Discourse suggests that the current trajectory of the Internet is heading towards an era where the most mundane items will be in some way connected to the flow of information, in that they will have the ability to perform tasks on demand, transferring us data, in a way never previously experienced before.
For example consider a mirror which with knowledge of your favourite colours and eye colour suggests different shades of eye shadow. Or a wardrobe that possesses knowledge of your web browsing history in terms of online shopping and suggests possible clothes that you might wish to purchase online. These are only ideas that I have made up but there are more tangible example of this concept such as those depicted in the image below.
Possibly perhaps in the future the information that is dormant in our mobile devices and computers may become part of our physical world. This has been described as the “Internet of things”. Essentially it revolves around the idea of world that can be programmed and once their are enough of these devices established a seemless system of information that can move will be facilitated. It is enemy of the internet which a peer to peer system in which each node has equal power. In contrast these informed objects will become a coordinated single machine hidden from view but still widely distributed.
This is still a dream, however and for this to become a reality more devices must appear onto the network, more processors in ordinary objects, more sensors and more wireless programmes to extract information from the already existing platforms. Devices must then become more reliable upon one another, so that they can coordinate actions without any human intervention. These connected devices must then become widespread and ubiquitous. A system which runs similar to a computer or an iPhone but on a more expansive scale. Essentially it could completely change the way we interact with one another. That line between the virtual and the everyday may become blurred. This may work to fight against the current saturation of devices that currently exist. Which I am happy about, I dislike this scary encroachment of technology on our lives, especially in a social context by automating devices we would usually use by hand.
A potential concern however is privacy. Though over sharing is a habit within the current digital ecology. If this were to extend to the physical world, objects could begin to capture more and more information about how we are doing. This threat is just a further representation of the issue of power which permeates every human society. Where power resides and the implications if it is used immorally. I will be staying positive however go objects!!!!
References
Mitew,T “The Internet of things” 2013, viewed 23/10/2014, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tFTNJwlpOg>.
Image credit: Andrew Patterson, “The Internet of things” viewed 23/10/2014 <https://iconewsblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/21/the-internet-of-things-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-mean-for-you/>.
Midly disgruntled, Permanently Interested 