Internet of things (IoT)
What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
The Internet of Things is multiple devices all linked together through the internet. Previously we were limited to what could connect to the internet like a desktop or smartphone but the Internet of Things expands this into everyday things. Including home appliances and even cars. The best example is a smart home being able to access multiple parts of your home on one device to check the temperature, your fire alarms, and much more.
Not only is using the Internet of Things very easy but there are also tons of videos on how to set it up and where to get started. Below is a short quick setup guide if you are interested in how things are set up or operate.
Examples of Internet of Things
The first one is the ring doorbell. Not only will it alert you when there is someone at your door but you can use the camera to access it from anywhere. This increases the security of your home and is accessible from anywhere.
Nest has quite a few products but I am going to be focusing on the thermostat as it is not only useful to be able to control from anywhere but also is a money saver. If you ever need to adjust/forget to change the temperature you can easily do so.
Samsung also has many products but I am focusing on the smartwatch being able to track your health, sleep, and connect to your phone for calls texts, and other alerts you set up.
With all of this being said what benefits and downsides come with it?
There are definitely a lot of benefits including accessibility, time management, simplicity, and so much more. Being able to access everything in your home from one device not only makes it so you don't have to go from place to place in your house but also makes it easier to manage. Not to mention you can do it away from your home as well. Some examples of how useful this is would be if you go to work and forget to turn off your air conditioner or the heat in your house instead of driving all the way home to check you can easily access your phone and check/turn it off to save your time and money.
As you can see there is so much that can be done with it why wouldn't anyone want this?
Well, there are also a few downsides that come with it. I believe there are 2 really big parts including privacy and security. When it comes to privacy everything being connected to the internet would not help you. Companies being able to use information from your devices along with each action being logged. Then the security part comes with how you set up your devices. Since they are all linked on the same internet that opens up doors to be hacked into or even losing all access to your devices with the loss of the main controller. Now minor disadvantages to using this would be if the internet connection went down so you could not access the connection. Then also the initial setup would be difficult if you are not sure what you are doing but a quick google search should have tons of tips and tutorials.
Future Possibilities?
As we go onward there is so much more that the Internet of Things can expand into. There are endless possibilities with automation and simplicity. Just think in a few years we can have automatic yard cleanup (lawnmowers and leaf pickup), Painting, Garbage Disposal, Shopping, and so much more possibilities. The internet of things can open so many possibilities. While what can come is good it can also cause harm with job loss. Because things can be automated you won't have to pay for manual labor which may be good for bigger corporations but not for the average worker. It's hard to say if everything really wants the Internet of Things to expand as much as it can because of its downsides but it can be so much. It is really endless what is to come the only worry is will it be too much? There are a book and a short film with it called the veldt. It is about a family with a house that has everything automated including the care for 2 children called the nursery. They spend so much time in it that it is all they care about and end up making some very bad decisions. It will be linked below.
Some questions to think about
When talking about the Internet of Things there are a few questions that come to mind and get me thinking so I figured I would share them so you can also think about them.
When is there too much tech knowledge in your life?
Will we forget how to do simple tasks or will they be forgotten in the future after they are automated?
Will everyone want life to be easier or do people want things to do? While people complain about having to do chores and other tasks will taking away these tasks leave some people with nothing to do?
Here are a few more blogs you can read on the Internet of Things:
