This week we looked at how the expansion logic of information networks and the phenomena of mobile connectivity and big data lead to the appearance of an Internet of things (IoT). The IoT is the interconnection of distinctively distinguishable embedded computing devices within the prevailing Internet substructure. The IoT affects many different daily life scenarios like the implications of privacy, surveillance, subjectivity, materiality, and memory.
Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “by means of electricity, the world of matter has become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time…the round globe is a vast… brain, instinct with intelligence”. I think this quote perfectly summarises today’s expansion logic of information networks and the phenomena of mobile connectivity and big data. It compares the globe to a brain because today’s borderless interconnectivity acts like a nerve pumping information around the world.
Today’s borderless interconnectivity is completed so easily due to the Internet being more available and the costs decreasing. Some have said the new rule for the future is, “anything that can be connected will be connected.” This quote made me wonder why we would want so many connected devices. This article answered this question for me…. it will simply make everyday life easier. For example you may be on your way to a meeting, your car is connected to your calendar so it knows which route is best to take. The traffic is heavy so your car sends a text to let your boss know you’ll be late to the meeting as it is connected to your phone. It doesn’t stop here; the connectivity will not only be with other systems but also with other people. For example, your alarm may go off at 7:00am, which notifies your barista to start making your coffee. Whilst this sort of freaks me out to be honest, the possibilities are endless and it’s quite impressive.
Mitew asked in the lecture “how to think of objects when they start producing and sharing information online more actively than humans?”. As I said before I’m quite freaked out by the idea but for some this will change life forever. It will have a significant impact on not only the way we live but also how we work. The analyst firm Gartner says that by 2020 there will be over 26 billion connected devices. These devices will be connected worldwide transforming the world into a “smart world” as the below picture demonstrates. Transportation networks will have reduced waste and efficiency will be improved for things such as energy use.
Julian Bleecker asked “when it is not only ‘us’ but also our ‘things’ that can upload, download, disseminate and stream meaningful and meaning-making stuff, how does the way in which we occupy the physical world become different?” I would like to leave you with this question of how your own physical world would become different as a result of IoT.
ellenahoban 
The ideas you’ve explored in the article are well laid out. You must remember that your blogs are viewed by people outside of the DIGC202 class, and as such you should avoid referencing “Ted said in the lecture” as much as possible, as it can limit your audience. The Internet of Things is a really fun topic, and you’ve written a great blog post, well done.
I think that we all try to make the promise to ourselves that we will try our best to not get caught up in the fads and phases of 24/7 connectivity, however as time progresses I’ve found myself conforming to what everyone else is doing. When I was 15 I told myself I didn’t need Facebook, especially because it was so mainstream, and now I have Facebook plus a vast array of other social media. Just like this, I think we will continue to conform, not because we want to, and perhaps we might even be afraid to, but because constant connection to the online world is somehow ‘cool’, and we all want to be cool.
Great blog post! You explain the concepts discussed in the lecture and other course related sources such as readings particularly well. You also expand on this with your own personal experience or knowledge which is generally the point of this assignment (I think!) I particularly agree with the quotation “anything that can be connected will be connected” this is a true depiction of the future as you discuss (great source too!)
I really enjoyed reading your post and felt that you explored and reflected on the final topic really well! Your links are really interesting and I love the image you included, could that be the future?
this was a great post, and I agree, it is very daunting to think what the future of the internet and technology holds for us, I mean at the moment, our mobiles and any device can track us, every step we take but what if this data and information could be hacked by some random person. It could be dangerous but we are yet to see this. Who knows like i mentioned in my post we may become more involved with the internet and technology than we ever wanted, who knows, maybe we may not control the internet but the internet will control us in the future.