You’re driving home and you’re stuck in traffic, it’s been a long day and you’re dying to get home and into a nice hot shower. You stop your vehicle on the side of the road and reach for your phone. With a few clicks, you connect to your home system, and instruct the house to prepare hot water, the air conditioner to start warming the house, the TV to look for a news channel and for the entrance lights to shine on the driveway.
After a few seconds of thought, you order the electric kettle to heat some water for coffee, and ask the fridge to order more milk from the closest supermarket. With a smile on your face, you return to the road, relaxed in knowing that a warm, lit and inviting home is waiting for you, with a hot shower to boot.
Much has been said about the advanced technology of our smartphones. What seemed like science fiction just 20 years ago, we can see coming into being right now – many of us carry a device that can contact almost anyone else in the world, and not only talk, but also send photos, files and movies, make video chats, post things on a huge number of social networks, play advanced games, listen to music – and the list gets longer every day, as the number of applications available to download and enhance these phones has long since passed a million.
So what is the next step in the evolution of the most popular electronic device? What does the future hold for our smartphones and the internet itself?
The future, agree most technology experts, is the ‘Internet of Things’.
The internet of things is a simple title for a complex idea. This is a future where our phone and our computers will not only be used for communication, photography and games, but will actually start to CONTROL the other objects in our lives, from anywhere we desire.
When will all this happen? Much sooner than you think.
Many companies are investing right now in the internet of things, and Cisco, one of the bigger communication and software companies in the world, predicts that by 2020, the market size of the internet of things will be worth about 14 trillion dollars, and no less than 50 billion (!) different devices, such as electronic devices, chips etc., will be also connected to the internet. This is a surprising forecast, especially as we’re talking about a future a mere 7 years away.
Experts predict also a great boom in employment when the internet of things begins, which will employ millions of people in the development, installation and maintenance of this new technological system.
For example, Google announced recently that it is developing a new system called “Android@home” which will allow smartphone owners to control home appliances and systems through their phone.
The options are limitless. Not for nothing we spoke to you of a future where you instruct the house to make itself hospitable before you get there. You will be able to unlock the front door for guests who arrived before you, or lock it if you forgot before leaving, you can turn off lights and cut the electricity to appliances with the push of a button.
This may sound far-fetched, but most experts believe that the internet of things revolution is right around the corner, and in a decade, most if not all modern houses will be equipped with such systems.
This achievement is made possible because today we are able to develop computer chips so small, that they are no thicker than a few hair strands. These chips can attach to any appliance without disrupting it’s functions, and their entire job is to receive instructions from you and pass them on to the device, they will be tiny and most importantly – cheap.
But the internet of things won’t stop at the home. What about the farmers? They will be able to hydrate plantations from a far, from anywhere they are. Farmers will be able to ‘implant’ tiny chips in the soil which will transmit, in real time, information about toxicity levels in the soil and how ready it is for planting, saving them a lot of trial and error. Chips can alert to animal life that is doing harm to the plants, and will look for signs of bad bacteria and plant diseases affecting the crops.
However, despite the ease and comfort these developments will bestow on our daily lives, the most important functions will invariably be in the field of medicine.
An example situation: You’ve just undergone a difficult operation, and you have a lot of rehabilitation to get through. Before you leave the doctor tells you: “If something happens, call me immediately!”
But it isn’t that simple to recognize dangerous signs, then get the doctor on the phone, explain what you think is happening, and then rush to the hospital. All this takes time you may not have, especially if you are suffering a cardiac event.
The internet of things may offer a better solution. During the operation, a tiny chip is injected into your body, to track signs of disease or a decline in your condition. When the chip identifies even the earliest warning signs, it updates the doctor in real time and even sends him specific information about your condition, so the doctor can make a quick decision, and maybe send you an ambulance without wasting time. Specific information is always better than trying to explain vague symptoms to the doctor. The chip can also alert your loved ones, and summon an ambulance itself if you are incapacitated and can’t reach a phone.
But it doesn’t stop in emergency care. We’ll also be able to monitor our daily health. If you are willing to inject (almost microscopic) chips in your body, and download the right application to your phone, you’ll be able to monitor your daily health, such as your blood pressure or your blood-sugar level. You’ll be able to detect if you are missing important vitamins or other nutrients. The applications will offer your solutions to your problem and will update you when your body returns to optimal condition.
Other chips will alert you to possible diseases developing in your body, from tooth decay to cancer, which can definitely save your lives by early detection, as many forms of disease can be cured if detected early enough. Such ease in monitoring your health and what you lack can add years to your life, and by some experts – even decades.
But don’t think only advantages lay ahead, each new technology also brings with it RISKS.
The biggest risk, say those who know, is a new form of terrorism that causes chaos, not with guns and bombs, but by hacking into the applications on our phones and causing devastation and misinformation. Some hackers will be able to implant false information about our health, instruct chips to ignore diseases, order our car to stop in the middle of the highway or turn on all the appliances in the street and cause huge problems in the electrical system. Talented hackers may be able to track your location, which makes kidnapping and assassination much easier.
Another risk is over-reliance on the information we receive through these applications, until we ignore the natural signals coming from our bodies and minds. We must take into account that electronics do fail, the software or the chip may malfunction, and cause us to ignore real symptoms our body is trying to tell us about, with possibly tragic results.
Despite these risks, the internet of things opens the door to a huge and unlimited variety of options which may ease our lives, improve our productivity and most importantly – keep us healthier. The future is coming, and all that remains to be seen is what our lives will look like when we open the door to the internet of things.
Hi Danny,
I like your insight into how the internet has changed our lives.
If there is anything that bugs me more than any other things in my life is “What the hell am I going to do when I truly retire”. I want to live somewhere, outside Singapore, but how am I going to keep in touch with friends and SHC members. This morning I read in the Bangkok Post that more than 92% of Thais read their emails before they get up from bed. So, I guess this will be one of the things I will do.
To live anywhere, I must have access to internet. I wonder how many people can live without the internet. What about seeing the doctor, go supermarketing or going dancing? Internet, no use?
Then, I worry about what if I gong out in my home. Nobody knows. If we fall down and cannot get up. Luckily got mobile telephone. Then, I was shopping around last week. Saw an IP webcamera. Gee, didn’t realise they are such fantastic stuff. Put one camera high up in the apartment, and others can see what I am doing. May I should put one IP webcam up, and let all of you see what I am doing in my home. Oops.
Jokes aside, I think as we can old, this may be something we need. Danny, you have kickstarted a good reflection. Members, please share your thoughts.
Terence Seah
Hi Danny Lai,
All writers need to recheck their scripts diligently for grammar mistakes as well as the ‘rationality’ behind them before posting. Otherwise, any Tom, Dick or Harry can aspire to be an author. You are an excellent writer if not for your careless statement, “the air conditioner for warming the house.” How can an air conditioner warm a house, may I ask? Accurate presentation of facts is just as important as proper English grammar. Aspiring to be a good author is not child’s play. Please take this as a friendly advice.
Blessings,
Hi Terry,
I read Danny’s posting, including the part in the air conditioner. Didn’t really noticed the “warming”, although I would have understood what the author meant, even if I had paused a minute to reread the sentence.
I guess I am more forgiving. Let’s be kinder to one another in our words. Sometimes, we write faster than our thoughts. Sometimes, we speak what we don’t mean. And, sometimes we mean what we don’t speak.
Please be generous with kind words. Do encourage our other members to write on this forum to express their thoughts and views. I am sure you can help with this role.
Still, i have to say you are sharp. If you had not raised this point, i would have missed it. Thank you.
Terence Seah
Hi..Terry, I was prompted by a member to read this. Firstly I agree with you that all writers need to “recheck their scripts diligently for grammar mistakes”. Admittedly, I am quite annoyed with silly mistakes, but perhaps not as unforgiving as you are.
Grammar is a rule that says you are either right or wrong, some controversial exceptions notwithstanding. But I don’t quite agree with you with regards to ‘rationality’. Since you want to be precise and immaculate, allow me to be petty and let us dwell on the “offending” word. I am an engineer by training and as the name implies, an air conditioner conditions the air. Warm or cold is relative. When the ambient temperate is warm, it cools it and vice versa. A person going home in the freezing snow would like to get some air at a comfortable temperature when he enters his house. He has preset a higher temperature so it is not wrong to say an air conditioner warms a house. My point is, “accurate presentation of facts” need not be rigidly stereotype according to your narrow definition.
QUOTE: “Air conditioning is the process of altering the properties of air (primarily temperature and humidity) to more favourable conditions. More generally, air conditioning can refer to any form of technological cooling, heating, ventilation, or disinfection that modifies the condition of air.” (Wikipedia)
I always encourage my students (tertiary) to write — without any inhibition and reservation. It is through “child’s play” that they learn and they always appreciate my friendly advice.
Hi Daniel Chan,
Thank you very much for your informative piece on other countries outside the tropics which use airconditioners to warm up houses during winter. But, did we historically ever experience a winter over here? We are living in a warm and wet equatorial climate inside Singapore where the majority of homeowners cannot do without airconditioners for cooling every home, particularly so, throughout the warm months of June, July and August. Hence, the example provided by you is not applicable in our Singapore climate context, I am afraid to say so. To cut the long story short, we need aircons to cool our homes, not warm them.
Thank you for the intellectual engagement.
Blessings,
Someone can really find a tiny, tiny bone in an egg, formidable!!!
Is the word “tiny” suitable for the above sentence? Can I use two “tiny” in one sentence? I wonder!
My English is a mess, can I write comment on this site? Wonder again!
Andrew Yeung, Daniel Chan, Terry Tang and Terence Seah,
This article which I put up was meant for sharing and I am not the original writer. I did not noticed the sentence described by Terry Tang. He might be sharp to notice it but should not make such remark “the air conditioner for warming the house.” How can an air conditioner warm a house, may I ask? Instead he should correct it with proper sentences or explaining the logical theory of it. What is he trying to prove to others, he is very knowledgeable ? Sorry for my rude remarks.
Hi Terry. Indeed, thank you for the engagement. “The Internet of Things” did not specifically refer to Singapore, did it? In fact, Terence mentioned in his first comment, “I want to live somewhere, outside Singapore”.
It is your narrow perception that confines the topic to Singapore, and translate air-conditioning from our everyday word ?? (cool air) when ?? (air conditioning) is more appropriate. As I have said, “accurate presentation of facts” need not be your self-defined rigid stereotype.
Yes we are making a mountain out of a molehill, but I just want to assert that nobody here should claim or imply that he is superior in English, and use “authoritative language” to impose his opinion on others. We all learn together in a fun way and certainly there is no Tan, Deng or Honey claiming he/she wants to be a great author.
Nothing is absolute, particularly the air cond is not for cooling purpose only, technically or otherwise. Regards.
Hi Danny Lye
I am a boring guy, but my friend sometimes found me like to tell stories. Actually, I am good in telling story, I was trained. When my wife got the Leukaemia, I didn’t know how to comfort her, so I surf the Internet to look for stories to tell her make her days become more easier. I had done this for nearly half a year until she passed away. Now, sometime when I see something, a scene of a story will be formed in my mind
You have a question in your comment – “What is he trying to prove to others, he is very knowledgeable?”. This made me formed the following story in my mind, may be it is your answer.
“Once upon a time, there was a nitpicking (hi Daniel Chan, I learnt this word from you, thanks) man, when he saw things, he didn’t want to see the beautiful of the things, but tried his best to find the flaw of the thing,
One day, he went into a forest. There were many beautiful flowers, trees, creatures inside the forest, He didn’t found any interest on them until he found a flower which not grew healthy, a bit ugly. He watched this flower for a long period, then leave the forest.
After home, he immediately found the people he know (I don’t want to use the phrase “his friend”, may be all the people he know didn’t regard he is their friend), and described detailedly to them the flower he saw. After he finished his description, the other asked what else has him noticed in the forest. The nitpicking man stopped and thought for a while, then said “Should there be anything else in the forest?” – end of my story, have a good day.
daniel is right
we must not be too presumpious, think that we know better
All arguments that stand from our limited knowledge and vocabulary go to show how narrow and limiting our capacity to learn
Andrew Yeung,
Thanks for your story telling. I know you are telling something. Not every man will appreciate everything around him. Some like to point out people’s mistakes and not knowing their own.