The minds of leading entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts are swept by the newest paradigm called the Internet of Things (IoT). And while most of us haven’t heard the actual term and have no clue about what it means, this technology has become inalienable in our everyday life.
The Internet of Things is also called the Internet of Everything and it unites all everyday devices connected to the Internet. This may be your washing machine, smartwatch, personal assistant (like Amazon’s Alexa) and even your fridge or TV. The fact that all these things are connected to the World Wide Web makes them versatile and thus helps them contribute to the world of data we all can use at any time.
There are a lot of interesting things about this novel technology. For example, it’s said to unite more than 5.1 billion things and connect them to the Internet by the year 2020. This means that technology will depend even more on the Internet, thus demanding even higher speed and quality of the connection.
Want to find out more? Here are top 7 facts about the Internet of things.
1) It All Began With an ATM
Today, there no wonder that you can connect your phone to your washing machine and control it from a distance. But in 1974 it was the biggest breakthrough when ATMs were introduced. But how are ATMs and the IoT are actually connected?
It seems that it wasn’t so long ago when we didn’t trust “the hole in the wall” with our credit cards and passwords. It all happened over time, when we started understanding the levels of confidentiality that protect our personal information from being stolen. That’s what connects an ATM and the Internet of things.
Besides using the Internet to transmit information, they also build a trustworthy relationship with the consumers and ensure complete confidentiality and privacy.
2) Start Your Car Engine from Home
The remote vehicle control was a groundbreaking technology that was introduced not so long ago. Services like Sync and UConnect allow all users to safely store information and access data from everywhere.
Moreover, you can start the engine of your car, lock or unlock it through your smartphone. These services are connected to a central server with a steady Internet connection.
3) More About Cars
Self-driving cars are not only those toys with the remote control for children anymore. Waymo, a self-driving vehicle project from Google has become a sensation, when they used self-driving cars to film the streets, which helped them create panoramic street views we gladly use today.
This technology owes to the Internet of Things paradigm. And although it’s still new and quite a few improvements have to be made, many companies implement this technology to impress the consumers and make their services even more enjoyable.
4) The Internet of Small but Important Things
Do you remember Google Glass? When this technology was introduced, we couldn’t believe it, it was like living in a Sci-Fi novel. There are many opinions on whether to buy Google Glass or not, there’s no doubt that this technology was ahead of its time.
Google Glass technology is based on the IoT principles and shares them with popular fitness trackers, smart watches, and earplugs. These things are small, but we use them every day. They are quick and easy to use and they make our lives easier and more enjoyable.
5) Breakthrough in Medicine
The Internet of Things has spread on every aspect of our lives, now including medicine. When we get out prescription pills, we often forget to take them in time, causing ineffective treatment.
Various companies have come up with specific medical software and tools to help patients better connect with doctors and schedule medicine intake. Tools like ScriptSure, AppointMate, and DoctorConnect are widely used to help doctors and patients communicate better to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment.
6) Great Studying Help
It’s become easier to learn and study nowadays, then it was 30 of 40 years ago. And we owe it to the Internet of Things. There are tons of tools students use on their smartphones, tablet,s and computers. Various services helping students with the assignments, like school planners and any professional writing service work hard on improving the performance of the tools they offer.
And the IoT technology is behind all of this: all the services strive to make their tools as versatile as possible and make sure that they will be accessible from any device at any time.
7) Money-Saving Technology
Each person’s dream is to have up-to-date devices at home that will operate in conjunction. The biggest trend, however, is to have a modernized kitchen with the devices connected to your smartphone. But did you know that according to the Innovation Age, food and beverage industry will be able to save up to 15% annually by the year 2020? As devices are getting smarter, we will be able to save money on more things, like electricity, as you will be able to switch your devices to a power-saver mode.
The Bottom Line
We’re already living in the future. With the Internet of Things, we will be able to develop the technology even faster and make it more environmentally friendly and safe to use. As this paradigm is still developing now, it’s only left to wonder, what it will be able to bring in the next 5 or 10 years, as its capacities are truly unbelievable.