Is your refrigerator connected to the Wi-Fi yet?

By: Raktim Debnath

Yes, you read it right. Very soon everything that you own, from your fridge, microwave, car and even your pet is going to be connected with the internet. Here is how it’s going to affect you and your daily life:

This new phenomenon has come to be known as the ‘Internet of Things’ or in short ‘IoT’. It uses electronic sensors and the internet to connect all your devices and vehicles into a smart grid.

With the help of this sensational technology your refrigerator is going to record your food habit and as soon as it notices that something is getting used up, it will directly send this information to your local supermarket. Getting this information your supermarket will directly send that product to your home.

Sounds like science fiction? Well, not according to Gartner, Inc., according to whom nearly 26 billion devices will be connected to the internet by 2020. That’s almost 4 times the number of world population!

This huge number of interlinked devices will constantly feed each other information and make your daily task as seamless as you can ever imagine. Traffic lights, street signs and other vehicles will constantly send data about the current traffic situation on the cloud and your car will utilize this data from the cloud, providing you with the fastest route to your office.

Windows, doors, security system, air-conditioning and all other services in your home with be inter-connected and will be accessible to you from anywhere through your smart phone. They will adjust the indoor temperature directly by analyzing data from the local weather report in the cloud. 

Even if you live in the countryside, you won’t be far from its reach. Integrated chips in your farm animals’ collar will give you constant feedback about their location, food habits, and other necessary information.

While these all aspects may sound cool and futuristic, some are concerned about the issue of privacy and ethics of connecting all the personal belongings to the internet and sending data to the cloud continuously.