INTERNET – A tool so powerful that our lives revolve around it round the clock. If that sounds like an exaggeration, and dramatic, take a moment and look around for the devices in your surroundings that use the Internet.
I, like most millennials, use the Internet almost every second (yes, while sleeping too) of the day. But, I realized and appreciated its importance only recently while penning down this blog post.
Are you one of the many who goes like “how can they have my info”? Well let me put it this way
Alexa wakes me up with her alarm and sweet (ish) voice- she knows when you wake up. Before I jump out of bed to start my morning ritual, I put my smart coffee machine to work, so that I can enjoy my steaming hot cup of coffee right after taking a shower. (Shhhh, they also know how well you brush your teeth- Thanks to the smart toothbrush). Then Google Home reads out the news while I dress up (multitasking like a pro) then my smart speaker know what podcast I love then I set the smart thermostat before stepping out.
Think about it the smart oven/ fridge knows the type of food you eat, they know what your children think- Hello! Smart Toys
Smart doorbell? Smartwatch? Smart cars?Smart cities coming up too- The list goes on and on..
How Big is the Internet of Things?
Big and getting bigger!! There are probably more connected “things” (ya non-living things as learned in kindergarten) than people! I don’t want to talk numbers-cause I hate numbers but I know for a fact “8.4 billion is a huge number and that was the number of devices used in 2017 and this is predicted to reach a whopping 125 billion by 2030.” (Gartner/ZdNet)
Now literally there is everything that internet has taken over .. what else could there be
Apparently, a lot!
But let’s take a look at the trends to look forward to
(This one shouldn’t come as a surprise at all!)
Regulation & Tighter Security
We are well versed with how security & privacy have taken a big turn and have literally become the talk and concern of the town. Internet comes with its dear friends, security and privacy. It is, therefore, one of the biggest issues with IoT. With all those sensors and “smart home,” it is not rocket science to analyze how privacy is getting compromised. they know everything, it’s creepy, they might know you better than your better half. Not that all the companies are collecting your private data to sell, but well there is a BUT.. the potential for misuse is growing. The GDPR will come into the picture and shape up the IoT regulation as well. Watch out for it! (Technative)
Smart(er) Consumer Devices
Okay, digital assistants are a thing and are sure here to stay. It won’t be too far that any other devices that you can look around at your home that will shy away from word “Smart”. Basically making anything that is useful, even more useful!(??)
Smart vacuum cleaners maybe? Smart kitchen? Well, Smart desk and smart walls are expected to become far more common in 2019.
Smart home appliances like Hive lightbulbs and “hearable” which is capable of real-time translation are going to be the next big thing.
Smart fashion is taking off and smart glasses might see the surface of the internet yet again! (Compelo)
Not to forget, smart toys, and smart security like the SkyBell’s smart video doorbell lets homeowner see who is at the door whether they are in the house or not.
Future Home 2.0
Home robots! I am not kidding. Home robots are expected to have a share of $11bn of the entire American robotics market by 2020. Home robots that can complete household tasks like hoovering and doing the laundry and become another family member in case you are bored 🙃 (Technative)
“The combination of the digital and the analogue, employing new interfaces – such as speech assistants, gestures and thought control – seems unstoppable.”- SONAR Trend Platform (Compelo)
“Telemedicine will be big and so will additional technology to support operations such as record keeping, sharing reports across multiple locations, and dispensing medications.” – Jessica Gonzalez, InCharged
“If you think that the internet has changed your life, think again. The Internet of Things is about to change it all over again!” — Brendan O’Brien (Forbes)
I don’t know if all of this is creepy or useful or if the lesson of “too much of anything is harmful” applies to this as well. At this moment, a new device is super exciting and makes you wait in lines to buy it but the way it’s going down uhmm I guess we shall sit tight and see what’s other “smart” is in store for us!
Until next time.. from yet another smart device 😉
Digital DNA 