Prospector

The Internet of Things

The World Summit on the Information Society which met in Tunis this November has produced a report, "The Internet of Things."

"Today, in the 2000s, we are heading into a new era of ubiquity, where the “users” of the internet will be counted in billions and where humans may become the minority as generators and receivers of traffic.
Instead, most of the traffic will flow between devices and all kinds of “things”, thereby creating a much wider and more complex “Internet of Things”"

"In this way, the “virtual world” would “map” the “real world”, given that everything in our physical environment would have its own identity (a passport of sorts) in virtual cyberspace. This will enable communication and interaction between people and things, and between things, on a staggering scale."

Four key technology areas constitute the backbone of the Internet of Things miniaturization, automation, intelligence and mobility.

What are the challenges to implementing the internet of things?
Well, maybe people do not want their refrigerator ordering their food for them. Maybe people would not like their car to decide how fast they should drive. Maybe people would be uncomfortable with their local shopping center knowing that they had a bad day and would feel better if they treated themselves to something special.

Give up your notions of privacy. There will be none. You personally will not be tracked so much as all of your 'things' and everything that you interact with. So your privacy will be breeched only in so far as you think your 'things' are part of you.

We will adapt easily. Just as today people get uncomfortable if they do not have a cell phone with them, so too they will feel like they are alone in the wilderness if the things around them do not recognize them and greet them by name.

The-Internet-of-Things-2005.pdf (pdf)

posted by Prospector @ 9:12 AM