For some, leaving the house can be an exercise in tamping down anxiety. Did I shut the stove off? Did the garage door close all the way? Is the front door locked? Is the burglar alarm on? Indeed, for some, it's downright difficult to leave the house just for the weight of the questions with which those people leave. But with the growing connectivity of homes and health devices alike to apps, a quick check of a smartphone can check on lights, heat, and plenty more.
A new set of estimates released from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development suggests that, by 2022, if there are two teenage children in the house, that household will own about 50 different devices that connect to the Internet. When it's further considered that, today, said household only owns about 10 such devices, it clearly shows an upward trend in terms of overall availability and the overall adoption rate.
The growing number of devices projected to be in such homes is underscored by the increasingly large numbers of devices that offer such connectivity in the first place. Washing machines that connect and allow users to tell just where in a cycle the washer is are coming available, and the Internet-connected refrigerator has been, conceptually, around for years. Recently, First Watch Security unveiled a deadbolt lock that could be controlled via Bluetooth. The Nest Mobile can be controlled from iOS or Android devices and regulate the temperature in a user's house even when said user isn't at home. Netatmo serves as a personal weather station with air quality tools that can connect as well, and the controlling app that accompanies it can even suggest ideal times to ventilate a home for the best air quality.
Even health appliances are getting in on the action. The LUMOback helps users improve posture with an app that notifies a user who happens to be slouching. The Withings Health Mate tracks weight, and a version for babies will even compare weights to other babies that age. Several other devices track steps walked and calories burned like the Jawbone UP and the Nike+ FuelBand.
While the idea of hardware that can be controlled remotely no matter where a person lives is appealing, there are still issues associated with this technology. Most notable among them is security, as software that tracks location, activates devices, and can even unlock doors could be valuable to those who would harm others in some way. Regulation issues become surprisingly important here, as issues of privacy and security become part of the landscape.
Still, though, there's no denying that the so-called "Internet of Things" is rapidly gaining ground. A world in which all our devices can be controlled or otherwise accessed from a mobile platform is a different world than many of us know, and may well be here sooner than expected.
Edited by
Rich Steeves
