The Internet of Things (IoT)

The "Internet of Things" (IoT)

- The screen on you refrigerator tells you that your blood sugar is running low, so you grab some fruit. 

- While flying to your vacation destination, you realize that you forgot to turn the thermostat down at home, so you do it from your smart phone.

- Your car is about due for an oil change (using that fancy synthetic oil you like), and your mechanic is ready for you, because he monitors your engine, as well as his supply of synthetics.

This might sound like the future, or maybe you've heard of one of these things already happening - both are true. They're examples of what things might be like with the "Internet of Things".

In the IoT, EVERYTHING is connected via the internet (cloud): cars, appliances, planes, security, hospitals, animals and.....yes, you. The idea is that everything will communicate, and, in the end, this communication will help us to lead better lives.

"The Internet of Things is the next generation of personal computing, whereby objects interact, potentially independently, with each other and with their environment,”

"The Internet of Things is the combination of sensors, actuators, distributed computing power..."

"Tiny detectors that can gather and relay data about location, activity, and health...", "The IoT makes it possible to monitor and control the location, condition, and behavior of objects, machinery and devices through networks."

Here are some resources to look at that will help you understand the IoT. Take a look at them, and talk about what you think about the idea. Pros and cons.

Diagram: What kinds of things will be connected.

Tech Crunch: We Need to Get the IoT Right

A Hacker's-eye View of the IoT

The Right To Be Forgotten

The Right To Be Forgotten

Several months ago, the European Union Court of Justice said that citizens have the right to ask that links be removed if they contain information that is "inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant." (They determined this following a court case where a Spanish man won the right to have negative information about him removed from Google search results.) There are efforts to make this the law outside of Europe, including in the U.S.

We've talked about the fact that information you post online is essentially permanent. Should it be, in all cases? Should someone have the right to have old, irrelevant information expunged from the Web?

Read this article, and also the arguments that follow it, ("The Arguments"), to help you form your opinion.

Should There Be A Right To Be Forgotten?

The Making of a Vine Celebrity

The Making of a Vine Celebrity

There has NEVER been a time in the history of the planet when people had the ability to become instant "celebrities" as you can today. Think about it: Philip DeFranco, Rhett and Link, Justin Bieber - a person can be "discovered" instantly, just by posting a video - even a SIX SECOND video.

Read this article about a current Vine "celebrity", named Jerome Jarre. Take a look at the videos that are linked in the article also:

Jerome Jarre: The Making of a Vine Celebrity

Not only has this guy become famous in an instant, it looks like he's not just a "flash in the pan" because is seems as though he understands how to use social media apps to promote himself and other things around him.

Had you heard of Jerome before reading the article? What do you think of what he's doing on Vine?  What do you think about this kind of opportunity with mobile apps? Can anybody do it? Will such fame last, and is it something that can be made into a legitimate business?

Your Online Image #2

Your Online Image #2

You are the young manager of a local ice cream parlor that is beloved by local families. You are looking to hire some teens for the summer, when the shop is open late every evening. You require an application and at least one reference. It occurs to you that you could look on Facebook to find out a bit more about the applicants.

What might you find that would make you not hire someone?

Is there anything wrong with using Facebook in this way?