Wrap your mind around this report from Reuters about how "apps are increasingly helping people monitor and control objects remotely on their mobile devices.
"From Internet-connected washing machines and smart refrigerators to bathroom scales, gadgets that connect to the Internet are on the rise in homes, and apps are the means to monitor and control them.
"By 2022, the average household with two teenage children will own roughly 50 Internet-connected devices, up from approximately 10 today, according to estimates by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This trend has been dubbed the 'Internet of Things'."
However, there remain concerns that all this interconnectivity could lead to a loss of privacy, especially because "privacy laws may not yet account for the collection of personal data that these gadgets and apps may have access to, such as location."
"From Internet-connected washing machines and smart refrigerators to bathroom scales, gadgets that connect to the Internet are on the rise in homes, and apps are the means to monitor and control them.
"By 2022, the average household with two teenage children will own roughly 50 Internet-connected devices, up from approximately 10 today, according to estimates by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This trend has been dubbed the 'Internet of Things'."
However, there remain concerns that all this interconnectivity could lead to a loss of privacy, especially because "privacy laws may not yet account for the collection of personal data that these gadgets and apps may have access to, such as location."
- KC's View:
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For me, and, I think, for a lot of people, the privacy issue will be secondary to the degree to which these apps are useful, convenient, and relevant to our lives. I think there is plenty of evidence out there to suggest that people are willing to sacrifice some freedom and privacy when it seems to make sense to do so.
