A Face for the Internet of Things?
The Internet revolution has connected billions of PCs. There is now a second revolution in Internet connectivity. The Internet-of-Things(IoT) is happening all around us. A wave of billions and billions of devices are being connected. Devices, as simple as a light bulb and as complex as a jet engine, become more manageable once they have become connected devices. By becoming connected, devices can be controlled from a distance. Their settings and operations can be changed based on input from other connected devices. They can transmit information about their status, for example their location, or whether they need maintenance. The value of connecting devices is coming to greatly outweigh the rapidly decreasing costs of interconnecting them.
The Internet revolution has connected billions of PCs. There is now a second revolution in Internet connectivity. The Internet-of-Things(IoT) is happening all around us. A wave of billions and billions of devices are being connected. Devices, as simple as a light bulb and as complex as a jet engine, become more manageable once they have become connected devices. By becoming connected, devices can be controlled from a distance. Their settings and operations can be changed based on input from other connected devices. They can transmit information about their status, for example their location, or whether they need maintenance. The value of connecting devices is coming to greatly outweigh the rapidly decreasing costs of interconnecting them.
Connectedness brings the option of computer control.
Devices that were previously standalone are opening to the creativity of a new generation of programmers. We can now have apps for devices. This is opening an entirely new world to developers. With their creativity unleashed, they are adding exciting new functionality to what have often been rather dull, unconnected devices.
Need for user interfaces with more complex information
With connectedness and apps comes the need for user interfaces to display increasingly more complex information. In the past, embedded devices have generally had very simple user interfaces. For example a thermostat might show the current temperature, whether it is set to cool or to heat, and the fan setting.
Graphical user interfaces allow information to be shown much more intuitively, for example blue for cooling or red for heating, arrows showing up or down. They also make it possible to display the additional information coming from other connected devices. With graphical user interfaces, the depth and power of the user experience is limited only by the creativity of the developer. For example you might not want to turn on the heating inside your house if you can know that the temperature outside is rising rapidly…. read more
Devices that were previously standalone are opening to the creativity of a new generation of programmers. We can now have apps for devices. This is opening an entirely new world to developers. With their creativity unleashed, they are adding exciting new functionality to what have often been rather dull, unconnected devices.