The Future of the Internet

It is very exciting to see what the future of the Internet has in store for us. I believe I mentioned in one of my earlier blogposts about how lucky I am to be an early 90's kid, being able to witness the rise of the Internet and how it has evolved from Web 1.0 to 2.0 and soon enough, 3.0.

The future of the Internet includes the "Internet of Things (IoT)", a term that has since made its way to the Oxford English dictionary.

Technology has spoilt us and being on the receiving end, our lives are only gonna get easier with IoT. In the very near future, the IoT will lessen our workload by helping us carry out our daily routines. In fact, devices such as SmartThings are already available in the market, so it won't be long till more people hop onto the IoT bandwagon.

Before introducing SmartThings, here's a video of Berkeley's Ridiculously Automated Dorm (BRAD), fully designed by a Singaporean student studying in UC Berkeley (yeahhh #Singaporepride). The features he used are very similar to that of SmartThings, except that he designed this whole program by himself :O This video never fails to impress me.

The first time I watched this video about a year ago, I dreamt of having something like this installed at home. Only after studying COM125 did I realise that this IS the Internet of Things, a work in progress, and I CAN eventually get my hands on one of these.

SmartThings is possibly my favourite IoT invention to date. Similar to the BRAD home automation system but a tad more detailed, SmartThings has the following features:

Ability to control lights and switches

Everytime we leave the house, my mom will ask me if I remembered to switch off the kitchen lights, iron, modem etc ONLY after I've locked the gate -_- This will result in me having to open the gate and door to check on these appliances. This is why I love this feature the most. It doesn't help that I've heard one too many horror stories about houses getting burned down because of electrical switches that were on for too long. I can also turn my switches on and off anytime I please by controlling it from my phone. This is especially useful when I leave something at home to charge (like my camera battery and Clarisonic) but do not want it to overcharge.

Ability to lock and unlock doors automatically

Perfect for when I arrive home with hands full of groceries (which happens a lot). My gate would be able to sense when I'm home, swing open for me and lock behind me after I've entered the house. This way, I would not have to fumble with my groceries while physically unlocking and locking the gate and door.

Alert in the case of dangers and damages

Here's a feature that every household needs – alerts should there be a flood or leaks, unexpected opening of windows and doors or suspicious movements in the house. This feature ensures that your properties are well protected. Take a peek at how it works!

Price at US$199-299, SmartThings is also surprisingly affordable and I can't wait for SmartThings to be brought to Singapore.

Google Glass

What IS in Singapore, though (physically, not in stores yet) is the amazing Google Glass, as seen on my friend, Sheena. I am so jealous.

credits to @myluckyboy

You're essentially wearing a computer on your face, how cool is that?!
The Google Glass allows you to take pictures/videos on command, set reminders, search for information on Google and a whole lot more (there are third party apps that facilitate this). Thank goodness they've done away with the face recognition feature (apparently) because that's a bit creepy.
Here's a video to illustrate life through Google Glass. Uber cool!