Internet of Things: Does everything need to be smart?

toxichan (62)in #internet • 8 years ago

ost items around us have evolved into “smart”: Smartphones, Smart TVs, Smartwatches, Smart Washers, etc. Now all the devices aspire to be smarter than the owner and offer more than necessary. A “normal” washer needs human intervention to work, but a smart one can do all the process for itself, it can even choose which washing program to use. It seems like a huge advantage. However, these devices have unwanted side effects too.

Image source

Smart devices connect to the Internet to download their functions so they can work as complete personal assistants. This is what’s known as Internet of Things or IoT; a flourishing area where Google is going strong with Android Things. This technology gives us an undisputed advantage in terms of lifestyle, but there are two problems:

These devices don’t work properly without Internet. This is a problem in countries with unstable Internet connection.
They pose a risk to our privacy, even to the whole Internet. Do you remember the big DDoS attack against DNS provider Dyn?

That’s why the so-called “dumb devices” are also booming. Today we can find devices that aspire to be as simple as before, i.e. the NES mini is being sold like hotcake and it doesn’t even connect to the Internet, and there are also basic phones like the Nokia 150 that refuse to disappear. It may be that having a smart device adds value simply because it has more features, but may not all be needed. Simplicity of use over versatility.

So, do we really need everything to be smart? I think most “dumb devices” are fine as they are. They are cheaper than their smart counterparts and have fewer possibilities of becoming obsolete easily.