The Tsunami of Things

摘要

The idea behind the Internet of Things has been around for a long time. For years, engineers have spoken about it in terms like machine-to-machine communication, Internet Lightbulb, ubiquitous computing, home automation, Smart Planet, and others. But it's only now that the idea of a network of inanimate objects that can share relevant information seems to have caught the public's eye, and it's done so under the sobriquet of the Internet of Things. Why is that? Why has it taken this long, and why is it happening now?