'The Internet Of Things'

[xoxoxoBruce]

Forbes has article explaining the basics of The Internet Of Things.

Simply put this is the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other). This includes everything from cell phones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of. This also applies to components of machines, for example a jet engine of an airplane or the drill of an oil rig. As I mentioned, if it has an on and off switch then chances are it can be a part of the IoT. The analyst firm Gartner says that by 2020 there will be over 26 billion connected devices…that’s a lot of connections (some even estimate this number to be much higher, over 100 billion). The IoT is a giant network of connected “things” (which also includes people). The relationship will be between people-people, people-things, and things-things.

I'm sure the reactions to this concept will be wide ranging. The technically hip will be excited about the possibilities. Those of us on the porch yelling, "Get off the lawn", will be very concerned about intrusions in privacy. Probably the middle ground will yawn and take a wait&see if it's good or bad attitude.

Well, I'm warning you right now, by the time you wait&see that Soylent Green is people, it's too damn late! mutter mutter Damn whippersnappers. grumble spit

Now I drive UT crazy with these warnings, but he bites his tongue and congratulates himself on his restraint.

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

...Those of us on the porch yelling, "Get off the lawn"...

I can do that now!

[Undertoad]

We are stuck between desperately needing attention and desperately wanting privacy.

[Undertoad]

I drive UT crazy with these warnings, but he bites his tongue and congratulates himself on his restraint.

I drive xoB, and everyone, crazy with my walls of text. :P

They told me over and over that my insurance companies would get their hands on my health information. Oh, my god, it was the late 80s and early 90s and everyone just knew this was a foregone conclusion and DID I WANT MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO KNOW I HAD BACK PAIN* BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY WOULD SURELY DENY ME INSURANCE.

Then one day the gummint up and passed a law saying that all our health information was super-private and that fact that I had back pain could never be shared with anyone without my express signed permission.

Then the next day the gummint up and passed a law saying that the insurance company couldn't deny me insurance even if they knew I had back pain.

Crisis averted. Or moved, or something.




* I do not actually have back pain

[xoxoxoBruce]

But the only reason the gummint passed those laws is because everyone was wailing the insurance companies would get their hands on their health information.
The wailers are like Paul Reveres... well not him but one of the riders who actually did some good, alerting the populous of the possibility of doom in time for them to prevent it.
If we all sit quietly by thinking someone will take care of it, most won't even be aware of a possible problem, and nobody will take care of it.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

We are stuck between desperately needing attention and desperately wanting privacy.

To paraphrase Warhol, if he did actually say it, "In the future, everyone will have privacy for 15 minutes."

[glatt]

Just saw this.

GE is introducing these LED lights to retailers this week. Your store will soon be able to talk to your phone and give it different messages based on which light bulb you are standing under.

[xoxoxoBruce]

At least you have the option of keeping your phone in your pocket... for now.

[Happy Monkey]

...unique light pattern and Bluetooth signal...

[lumberjim]

If they can set it up so you can search for items in the grocery store, and get directed to where they hide it, I'm all for it.

Where the Fuck are the qtips, goddammit?

[xoxoxoBruce]

I doubt they would do that as they want you seeing other things you might impulse buy while you search. They might if they could make you watch a commercial before they tell you though.