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IF YOU HEARD about the Internet of Things before, it’s understandable if you glossed over it as the term has been around for a while.
It’s a sector that’s been bubbling underneath for a few years now, but this years has seen a huge push from some of the major players in the technology space. Google, Apple, Microsoft and Samsung are just some of the companies that are muscling their way into the area.
It’s going to impact everyone’s lives sooner or later as more items and industries adapt it and chances are you might own something that has these capabilities.
Ok, so what exactly *is* the internet of things (IoT)?
IoT is where machines and devices can talk to each other to carry out actions without human input. By using WiFi or 3G/4G, sensors and software, they can exchange information with each other improving their usefulness and efficiency.
In layman’s terms, it’s making traditional objects like your thermostat, fridge, oven, and TV smarter by giving them extra functionality, so you can interact with them remotely and they can learn from this so it better suits your needs.
Currently, a number of devices you use in your day-to-day life are designed with smart capabilities in mind. Your smartphone, your PC/Mac, your console, maybe your TV. That number is going to grow and will include items you would never have associated with the web. But these are siloed and at best link to one item (eg: smartphone and smartwatch or fitness tracker).
IoT will give those items, the mundane, everyday ones you use, extra intelligence so they serve you better. It’s not a case of just slapping WiFi connected capabilities to it for the sake of it (although some might feel that way), the end goal is to make them more useful by learning your preferences.
Ok, so why should I be thinking about it now?
If for no other reason, devices you’re going to buy over the next few years will come with this functionality. For now, you have to specifically look for specific devices if you want smart capabilities and for now, the majority of them are controlled through your smartphone.
In the future, items like your smartphone, your TV, thermostat, fridge, washing machine, oven and car could be communicating with each other, and sharing information to make each other more efficient. Your car could tell your thermostat you’re on the way home so it would warm the house up for your arrival for example.
Ok, how about some example of items already available?
Well, to start off with the home itself, you have Nest, a smart thermostat which learns through your own input to get the right temperature for you and help save your heating bill. Then there are others like Philips has a smart lightbulb which adjusts lighting and/or hue from your phone or tablet as well as set preferred settings.
A smart lightbulb? How riveting!
Glad you feel that way. But the real potential is what happens beyond the home. For example, one of the major areas looked at right now are vehicles. The majority of cars are left stationary and have enough energy to run different functions while they’re in this state.
Some of the potential uses include using them as WiFi hotspots, or an emergency response service where sensors will activate when it senses an accident or gas leak and alerts the relevant authorities. Other cars could communicate with each other and share this info, giving authorities a better idea of the situation.
In an industrial context, prototyping, manufacturing and development can end up being more efficient since different manufacturing devices, which don’t even have to be in the same area, can communicate with each other.
And even areas you wouldn’t consider like health (think fitness trackers), town policy and planning, and farming. For the latter, keeping track of livestock and crops, analysing conditions like crops, soil, temperature, humidity and other factors to determine the best time to plant and harvest crops as well as improving productivity and reducing waste could help increase output and make the process more efficient.
The real question isn’t what areas it will impact, it’s what areas won’t be affected by this development.
So what are the issues facing IoT?
One problem is most of these devices don’t communicate with each other, only your phone.
For that, there needs to be a common language which allows these devices to communicate with each other. That’s where companies like Google, Apple, Samsung and Microsoft are trying to enter the market.
It’s no good having such functionality if they’re unable to talk, and by acting as the middleman, these companies hope to become the lynchpin for these devices to chat to each other.
Great, but I mean real issues like security? More devices must mean more chances for compromise, right?
It’s a massive problem and to be honest, the likelihood of a major breach happening is high since (a) there’s no such thing as airtight security, especially online, and (b) we won’t truly know what flaws surround IoT devices until they’re exposed. When a major incident occurs, it will cause everyone to reassess their security measures, but until then, we won’t learn much.
Back in March, we spoke to Bitdefender’s senior threat analyst Bogdan Botezatu about this and since we’re still in the very early stages, it means there are a few incidents just waiting to happen.
We’re at version one [with smart devices] and version one is always prone to failure. We’re going to see a lot of incidents in this space from the early adopters [and there's] going to be an incident so massive, it’s going to make everybody do better with their security.
Until then, I don’t think that vendors are going to give too much thought on the security side… I’m looking forward to that mistake to happen sooner rather than later as it’s going to be less data exposed.
This becomes more striking when you consider the words of Misha Glenny, a British journalist who specialises in cybersecurity, back in 2011 which are more relevant now than they were before.
A friend of mine from the security industry told me the other day that there are two types of companies in the world: those that know they’ve been hacked, and those that don’t.
As more connections are added to our devices, this problem is only going to grow.
(sigh) Anything else we need to know?
The other issue that ties into this is privacy. Most people will feel a little creeped out by the idea of numerous devices gathering different information and sharing them with each other (and possibly the companies responsible for said devices). While the initial purpose is to make all items more efficient, they also come with their own concerns, some more legitimate than others.
For example, the controversy surrounding Facebook Messenger on phones and Samsung’s Smart TVs proves that there is a lot of distrust among these services. As these items require data to properly function, it’s more important than ever that consumers know exactly what’s required and how that data is used.
So what you’re really saying is keep as many dumb items as you possibly can?
Maybe not that extreme, but it’s important to note that such a future isn’t as immediate as one might think.
There are smart items but there’s no real ecosystem built around them yet, but over time, more will arrive on the market so it’s worth keeping in mind. It will gradually happen over time so so it’s better to be aware of it at least.
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The Internet of Things (IoT) will automate every device in your home and also find John Connor.
I’m looking for Sarah Connor
More invasion of privacy. Roll on 1984.
Yep, check out Google’s latest ‘Telescreen’ invention – http://www.cnet.com/uk/news/google-zooms-in-on-smart-home-vision-with-nest-cam/
IoT is an area that seems to being accepted (even by the big propitiatory names) as an open platform.
To put it down to your fridge telling you your out of milk is a bit like reducing 3d printing to cookie-cutters and keyrings. The potential is a LOT more. MS have even recognised Raspberry Pi in a pretty major way. On the RPi2 you’ll be able to run windows for devices (a few caveats in this)
RPi and arduino (beagleboard, cubietruck, etc) are excellent ways to get real world signals out there. BUT what MS and others are far more interested in is the power of being able to use open source platforms to effectively do the real time data retrieval. After that, MS and the rest can process this data (you design how) to give you stats that you simply wouldn’t be able to manage without cloud processing.
That’s why the email saying you need more milk is the “relate it to people” thing – just like the cookie-cutters and keyrings for 3d printing.
The killer app for IoT is in areas like manufacturing integration and fine tuning and other areas. Like environmental monitoring. Most of this is the whole big data element rather than IoT – IoT is massively facilitated by cloud processing…
the next great money pit…. cause you really need a washing machine and toaster to be connected.
What a load of old pony?
Sure otherwise we’d have to think. First Contactless Payment, then thoughtless people.
So instead of hitting a switch I just have to upgrade the software on my phone continuously and upgrade the software on all the smart technology in the house and hope the kids don’t drown my phone with a spilled drink and then spend a bit of time troubleshooting when the new phones are smarter than the not so smart house technology and they don’t want to talk to each other. So the I have to spend another couple of hours typing to a frustratingly saccherin sweet tech in India who proves to be no help what so ever to sort out the non communication problems. Only to find out I’m being held ransom by my stroppy teenager who has cracked into my smart hub and taken over control and will not let anyone have heat or hot water until their demands are met. Mahhhh. I think I’ll just stick with tried and trusted switch it on, switch it off. Thanks
Plus there is no fun in using the ‘I’m taking the router to town with me’ threat to get the bedrooms tidied if the darn freezer is going to defrost because it’s lost it’s connection with grand control.
And let google spy on you
Sounds amazing but what happens whenever the internet stops working one day, through either natural disaster or terrorist actions?
We’re all fecked that’s what! Except for my aunt Mary who still listens to the wireless, has an outside toilet, gets her water from a spring, and milks her single cow.
Rise of the machines.
Looks like lots of solutions in search of “problems”. And your money.
the techno utopians pushing hard on even more trivial ways for wealthy people to part with their money.
just because you can do something with technology doesn’t mean you should.
Waiting for day a machine can anticipate wiping my bottom
If you think I’ll let my fridge grass up me up…..F*cking think again!
Oophs….too many up’s
Do I want my car to be able to detect a gas leak? Not really. The one job for my car is to get me from A to B – and preferably back again. Don’t need it to stop and phone 999 without telling me :-(
It would hardly stop and dial 999 it would probably inform you of the leak and warn you to leave the area or even take control of the car.
Who knows but I don’t see it as been bad. Picture the bit of Irobot with all the cars on the roads. Close together all travelling as one
You can’t just connect the immersion to the Internet!! Think of the dangers involved!
Indeed…what if Electric Ireland hack your timer!
Nest thermostat is complete rubbish. I really wouldn’t recommend.
it might be tailored for the US market (houses with aircon) but it does what it is supposed to do.. the recent hot weather meant that the hearing didn’t need to come on at all, and it was able to check the weather forecast to turn off the “pre heating”. unlike what the article says, it doesn’t need a mobile phone either (just WiFi). it’s not perfect, but it’s not rubbish and there is no fee.
Ah now I disagree!
I travel for a living! My house is unoccupied for between 2 to 9 days on the trot! I can’t use the “intellegent” learning thing that Neat has as it could never adapt to my changing living pattern however there is nothing more amazing than switching on the heating in the winter (or the hot water for a shower) from Heathrow airport just before I board a flight home to Dublin for my days off! I can also set the schedule for my days off so it works just right!
It’s saving me a fortune!!!
I disagree. The nest is easy to use and definitely money saving. I would be interested to know why you are not happy with it?
Personally I have found it very useful and cost effective with lower heating bills. Previously using a timer and a normal room thermostat didn’t take account of fluctuating external temperatures or changes in schedule.
Being away during winter it’s very useful to keep a check on the house temperature and adjust accordingly via your mobile.
I have had a lot of problems with mine. I have found that the learning feature doesn’t cope well with an irregular routine. I switched it all off after a few frustrating months. The app says my thermostat is “offline” 60% of the time. It had an absolute meltdown when the hour went forward in spring. Maybe rubbish was a little harsh, but it definitely needs a lot more tweaking.
It’s amazing as a product. Look up “Works with Nest” too. Sensational.
Lots of privacy issues to be considered. We recently bought a Samsung smart TV and I read all of the T&C’s for each service it could provide. I declined nearly all of them because it clearly states that they ‘may’ pass on voice data and other details to 3rd parties.
I never bought the TV for its ‘smart’ features but they came as standard with it. It’s not even been linked to the home wifi as I have Apple TV and the likes so do t need another thing connected.
Let me get this straight; you bought a smart tv, yet don’t require any of its smart capabilities, because apple TV kinda does most of what you need already, and you didn’t like the t&c from Samsung. Bit of a waste of money, eh?
Fascinating, though it’ll be pitched to play on peoples’ fears about being ‘left behind’, out of the race.
so the Internet of things is just a stupid way of saying “Smart Home”? like it’d be handy my coffee-machine will start brewing coffee or the heating will turn on while I’m on my way home from work but I’m not that fat and lazy just yet and won’t mind pushing a button to turn those things on…
I think they tried smart home before it didnt sell so now it’s, wait for it
IoT
Cool I want it
the main drive for the internet of things is to automate as much as possible to make it be used more efficiently, and from that reduce the global CO2 production. efficient heating like nest, allowing solar cells to connect to the electric grid and return power when needed, changing the freezer temperature when it is empty are all ways that this can be done. there is a greater good that infrastructure providers are working towards (and the EU is spending billions on research for), although facebook and google are only in it for the advertising money.
But wouldn’t the technology and service needed to provide these possibilities consume energy that could possibly offset the savings of CO2, like isn’t it cheaper to manually turn a dial on a heater yourself then to have a computer wirelessly connected to the internet and always on monitoring the device to decide it’s time to turn the dial.
so many people afraid of the evolution of technology….. people didn’t like email when it first came out, the internet was only for geeks, smart phones weren’t supposed to catch on . Doors have been broken into, emails/Facebook accounts have been hacked, credit cards have been skimmed, contact less payment has been hacked. Make no mistake this is all happening and we are getting more connected day by day. How you embrace or adjust to it is up to you.
All our stuff today depends on electricity what if super solar flare ups knocked out all phe power producing stations on earth? No internet, phones, back to wind up phones and carrier pidgin.. and cold porridge
So Apple and Google need to create a common protocol!? We’ll have to buy iOS or Android compatible milk me thinks. Fun all the way.
In fairness, we are not going to have much choice in the Internet of Things will exist, it has already started. Almost all mobile phones now are smart and connected to the Internet, send all kinds of data of to various corporations. We didn’t ask for it but we do like it.. Smart tv are already out there and people are buying them because they think they need them. These tvs are connected to the Internet also. You have to realise that these two products can beam advertising directly at you, and that’s what these companies want, to make money off you. They don’t have your needs at heart, just what you can pay them.
There will be no internet of things, the chip and router manufactures can wet dream and talk about it till the cows come home but it’s not going to happen.
You’re probably right, technology companies are always going to say their device is better and more improved and they can only do that by ignoring future proof ideas, look at usb, we had USB then USB 2 then USB 3 and now USB C which droped then standard and changed completely
As most people won’t either upgrade their firmware or change the default password the crackers are gonna be having a lot of fun hacking ye coffee machine!
IoT? Meh.
So if the IoT needs WiFi or 3G/4G, that rules out a lot of rural Ireland. And if you live where I do – very remotely;, its never going to happen. Looking forwards to not having a fridge or other basic white goods because they will no longer be manufactured.
One would be frightened to fart in case it set off a chain reaction!
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