All About The Internet of Things (IoT)
What The Internet of Things (IoT) Is
The internet of things is a connected network of things (including us) which allows them to receive and send data, communicate, and sense or interact with the outer world or between each other. IoT is just a world where everything is connected and work intelligently through which physical things can send or receive data or information.
Successes & History of IoT
Though Kevin Ashton named the Internet Of Things (IoT) in 1999, the IoT didn't really take off until in 2009.In 2008, the first internet of things was conducted in Zurich. In 2010, Google announced its project on self-driving cars. In 2011, the company then known as Nest Labs (now part of Google) introduced sensor-driven and WiFi-enabled smart and programmable thermostats and smoke detectors. By 2012 LG's smart fridge which included information about inventory, access to the internet, and a digital screen actually kicked off. In 2013, the Google Glass, controlled through voice and a touch pad built in is released to developers.
IoT These Days
IoT today is a lot more than what it was a decade ago, it is more than just a smart refrigerator, these days like smart running shoes by Under Armour that track time, distance, and split times. Under Armour has also integrated MapMyRun that provides GPS data for your walks or runs and the battery will outlast the life of the shoes. Amazon Dash Button provides a great experience for buying things like if you want Gatorade just press a button on the dash button and it will order Gatorade for you! LG's new fridge allows you to see inside without actually opening the fridge (see GIF image below).
The Future of IoT
IoT in the future will be a lot advanced than it is today, like Google, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and more organizations are researching on self-driving cars. The number of connected devices to exceed 50 billion by the year 2020 (See figure 1) with all kinds of new stuff like smart locks, smart plugs, smart traffic lights, and more! Also some statistics say that there will be 4 billion people connected, a $4trillion revenue opportunity, more than 25 million apps, 50 trillion GB's of data, more than 25 billion embedded and intelligent systems, etc (See figure 2). In a survey done by Computerworld, a lot respondents answered that IoT is a new area for companies to spend in and most companies are planning to launch an IoT project within the next 12 months and most of them are beta-testing an IoT project
From the technology perspective, IoT is already a reality, but are consumers ready to adopt it?
Sources
Columbus, Louis. "Roundup Of Internet of Things Forecasts And Market Estimates, 2015 - Enterprise Irregulars." Enterprise Irregulars. N.p., 04 Jan. 2016. Web. 15 July 2016.
Contributors, Computerworld Staff and. "Forecast 2016: Essential Data Points for the Tech Year Ahead." Computerworld. N.p., 21 Dec. 2015. Web. 15 July 2016.
N.d. Web. 15 July 2016. <http://dsim.in/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/internet-of-things-adoption-prediction.jpg>.
Frew, James. "The Internet of Things: 10 Useful Products You Must Try in 2016." MakeUseOf. N.p., 14 Mar. 2016. Web. 15 July 2016. <http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/internet-things-10-useful-products-must-try-2016/>.