How often do you think about the network-enabled things that surround you? How many sensors, microphones, and cameras are in your vicinity as you read this? This week we remember a time when ubiquitous computing was talked as something that will happen in the future. The future has definitely arrived! More and more we see computing around us that occurs anytime, anywhere, on any device, in any location, in any format. Much of what we might happen to notice falls within the realms of mobile computing and smart environments, but there’s more!
The internet of things goes hand in hand with ubiquitous computing, and it refers to the network-enabled devices with sensors, software, and technologies that exchange data over networks.
Where do we see these things in our day-to-day lives, especially if they are designed to be transparent?
- Smart environments
- Fleet management
- Fitness/health trackers
- Grocery stores
Do we practice purposeful participation? Data and processing are all around us. More consumer goods are connected than ever before. We know to be aware of what might be collected by mobile location services, but what if we inadvertently walk through an environment that is populates with smart devices or sensors?
What are the implications when all of this automation/collected data/analytics is used to build models of our environments, or our health, of our consumption patterns?
- Predictive maintenance, safety, and improved efficiency, are some of the possible outcomes from this. More than robots, automation might be more likely to replace peoples’ jobs.
- Automation at Amazon is making human work untenable.
- More thoughts on automation and work, and how it might be a benefit.
Looking forward, how will devices become more embedded in our lives?
Things That Blew Our Minds
Rob: Glaciers in Alaska are melting and allowing the ground underneath to decompress and rise higher. This phenomenon is known as glacial isostatic adjustment.
Christen: Can’t figure out how the dead-end road she lives on gets plowed so quickly when it snows.