The Internet of Things

Great article in the December 18, 2011 Sunday Review of the New York Times by Steve Lohr - - The Internet Gets Physical.  Highlights the movement and opportunities associated with the Internet of games and social networking - - to a future of the Industrial Internet.  A future of "digital smarts" in everything.  Highlights of the article included:

• Across many industries, products and practices are being transformed by communicating sensors and computing intelligence - - jet engines, bridges, oil rigs, etc.
• The future Industrial Internet is real-time and non-virtual.
• Smart hospital rooms with tiny cameras - - combined with software, they can alert medial staff to wash their hands before touching a patient.
• Digital water meters that inform and alert - - consume less and alert to possible leaks.  Bits and bytes that inform to allow for behavioral modification.
• Disaster response has huge potential - - advanced alerts and airborne sensors.
• Software techniques like pattern recognition and machine learning used in Internet searches, online advertising and smartphone apps are also ingredients in making smart devices to manage energy consumption, health care and traffic.