Digital Smarts - The ”Internet of Things”

There are predictions that everything you use on a daily basis, from your toothbrush to your car, will one day be connected to the internet, or the “Internet of Things” as the trend is being called. Although companies may be rushing to create apps and embed chips in everything from your blankets to your shoes, it’s unclear whether consumers are as hot on the “smart everything” trend.  One of the biggest issues is simplicity and ease of use.

Research firm Accenture found in a global survey released recently that 83 percent of people who’ve used smart devices such as fitness monitors, home security systems and even smart thermostats have had frustrating problems getting those devices to work. Just over one-fifth of those surveyed deemed smart devices “too complicated to use.” Nearly as many also said that they had problems just setting up the devices, and once they did get them working, 19 percent said that they felt the products didn’t work as advertised. Those problems may be dampening enthusiasm for the revolution that Web-oriented companies are trying to foment, but don’t be surprised if you start to hear more and more about the “Internet of Things.”