Sunday, January 12, 2014

Welcome to 'the Internet of Things'

It may be the cutting edge of consumer technology, but the so-called Internet of Things begins at home. Last week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, manufacturers demonstrated a range of previously mundane but now smart, web-connected products destined to become part of daily domestic existence, from kitchen appliances to baby monitors to sports equipment.

During his CES keynote address, John Chambers, the CEO of Cisco, estimated that the sector would have a cumulative economic impact of $19trn (£11.5trn) by the end of the decade. A recent report by his firm predicted that there will be 25 million devices connected to the internet by next year, and 50 billion by 2020. "It will be bigger than anything that's ever been done in hi-tech," Mr Chambers said.

Accordingly, tech firms large and small are fighting to find their place in the Internet of Things, which Mr Chambers prefers to call the "internet of everything". Their mutual aim is to turn previously inanimate objects into wirelessly connected devices, capable of recording and revolutionising the everyday lives of their owners.

Smart cars will become so smart they can drive themselves, avoiding congestion or collisions – even finding the closest parking space to your destination. Smart refrigerators will let you know when the milk is on the turn, or when you need to buy more ketchup. Full story...

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