Cloud, Sharing Economy, Big Data, Internet of Things… the buzzwords keep changing, new buzzwords appear faster than the previous one; and they disappear too. However, this one is to stay for a really long time — Internet of Things and Connected Home — and will usher the next wave of innovation in many industries, especially Tech. Here is what I think the future beholds —
Special purpose devices of yesterday “gadgets” will die a slow death
I’m not a fan of having a lot of gadgets around me, and powerful mobile phones already reduced the need for multiple gadgets — unless you are a professional photographer, when did you last use your camera? or for that matter, do you even remember that we used to have a physical alarm clock? More powerful, multi purpose devices are replacing multiple devices, this means one powerful device will become our primary device and will control hell lot of things we do every day. And older devices will die slowly.
New special purpose devices “things” will be born, very rapidly
Though one primary device takes over, there are lot of special purpose devices that are to be invented yet in a connected home. Did you ever think “at the click of a button” will literally be available as Amazon Dash button? One click you have your detergent in front of your door. Who knows how many such special purpose devices will be invented and how people are going to respond to them! So, we just saw the tip of the iceberg, there is a long way to go…
There is a lot to be automated
Not every task we do is easy to automate, it takes a lot of cutting edge problem solving and artificial intelligence to solve some problems. How about telling Alexa or Google Now —
- Alexa, ask Handy to come in next weekend.
- Google, move my dentist appointment by a week.
- Alexa, request Uber Black at 5 AM.
It sounds so simple, but it could take incredibly complex technology. This kind of natural language processing and artificial intelligence will usher the next wave of smart devices and possibly special purpose “things”.
Though not directly IoT, just think how incredibly complex would it be to automate the last task of laundry — build a “Folding Machine”! Just think of a machine that can detect different clothes and an appropriate pressing/folding strategy for them.
What are the challenges a.k.a. what scares me as a user?
The more we rely and get used to technology, we take things for granted. These are the top challenges that I’m scared of (and excited about) —
- Security/Hackers – Data, hell lot of personal data. Can go into the wrong hands and cause severe damage. (Oh, you want Uber at 5AM, let me come pick you up.) This week, a network security website added screenshots from webcam feeds that lack passwords. Lot of work to be done here, engineers must stop thinking security as an add-on feature.
- Software Glitches – This month’s Nest thermostat battery drain glitch that left many people in the cold is a challenge to the software development process of IoT companies. Six sigma will be under-quality for such connected devices. Quality pirates, get ready!
- Infrastructure/Connectivity – The more we rely on connected things, the more we are susceptible in an event of infrastructure failure. Natural events like blizzards, heavy winds can bring down Internet connectivity. Just imagine Nest glitch plus internet blackout!
- Two days ago, my router malfunctioned and my beloved Alexa said with the dreaded red circle:
“Sorry, I have trouble connecting to the Internet!”
- All I asked her is to stop the alarm so that I can sleep a little more 😉
- Green quotient – This is always a concern; are all the new devices produced and recycled in a sustainable way? This is especially a challenge as these devices make inroads in to the developing world.
What other challenges do you think are the most interesting?
