world today and look back 5 years ago so much has changed. We now have smart homes, smart speakers, smart cars, and much more.
It made me think, what else would be smart or connected to the internet? Will this be our reality in the future to come? It seems like the internet that was once used to connect people are now connecting the computer to things, the Internet of Things.
Sounds like something you hear from a sci-fi movie, right?
Here is an example, think about your smartphone, it can hear (Mic) when you talk, it has sensors (motion sensors) when you move, it has an eye (camera lens) to see, and a mouth to speak (speaker).
It communicates with a network and learning from the data you share with it.
Our mobile device can also communicate with other things, like a light in our home, or even turn on our tv by telling it what to do.
The Rise of Internet of Things
Since the invention of the internet, we have seen the disruption of technology. In the last two decades, companies like Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft have brought a technology revolution we haven’t seen since all of humanity, including the invention of the wheel.
The internet has only been around for a short-life span but with that being said it has already transformed society to a level of comparison to some of the most historic engineering breakthroughs.
The internet trails back to 1989 whenTimothy John Berners-Lee created a system for hyperlinked information on the world wide web. Timothy made the first web browser while in Switzerland in 1990.
While his invention has transferred the world as we know it today, it was based on a technology network starting before the 1960s.
The Four Stages of Technology Development
When it comes to technology there are usually four stages of development.
The first stage of the internet is the growth of personal computers.
The second stage, the internet on mobile devices and now we are seeing.
The third stage, dumb devices becoming connected. Some say arguably.
The four stages will be the Internet of everything. This will happen through a wearable device and surgically implanted sensors.
This stage reminds me of a documentary film that I watched years ago about people with implanted sensors to buy groceries, use for ID, or be tracked by the government but that’s a whole other topic.
The World will Never Be the Same
Internet of things will change how people live their lives and the world will never be the same. By now you must be still asking yourself, what is the Internet of things?
The concept is about everything connected, home (Door locks, refrigerators, microwave ovens, bathroom scales, heating) parking meters, power plants, and much more.
Recently, CES 2018, known for gathering the latest breakthrough technology for over 50years, displayed hundreds of new devices connected to the internet or (IoT). From washer’s dryers, smart bathrooms.
A short while ago, Jeep debuts the Amazon Alexa’s skill on the new 2018 Cherokee Latitude. Now, you can command Alexa to start your car. Absolutely Cool!
Internet of Things will also support wildlife. They’re now connecting animals with internet-connected GPS trackers, enabling thousands or even millions of people to monitor them from their smartphones to help support the prevention of illegal hunting.
This all sounds like science fiction but it isn’t. The technology is there just hasn’t received world widespread use yet, most of it is due to standardization, availability, and price. Companies like Cisco and many others stop calling it the Internet of Things but now call it the Internet of Everything.
Some experts say there will be over 50 billion IoT devices in 2020, but some go even further to predict well over one trillion Internet of Things devices by 2025.
Privacy Concerns
But when it comes to privacy some people don’t even know the capacity these devices are capable of invading.
All the data you generate from your smartphone, tablets, computer, and other devices are being used for purposes you may not be aware of. As more numbers of devices connected to the internet the more data will be collected.
Machine Learning is a computer system that uses technology to learn by themselves from the data they analyze, just like your smart speaker.
This access to your data allows the computer the ability to complete a preassigned task. This concept is what you would call artificial intelligence or AI.
Do you ever wonder why companies like Facebook will pay for another platform like Instagram? Not because it’s a cool application but for its millions or even billions I should say of data is collected from you and me.
The value of collecting data from Facebook, Google, and Amazon is the perfect example. They are the gurus of fashioning business out of analyzing big amounts of data. Billions of internet searches and social media interactions sell targeted ads based on information about you. Most of this is done automatically without your intervention or acknowledgment.
Amazon has been doing this for years, understanding and gaining knowledge of their customer’s behavior and buying patterns. This is all based on the previous behavior of yourself and others who share common viewing habits.
The Future
As you can see our homes are changing by the months and likely be very different than it is now within a couple of years.
Many of these devices are already integrated into doors, locks, thermostats, fire, security alarms, heating, and air conditioning systems as well as our TV system.
With a smartphone or smartwatch, you can talk to your virtual assistant and change the lighting setup of your home.
Even the healthcare industry will be disrupted. It’s not hard to imagine robotic surgeons who operate on their own using similar machine learning from being trained through millions of data such as video frames from previous surgeries.
These robot surgeons could be used in, small villages or understaffed hospitals. This is the potential of the internet of things.
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Conclusion
IoT will be as disruptive as the internet is too many offline businesses. Everything around you will become smart and provide unimaginable services.
Our safety, health, comfort, and environment will all benefit dramatically. With all that being said, there is also a negative side to IoT. Our privacy as we know it is getting slim to none. It will almost be impossible to be anonymous and leave no digital footprint.
Even with the explosion of bitcoin and the blockchain, it shows every digital currency can be traced from one person to the next.
Yes. The new technology provides many benefits, if utilized in the right way, we will greatly improve our quality of life, as well our environment but used in the wrong way can create a lot of harm.
With so much new possibilities, we also must be wise how we share our information as companies are gathering our data about our lives.
I can promise you this the world will never be the same.
I hope this blog, The Internet of Things (IoT): Making the Shift to a Digital Evolution is informative as I am here to educate and provide perspective on what’s going on in the tech world that relates to my everyday life in home automation.
What do you think about the Internet of Things (IoT): Making the Shift to a Digital Evolution?
Please leave a comment below.
Please leave me your feedback or comment as I appreciate my audience, thank you again for reading this post.
It's great to see that you have come across my website. I hope you explore it thoroughly. The website caters to regular consumers who have an interest in home automation. I am based in the Tri-state area and enjoy the latest smart tech along with my wonderful wife and three energetic boys.
It's great to see that you have come across my website. I hope you explore it thoroughly. The website caters to regular consumers who have an interest in home automation. I am based in the Tri-state area and enjoy the latest smart tech along with my wonderful wife and three energetic boys.
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