THE FUTURE OF THE IOT

Posted on by brandonmcloud9

The internet of things (IOT), is becoming one of the innovative and interesting topics in recent years. Creating great discussion around this crazy technology advancement. Which isn’t surprising due to its ability to have some sort of impact on every single person within the near future.

IOT is the ability to be able to connect electronic devices via the internet, allowing devices to interact with other objects or humans.

IOT products you may be familiar with are products like the apple watch, google home, driverless cars, smart home apps that control your lighting and temperature. All these products in one way or another collect data, which is then analysed and gives you useful information of your need.

THE IOT IN ALL IT’S GLORY

  • The wearable market like smartwatches and fitness trackers could grow to $25 billion by 2019.
  • The smart home market is due to be a $53 billion industry by 2022.
  • By 2020 a quarter of billion cars will be connected to the internet for vehicle improvements and automated driving.
  • 87% of people have never heard of the term internet of things.

But with all these cool and tech savy creations that make our lives somewhat easier and creates extensive opportunities is the IOT ahead of its time?

The issue with IOT and the main concern is the security of their information. Do we have the technology to ensure our information stays secure and is secure from being compromised by hackers?

Another issue is privacy with the growth of IOT, can we honestly say with such technology will we ever have the ability to seclude ourselves or our information?

In recent weeks revelations of privacy breaches have come to light, with Amazon’s smart home product Alexa. It is believed Amazon employees have been listening to recordings of conversations between users and the Alexa product.

In which Amazon’s response was, they only listen to a small sample to improve customer experiences.

In one case it was reported, two workers believed they had come across a recording of a sexual assault. Amazon believed this wasn’t their place to intervene, so it went unreported.

This brought a few questions to mind.

  • If such products and companies are willing to record people’s personal information, should they be entitled to release that information for the greater good in such circumstances?
  • Is our technology advanced enough to ensure security breaches don’t occur as this technology advances?
  • How do you see the future for the IOT in your opinion?

What do you think? Do you feel like your privacy and personal information is safe with such products?

Below is a Ted talk by Benson Hougland, discussing TIO and why you should care.

TAKE A LOOK!!

3 thoughts on “THE FUTURE OF THE IOT”

  1. Hi Brandon, nice blog. I believe the Internet of Things in the future is going to further improve our day to day lives as there will become more efficient and effective ways of doing things. Just like today you can turn on the lights using your voice without even getting off the couch. It makes you think what technology could be invented next and how will it improve the way we live. Also in regard to your question on privacy there is a big concern in how safe ones data is on these IoT devices. There have been devices that have been hacked in the past and I believe this will continue to happen in the future. Maybe devices need to be tested for a longer time frame before products are released. But some businesses might not want to risk doing this as they may be seen to not be ale to keep up with their competitors.

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  2. Really interesting blog here. I agree that privacy and personal information is a real big problem for IOT and the future of IOT, especially with the tests showing that Alexa does in fact listen to information all the time. Your research questions create for a real in depth discussion which I would enjoy having a chat with you about in class this week.

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  3. Interesting Blog Brandon. There are many ethical issues associated with IoT and now we have the question of whether Amazon has some type of responsibility to report when there users are in danger. I think Amazon should report this type of information, and with all new products sold under the terms and conditions explain that when a persons life is under threat in some way or form, that they will report the incidents to ensure there users are safe. Yes, some users may think it is a breach of privacy but I live in a normal household, and there isn’t a lot Alexa could do with the shit that comes out of our mouths and most users with the device, so if something bad did happen, I would want it reported. Especially it can be seen as a security system to make sure you are okay.

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