Internet of Things, What Does It Mean to You? IoT is just like putting your entire life on autopilot.

Internet of Things (IoT) has been a hot topic for some time now.

For those of you who are not familiar with the term, IoT is nothing but making objects smarter – these objects could be anything from buildings, cars, and even bridges. They are usually embedded with sensors, special devices, or software that collects and exchanges data.

Engineers are trying to create a more direct integration of physical devices with computer-based networks and systems.

What does this mean to you?

Every device will become smarter

Not just your phones but every device you use on a day-to-day basis from your dishwasher to your refrigerator will become smarter and be connected to the internet. They'll automatically order items for you when you run out of stock. It's like putting your entire life on autopilot.

Your smart car will identify roads that have the least traffic; they'll switch off automatically to save fuel, and will even predict pollution levels. Imagine, if your car had information about your schedule and would automatically drive you to your destination.

IoT could predict when buildings need maintenance work, the amount of materials, and they automatically notify the right people. Taking it even further, major natural calamities like earth quakes, cyclones, and floods can be predicted.

Services will be more personalized

Businesses will have more information about their consumers, so products and services will be more customized to meet each individual's needs.

We all remember when personalized emails could be sent in bulk, IoT takes it much further than that. It should be able to predict people's needs way ahead of time.

More collaboration among developers and engineers

When Facebook opened up its platform for developers to create apps, it was a game changing moment. They were able to get ahead of large companies like Google and Microsoft because millions of independent developers started developing apps on Facebook.

Popular gaming apps like Farmville and Candy Crush are created by independent developers. Instead of building their own platforms, these independent developers are leveraging Facebook's user base to benefit both themselves and Facebook at the same time.

MAPS.ME, a mapping application, allows developers to edit their OpenStreetMap (OSM) directly from their application. OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a digital database of maps of the entire world. These maps are created through volunteer geographic information (VGI), which is data provided voluntarily by users. Users can provide their own information regarding every minute location. Besides, the application is open source, making it available for developers to freely embed maps in their own apps.

As Internet of Things (IoT) begins to evolve, we're going to see more user generated content, and more collaboration between developers and users. Users are going to become content creators.

Cyber security is going to become more robust

The biggest concern for people is cyber security. There's always human error to encounter. Algorithms will be developed to mitigate human error. A lot of research, development, and innovation is going to happen in the cyber security space.

Conclusion

It's quite an exciting technological phase at the moment. Not everybody is bullish on IoT. Some people feel it's only a bubble waiting to burst. Skeptics predict that in about five years time, the hype might subside and only a few things that we envision are going to happen. Either ways, it's phenomenal that the human mind can even imagine something like this