The Internet of Things

While i completly agree with you thats some of these things are important while others and dumb and some times scary. It is a natural evolution much like anything else we have come to see in modern society. there will allways be the question of is this nessasary and dose this go to far? The thing is most of the time its going to happen weather you like it or not. What we need to do is adapt to these new things and figuer out more ways to protect our selfs from the dangers that are associated with the product as well as  exploit all of the advatages it gives us.

This article couldn't be more correct. I absoultely love some of the things that "the internet of things" has created like trackers for running and being able to turn on your lights and security systems wirelessly but I think its beginning to get out of control. I've read articles about how police now can track you using your phone and how devices such as Iphones and Xbox Ones are constantly listening and watching. Our society has created some great things but at some point, we are going to far. How long until our every move and every word is recorded. Can you imagine what it will be like in 20 years when a potential presidents every move has been recorded since birth?

I agree that there are many things that are revolutionary when they are combined with a powerful tool like the internet, but there is defintiely a line that defines useful and an invasion of privacy. Promotions are one thing, but when you add more and more ways to connect everyday appliances to the internet it make me that much more anxious about someone using them for the wrong purposes. If gone unchecked this could lead to hacking or leaked information about yourself that is no one'e business. A system of chacks and balances should be implemented in order to assure those things that don't require internet connectivity remain that way.

I think there is a very thin line between useful and darn right creepy. The reason i think this is because something don't need internet to work properly or to function at all. I think that if it works to its full potential without internet, then to keep it that way. Unless it makes it a better product or changes it completely, dont add internet to it. 

With that being said, comes the paranoia of being tracked every where you go. The internet is a great tracking device which is somewhat creepy and alarming.

I completely agree with you when you say that this stuff scares you.  I can only imagine what the internet will be tracking in the future.  This makes me think that we are getting too smart for our own good and creating things will one day be smarter than us.  It's like someone in the world is watching our every move and that doesn't sit well with me.  I personally don't think that we need as much support from the internet as we currently get because we survive thousands of years without it.  Sure, those times were dark but they were also enlightning because we discovered things on our own and didn't need the support from the internet.  In a way I think that we are passing our knowledge on to the computers, not our decendants.  What kind of world would we live in?  Would we still be the top of the intellegence and food chain?  How long will it be until we recognize that humans are the future and not computers?

If I'm being completely transparent, I don't like technology in a lot of my everyday tools. Smart watches are not for me, and I don't ever see myself purchasing a pair of Google glasses. I have a laptop and a smartphone, and both of them are simplistic Apple products. Now I do spend a lot of time on each, but I think it's because they are both so versatile. I would really enjoy purchasing a smart TV my next time around, having apps like Netflix and YouTube on your TV make perfect sense.

I will probably never purchase a smart watch, and I can give you a couple reasons why. Smart watches run through Bluetooth, Bluetooth requires you to be close to your shared device. Yes, you read that right, you need to have your phone in your pocket for the most accurate smartwatch results. So in the time it takes you to raise your hard from your waistline, couldn't you have just grabbed your phone out of your pocket? These watches are not durable, minimal amounts of dust, water, or bumps can cause them to malfunction.

I get it, technology is an industry that will never stop making new and impressive products. I just think they should start trying to focus on making the best versions of products, rather than something new and engaging for people to spend rediculous amount of money on. But that just isn't America, is it?

I wish I could track my wallet and keys wherever I go. Unfortunately, that would mean that there is a potential for other people to know where those things are, and I'm not comfortable with that. It might be nice to have some products with internet capability, particularly items that people carry around when they go out. As revealed recently, the NSA has been tracking phones and devices on a massive scale, which is dangerous to privacy afforded to American Citizens by the Constitution. The internet has created convenience at the cost of security.

Being able to microwave your frozen dinner while two minutes away from home may be convenient, but do we really need it? How long before businesses start tracking things like, "What day and time do people most frequently bake their frozen pizza?" It's startling to think about such personal information being sent to corporations, but not far away from what is possible.

In our daily lives, I see a lot of development of technology everywhere or everywhere we go. It is even part of our life, so people do not even notice that much. In my case, I see how ipod or iphone adapter is attached to trademill at the gym, so people can listen to the music automatically while working out. It definitely shows detailed information of your workout, so you get to have more idea as well. I connect my phone all the time to treadmill or any other machine while workingout, and this definitely is one of the major advantage that development of technology devices offers to people. In addition, I personally wish that there could be any device that can suggest any outfit options for the day. As a female, I always spend extra time on choosing what I will be wearing of the day, and in need of huge help or advices for my outlook. I wish that either any mobile application or website could help me out for picking out better clothes as I post what I have or wear of the day!

I definitely think that the “the internet of things” is rapidly growing and the popularity and need for is on the rise. I think that we are developing a sense of relying on the Internet too much though, which is definitely making us a little lazier. I agree with you when I think there are definitely things that need the “internet of things” while others just don’t make sense.

Something that my family has that I think is a great thing for the internet is that we are allowed to open the garage from our phone which makes it easy if we are out of town and need someone to go into our house. I don’t have this on my phone but relatives of mine have their car actually hooked up to their phone. They can lock their car doors and even start their car from their phone. This is so neat and I think a great use of the Internet, especially since we live in Michigan and our winters are horrible. The down side I think is that now our phones or the internet hold so much of our personal information that it could potentially be so bad and harmful if the wrong people gets their hands on our phone or our internet accounts. 

It's creepy what the Internet can track and control these days. The government is undoubtedly tracking our every moves: trailing our credit cards, what bars our ID's are being swiped at, what we purchase on the Internet.

Instead of creating easier ways to warm our cars in the winter, or how to control our thermostat from our phone;

We should instead focus our energy and technology into developing cures for cancer.

Ending AIDS in third world countries.

Stop poverty and child obesity in our own country.

Is it that the government doesn’t want us to focus on these issues? So they distract us by flooding the media and our newsfeeds with celebrity gossip, rather than showing us pressing issues and details about the Middle East and the North Korean crisis?

It has crossed my mind that our society has hit its peak and the only to go from here is downhill.

If we are more focused on accessing our electrical outlets to our phones and getting instant Amazon deliveries -- our society is doomed. 

I'm in agreement that some of these "internet of things" inventions are no-brainers and are great improvements on our lifestyle.  However, others are just downright lazy.  If one cannot remember to take their pills each day, they should learn to track it themselves and take a little responsibility, as opposed to letting a little robot take care of it for them.

Honestly, there's nothing that I currently wish was web enabled.  Maybe that's just because I don't have an inventor's mind and don't see the same potential in everyday items/occurances, but I'm content.  I think we've made a lot of strides with the internet and have made our lives easier, safer, or simply more enjoyable.  But I do also think there's a point where we need to take back our own lives and do some things for ourselves.  If you've ever seen Wall-E, that's what I'm afraid of.  I really don't mind if information is tracked and used in market research, as all that does is help me find things I want/would be interested a lot easier.  But I'm afraid of losing the human element to our world.

I'm kind of on the fence about "the internet of things" topic. I think they could be benficial for certain circumstances, but for other instances they just seem down right unnecessary. I know personally for me, I have a Fitbit, and it's awesome! I love that you can wear it all of the time, anywhere and it gives you your calorie intake, how many steps you've taken, your water consumption, etc. I feel like it gives me a sense of freedom, I know I'm exercising, but I have my Fitbit to remind me to keep in shape, if that makes sense. However, there are some uses for "the internet of things" that seem a little different to me. Such as the GlowCaps pill bottle caps idea. I like the idea, I think it's really interesting, and it could work. However, the one thing I would be concerend about would be since it's an app connected to your phone, if you didn't have your pills with you, and you also didn't have your phone, how would you be reminded to take the medication? I think then it would become an unnecessary invention. 

I think it would be interesting to have a device that could tell me where I've lost my keys, or my phone. I seem to misplace those items frequently, and it's really frustrating searching the house, everywhere, and when I finally do find them they're in completely obvious place. So, maybe the app or the device could blink when the item is lost, and then tell me where to find it. I'm not sure if it would be that cool or fun, but maybe it could work. 

I think that I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to technology. I don’t find being connected to the world as fascinating as most people. I do however find enjoyment with the way some Internet connectivity is being invented. I have recently discovered myfitnesspal, which I am sure is super old. However, the first few times I used it I was amazed of how many calories were in my normal diet! Oops! Those kinds of inventions I believe are very useful for people like myself that are aware of those things. Also, having worked in a nursing home, having a pill bottle tells you or not if you took your pill that day is genius! Those kinds of inventions save lives, I do wish that device was web enabled. 

I think that technology has shifted quite abit within the last 10 years. It has helped us stay connected with other people from family to friends to even classmates in the our past. It feels like every device is connected to the internet and we have a dependency on all these devices. It is quite scary to think about how dependent we are on our phones and our laptops. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that technology and internet have been one of the best things created. We have easy access to multiple things at the tip of our finger tips. One example being the "fitbit" where you have a device that can count how many steps you take and the distance you have run. Before these devices, calculating our steps and etc. took more time and took us appyling our actual knowledge. On the other side, now we have devices that "think" for us and don't require us to be knowledgable about different things. I do feel that the pill tracker is pretty convenient for those who take multiple pills daily. For health reasons, it will be beneficial for people to have a helpful device to count their pills. Ultimately, I do feel like some of the devices that have been created are alittle ridiculous. 

In my opinion most of the things that are being connected to the internet now are down right absurd. Im almost certain I saw a refrigerator that had internet connectivity and a touch screen on it. I have no idea what anyone would want to be doing next to their fridge for any amount of time where you'd need the internet. Some of the things seem to have some actual utility however like a large countertop with touch screen capabilities and internet would make a pretty solid addition to any home. Maybe if there was a way for the indoor heating and cooling system to connect to the internet it could automatically adjust for things like humidity and temperature more effectively than they do currently. 

I believe that "the internet of things" has its pros and cons. For starters, most people have web enabled devices like smartphones, laptops, GPS devices, etc. Many of these products have benefits that help in our day to day tasks. If we need a quick answer, we Google it. There are so many apps out there that provide news updates, scores of sports games, health and fitness tips, and so much more. But in some cases, web enabled devices may seem a little outrageous depending on the consumer. The pill tracker may seem odd to younger consumers, but for the older generation it could be beneficial for those minds who tend to forget things easily with age. Devices that are web enabled, such as the Kindle, are very beneficial to those who know how to use them. My sister does the majority of her school reading with her Kindle, limiting the cost of textbooks and freeing up space in her backpack. However, I'm a little concerned that as technology develops, our every movements could be tracked and stored. I like my privacy and I don't want to feel like I have a GPS tracker hovering over my head. 

There's no real line when it comes to how connected and intergrated dayly life should be to the web. For most people, I know, today just being on FaceBook, Twitter and Snapchat all the time is not enough and they want to be constantly connected. They can record where they are and what they are doing. For me even this is a little much, preferring a little more privacy. I would prefer not having the pills I take recorded on the web, but with new technology I feel like i will eventually I will be the odd one out. 

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The Internet things that are coming of our generation are scary indeed.  The fact that I can get into my phone with my fingerprint still freaks me out.  With that being said, I think that these things can be looked at in a positive way!  As much as we may fight it, technology is becoming a big part of our world, and it is creating some pretty cool stuff.   

My latest obsession is the invention of wifi in the car.  Although I think kids need to look out the window and play Eye-Spy on road trips, like we had to, I still think this is a awesome idea.  Long road trips, camping trips, or traveling for work can be difficult or not as enjoyable, without internet.  As sad as that is to say out loud, it is true that road trips would be so much better with Netflix. 

With technology constantly evolving, we are always looking for what’s next, and what will make out life easier.  The pill top is a way to make our life easier, and it could also come in very handy for older people who have to take a lot of pills, and or have memory problems.  I think it is important to embrace the good things the new technology is bringing us, while trying to not let it consume out lives. 

Most of the population today uses smartphones. Some of these products were invented because there was someone out there who needed it or thought it could benefit their life in some way. For example, the golf glove clip on that connects to your phone to show you your performance and how to perfect your swing. It is not a necessity but it has some benefits. I do agree that some products are completely unnecessary and our lives would not be negatively impacted if they didn't exist.

For the most part, I think technology and the internet is a great invention for humans. We can share information, talk and reconnect with friends, and video chat with far-away family members. It has improved society in so many ways. However, I have read 1984. I am not generally a paranoid person, but this blog post prompted me to think about the potential dangers of technology - the potential danger of "Big Brother" coming into existence. Controlling our lives with inventions like the Smart Outlet Handbook can make feel powerful, like being able to turn off a light they forgot rushing to work and saving on their electric bill. That kind of power and convenience can come with a price if our technology eventually tracks all of our movements and habits. Privacy is becoming more and more scarce in our world of digital and social media that I fear we may lose it someday. 

I think I like the most ways in which the Internet of things has changed our life so far. For instance I like chating with my friends and family online by using different software, and I also like to carry smaller devices that can connect with Internet around and check my email and messages at any time I want. I think Internet has somehow changed people's lifestyle, I mean I cannot imagine how my life is going to be without my phone and my laptop because I have to use them connecting to the Internet everyday. There is really cool iPhone app called MBus ~ bus info for University of Michigan, which I think is a great example of the Internet things changing our life in a positive way. This app can view all the arrival information and bus stop locations. It tells the users where is the next bus you want to take and when it’s going to come. For using it you just simply click on the app and enter the station you want to take the bus, then it will tell you all the bus info you need for getting on the next one. I think by using this app people really could reduce a lot of wasting time on waiting for the bus coming. Even though I know unfortunately there are some Internet technologies that have turned our life into a negative way, but generally, I believe the Internet of things are still changing people in most positive ways rather than negative.

I couldn't agree more with the idea that some of these inventions are quite scary. Where is all this new tehnology going to lead us? In 20 years from now when we are talking to our kids about growing up "back in the day" what could we possibly say... that our cell phones were to big? These increasing and quick advancements make me wonder how we are going to view the Internet and technology in the future. I fear that we are heading towards a society where we may be completely dependent on technology. And don't get me wrong, I personally enjoy technology and what it has allowed us to do, but only to a certain extent. I was watching the movie "Her" for the first time a few days ago and was just completely taken back by the idea of having these computer systems that basically can run your life. That is something that is crossing the line to me. And not only would a system like that make people lazy, but it will also effect the world economically - think of all the assistant jobs that would be replaced with that...

Am I the only one that thinks the pill tracker is a smart invention? Let's be real, most of the people who are taking more than one prescription medication are elderly. And we all know the elderly are forgetful. When my nana was around she must have had at least 10 different pills she needed to take throughout the day just to keep her going. How she kept track of her pills is beyond me considering she couldn't keep track of anything else. An invention like the pill tracker could have really helped her. The downside of this is that a person’s personal and private information is just the opposite of that. All of their information is online and has the chance to be stolen. This is a huge concern as more devices are web enabled. 

Technology is both wonderfully awful. Sometimes I feel like we're crossing a fine line between simplicity and laziness. For instance, web enabled dishwashers might be pushing it. Are we really that lazy that we can't get up to push a button to run the dishwasher?! We have already simplified the original process of washing dishes by hand. I agree that there are some things just aren't necessary. 

"The internet of things" is surely taking over society. Wearables seem to be the new fad lately, with the new Apple wearable and fitbits that are coming out. As of right now, I do not own any devices that are web enabled and frankly I do not want any. In my opinion, these new technologies are only proving how lazy society is getting. If we can't simply walk to a nearest outlet to plug in a charger, then we have serious issues. It also freaks me out that everything is becoming web enabled. Before we know it we are going to have devices impanted in our bodies to track our every day movements. Technology is growing faster than we can grasp, and I'm not confident that's a good thing.

I agree with some of your speculation about the change in the Internet today. In some ways I am very old fashioned and wish that something could just be left the way they are without the everchanging affects of the Internet. Don't get me wrong, I love the ability to access information anywhere anytime, but at times I wish I was more able to slow down and smell the roses so to speak. 

The "internet of things" is both good and bad. As you mentioned, some of the products are ingenious. They provide the cosnumers with a service that makes their life a lot simpler. There are other things that might seem useless or stupid to us, but to othert they are that ingenious product. I think the "internet of things" must be looked at from a variety of perspectives. Obviously products are created because there is a demand for them, even if it's just a niche market. It does get a little scary when everything you do on your device is recorded because it's connected through the internet, but there might be some life-saving information that is stored and you're thankful when it is. Overall I think consumers should invest in what fits their needs; if they need something to track their behaviors so they don't forget then these products are helpful. Otherwise, it's just an unncessary feature. 

I agree with your idea that some of the products now a days with internet connectivity being unnecessary. There is no need for a pill bottle to be able to alert someone or something via the internet if you have taken your pills or not. This seems like an archaic form of attempted monitoring of people's behavior. And after learning about how market research on consumer behavior is gathered and tracked, it won't be soon until they are requesting access to personal medical records to better "understand their clientel." Although some forms of this internet connectivity have seemed to be very beneficial (Fitbit), there seems to be an over whelming fear this internet connectivity may get too extravagent and cross boundaries that will ruin the technology. 

I personally think "the internet of things" is great and I also agree that some silly things like tracking your pills for each day is silly, however, my house at home has a thermostat called the nest. This enables my parents to be able to turn the heat up whereever they are and whenever they want. It really is great for people with cottages. When my parents know they are going up north they can turn up the heat or air right from their phones and this will then heat the house up before they arrive. I remember back in the day growing up we had a different cottage and whenever we went up we had to wait in our snowsuits until the house got warm... first world problems. This IOT has been a great asset to my family and it definitely should be used in every household. One thing that I think would be a great use for an IOT and if there is such thing I want to invest in it would be one for laundry.Everytime I go try to do my laundry I put it in and then get caught up doing homework or other things and in turn that leaves me to forget I even started laundry in the first place. Then when I finally remember that I actually did start laundry, the clothes smell like wet towel and I have to re-do the whole load. This causes problems with me because I'm wasting more energy then I need to. Being a college student and paying for electric bills this really can take a toll on your bank account. I feel like if this were to be an IOT, many people would take great use of it. It's not only open to just college students, people everyday forget about their laundry.

    New technology made our life become cooler. I remember once I went to a party at my friend's house, he had some cool app that can connect his light with his phone, he can adjust the color by himself, I mean to be honest is was not really useful but makes people wow. Some new technology benefits out life but also loss the nature of it. things like kindle, I like the idea how you do not have to carry the big heavy book around but just a little device, also saves a lot of money on school's text book. after long time, it kind of harm your eyes and it never feels the same when you fliping the pages, and the special smells of a hard copy book. I like to try new technology but I also like the old way fashion. It's kind of the hard part to have both at same time.

While it's cool to experience this evolving generation of technology, overall I think it's quite creepy and almost on a level of stalking. Like you said, there are too many unncessesary devices that are web enabled that gather too much information. The reality of sharing this information is that it is not as private as you expect and were "promised". In fact, these days it is very easy for someone to hack into your cell phone, laptop, or whichever device you may be using. Though we may feel paranoid, I don't think we really are paranoid at all. Hacking is a real concept that can go very wrong when your information gets into the wrong hands. In a sense I think we are being tricked to expose too much personal information, and even though I might be a skeptic, you can count me out! The only web enabled devices I have are my phone and my laptop, and I think after this discussion I want to keep it that way. 

For starters my phone is web enabled, so that whenever I search the web or look up the weather it gives me info on things in my area and not from back home. Although the smart phone is kind of becoming peoples wallets with "Apple Pay" I wish my wallet was web enabled. Keeping track of funds in my back account, how much money I had left on all my gift cards, and a way to keep all your ID's in one electronic place so they don't get misplaced would be really helpful. But that seems at least a decade away.

With that being said, I do like these "the internet of things". They make life way easier. I don't find them intrusive, although they kind of are. It just depends on what type of person you are. I don't care that people know a lot of stuff about me. I have nothing to hide. 

I kind of agree with you. The technology is incredibly developing and people need those technologies in order to live a better and convenience lives. However, sometimes people are relying on technologies too much. If this keeps happening, the technology is going to take control over human. People should know how to live without technology. They can’t just rely on it too much. I have a Nike+ Fuelband for checking my body. It sends the information to my cell phone. It checks how much activities or calories I have. I think I have enough technologies. If I rely on improved technology more, I would think I am very useless. It is good that people live in eveloped lives, but we need to know that technologies cannot take control over people.

The reach the internet is accomplishing is mind blowing.  Technology has advanced so much in such a short amount of time, today's generations don't think much of it if a product comes out with new, upgraded versions every six months.  My little cousins all have iPhones (even though they are 9, 10 and 13 years old) whereas I didn't have a cell phone of any sort until I was in high school, I didn't have a cell phone with internet access until sophomore year of college.  The point is, kids my age still remember a time without a cell phone or internet but we are probably the last ones who remember such a time.  Younger children aren't shocked by refrigerators that tell you when you're out of milk or being able to lock your house from 500 miles away with just your phone.

I fully believe that the internet has good intentions and companies are trying to include the internet on their products to make our lives easier, but I also believe there is a limit to what products actually need internet.  For example, my roommates and I have a scale to weigh ourselves with but it has an app you can download on your phone and it connects to the scale and keeps track of your weight loss.  Even though we could easily keep track of our weight, it is sort of helpful to have an app with all of the information and exact dates on it.  On the other hand, there are cups that can detect what you are drinking and log the nutritional facts of that beverage and upload it to your phone.  Why is that necessary? It isn’t. Companies need to think before they internet. 

I think that while it can be quite convenient, sometimes adding the Internet to things is just unneccssary. I have a Nike fuel band, and I love that I can track my progress throughout the day, but I don't need everything to be hooked up. I don't need to use my phone to turn off an electrical outlet, I can do that on my own. If you forget to do it, you can always go back and turn it off or you just have to wait until later. Connecting yourself to absolutely everything online can take away your attention from other important tasks at hand. 

By reading what others in my class have to say as well as your reaction, I notice we all have the same feeling: technology is taking over and it scares us. But, isn't it weird to think, if consumers keep saying they are scared of what technology can do, yet developers keep creating new things, the consumers still support the ideas by downloading the app. So, how scared are consumers really? In order for a new innovation to thrive, it needs a fan base to support it. Although consumers claim to be weary of what's to come, they eventually all fall into the trap of "the internet of things."

With the world changing everyday and adding new devices, apps and technology, it makes me wonder what will be next? Are we going to become so dependent on these devices that we won't even be feeding ourselves, or having a car that will get you from point A to point B without you even tuching the wheel. These are some of the reasons why people are becoming more lazy and more dependent on these "devices." Wit privacy a huge thing now, we are seeing more people having their bank account hacked, phones tapped or identities stolen. There is a fine line between using devices that all are connected to the internet and protecting your identity and health.

This "internet of things" is definitely fascinating. I have seen a big trend in home automation and internet connectivity such as the thermostat you mentioned (the "Nest" comes to mind) as well as garage door openers, door locks, and numerous other things. On the issue of privacy, that is a huge consideration as well. I could see the possibility of a vendor breach where someone might be able to unlock my "connected" lock or garage door opener remotely. Regarding the pill bottles or FitBit-type products, I would not be surprised if your insurance companies or other interested parties could tap some of this "Big Data" to justify rate increases or some other sort of sorcery. It will be interesting to see how our lives are affected in the future by such technologies.

In a recent ITM 309 lecture, my professor covered this topic, too. Before that, and the first ADV 420 class, I had only briefly heard about it. Anyway, I really wish more of my items were internet-capable...or at least connect-able to my phone, so I could find the items. I recently saw little tags that you could purchase for around $20 each and offered a few hundred feet range from my phone using an app. The neat aspect was the community-based nature, because as long as anyone had their app open, they could help you find your lost item if it was within that given distance from their phone. I think that is a fair compromise for the internet of things, where not every device needs to be connected, but you can connect it for certain uses if you want. 

I agree with you that some things are handy and definitely useful, like being able to locate your keys as you mentioned. On the other hand, I always think about how before technology people were able to manage without these nifty technological advances and seemed just fine. I think it is starting to make people lazy because they don't have to keep track of their things or remember routines such as not knowing if they had already taken their daily pill or not. We are built to be able to keep track of these things, but if we feel we don't need to worry about it and that we will have some app to help us out then we just shut off that part of our brain because it is less work. I think it is healthier for us to not depend on technology to get through our day without forgetting anything. Don't get me wrong, I think having your calendar on your phone with alerts is extremely realistic and helpful, but other than that I think people should be able to manage without it. 

I really like your question about how is this going to go. It's crazy because I feel like every Christmas that rolls around there's some kind of new technology like this that gets a lot of craze like I feel the FitBit was this year. It amazes me what we can do with techology and how far we've come in a short period of time. This all makes me wonder what kind of world I'm going to raise my kids in and what the world will be like when they're my age.

My parents now have security cameras in our house that they can access from their phones through an app and it allows them to see and hear anything that's going on. 10 years age the idea of having a phone with apps seemed completely out of the question, now look what all these apps are doing. I personally do not have any web enabled devices. I do think things such as these cameras and other devices that allow us to turn things off or control our utilites from anywhere in the world are useful. It'll be nice to have for that one time you leave your garage open accidentally, forget to turn off your TV, lights, etc.

What I don't like is how much these companies are going to be able to see what we're doing. The government will be able to track everything we do. Even now the companies know our fitness routines with things such as the FitBit. I think they're great ideas, but how much power are we going to keep giving companies like this? That's what's kind of terrifying.

I personally think we are becoming too dependent on the internet.  However, I do think there are some devices that it is useful to be connected to the internet.  I have a Fitbit and that is very nice to be able to track my progress through either my computer or phone (app).  While it may provide peace of mind to be able to check and make sure you turned off some appliance or power switch when you're across the country on vacation, this can just as easily be accomplished by calling a friend or family member and having them check for you.  I think it is likely for the "internet of things" to be used to track behavior, which really bothers me.  At that point, companies are entering your home, which is supposed to be a private thing.  I think there needs to be a barrier of some sort to prevent companies from overstepping their bounds and to protect people from their need to have the latest and greatest thing.

What you bring up about "the internet of things" really gets me thinking to the point of what is the world going to look like 40 years down the road from now? That will put most of us in this class to around 60. It is almost a scary thing to think about because by that time I could see everything being tracked. I think they will come up with some kind of way to retarget everything we do. For example, I would be watching the Detroit Tigers game on my TV at my house. I have to run to the store to grab some groceries. On my way the radio will have picked up my tv and they will be trying to sell me Tigers tickets. Then maybe billboards could even change to the Tigers ticket promotion so I will see it there too. Who knows what they could do with all of their information on us from tracking everything.

I think that the internet of things is escalating to maybe an unecessary level. Don't get me wrong it comes in handy when there's devices to help you find things or be able to track your fitness goals. But I am barely technology-fluent and I tend to stick to more simple ways. One thing I do wish we could all have web enabled is affordable remote start from our smart phones, however that key-word is: affordable.

I do love the idea of having things computerized to help me keep track of them. However, you make a great point about privacy. I don't think these devices need to be connected to the internet to be useful. It's one thing to create a cool gadget to make the consumers lives easier, but once it gets to the point where they're using the internet to store this information, it no longer becomes as helpful. People are going to be more catious when using these products for fear of their privacy being breached.

I just have normal internet enabled devices -- computer, xbox, and phone. 

I think it is cool to have the outlets connected to my phone. I'd never have to worry if I left the iron plugged in! Something else that would be cool if it were connected to the internet would be my long board. I'm always curious to see how far I've road in a day and how many calories riding it burns!

I completely agree with you! I already think that technology is taking over the world and am scared to see how advanced it is when I have kids someday. I do think that the fitbit and other fitness trackers are totally okay- but I don't think it is necessary to be able to keep track of everything in your life. Part of being a human is doing day to day tasks without technology...and I think that's the way it should stay.

I'm also a little creeped out that so many things are being incorporated with the internet. I wouldn't want people knowing my day to day activites and having even more ability to look into my personal info. I think the cloud is already too public for my tastes...I wouldn't go any further than using a fitness tracker even if they do start making many many things with internet.

I agree with you about how it doesn't seem necessary to connect the internet to certain objects. When you really think about it, the thought of connecting your pill bottles or any thing to the internet does sound a little bizarre. I suppose some people would find this to be very useful, but in my personal opinion, I don't think it would be of much use to have my medical information stored online.

Right now, I don't have any devices that are web enabled and I don't plan on getting any devices web enabled because I just don't find the need for it right now. If I did get any devices enabled, it would be a fitness tracker. Maybe some day when I own my own house I'll want a thermostat that I can control remotely from a web interface, but I just don't feel like it's necessary at the moment. While it might seem exciting to have our electrical outlets attached to our phones, I just don't think people would use it as much as they think they will.

I know there are some devices out there that really do come in handy, like the lost keys and fitness examples that you mentioned. But overall, the whole concept of the internet connecting to our things does make me feel paranoid as well. Mainly because I definitely don't want a device to come out that's able to track my behavior or mood.

How absolutely amazing and terrifying our world is becoming. When “the internet of things” is brought up, I can’t help but think of the Will Smith movie Robot. How much longer until our electronics know better than us? Till they make our decisions because we’re not bright enough to do it ourselves? I don’t have anything hooked up to my phone that tracks my life. The closest I get is the Meijer application for clipping coupons. And half the time those coupons go unused.

If I had to choose something that was web enabled I’d want it to be my tea kettle so I could start it from bed. Anything more serious than that and I turn into Mel Gibson from Conspiracy Theory. I just don’t want too much information out there. 

My life isn't that intersting. And I certainly don't have anything to hide – except maybe some pictures from middle school. But there's something wonderful about having secrets. Even if they are if you took your morning vitamins or not. 

I see where you are coming from and I agree with you. It's crazy to think that just a few years ago we didn't even have some of this technology and the world still went on, yet some people can't imagine life without these technologies and apps. I do think that some of these new technologies and mechanisms are helpful and come in handy but its scary to thing how much people now rely on technology. 

I do see some positive sides that these "internet of things" have as well as negative. My parents personally don't have any of those technologies that allow you to open or close your garage or turn the lights on or off. When it comes to new technologies like this I actually question if my parents even know how to use some of them. I know that they personally find relying on technologies for things like that is dangerous. What if you were to lose your phone someone could then gain access to opening your garage. This might be helpful but is it really necessary? With all these new technologies coming out I think that as humans we are becoming more reliant on technology than on ourselves or other humans. 

I find that “the internet of things” is very interesting.  Most of the inventions I would never use or would never even think about buying.  But an invention that you can see if you closed your garage after you left.  I cannot count how many times I have left and had to turn around because I was not sure if I close the garage door.  If I had an app that would just tell me if it was closed or open and if it was open I could close it from the front of my sub rather than having to turn around and shut it right in front of my house.  One invention that I think could be useful to only the older generation (as in over 70) could use the tracker on it their pill containers.  When I visit grandparents’ house they have a calendar that they put each day’s pill in the correct day which solves the problem of forgetting.  But if someone has extra money and want to save space of not having a whole calendar holder they could buy the pill container tracker.  I am looking forward to seeing the new inventions coming up in the future.

In my opinion, the "internet of things" have some positive side as well as negative side. It is true that nowadays technology really makes our life become easier and more convinient. For exaple, my dad can just control the surveillance cameras at my home immediately even though he is far from home. He can tell if there is any strange things happened immediately through his phone. This invention really helps lots of people. On the other side, it is also dangerous as well. Everything that is controlled by internet always has a chance that probably will be hacked or attacked by someone. Therefore, you still need to think about it before you start to use the device.