Moving from wifi toasters to magic buttons

# The Horizon for IoT

The Internet of Things is maturing and we’re finally seeing some interesting examples of big, known and proven brands using IoT. That’s nice validation for those of us playing in the IoT space. Unfortunately it can seem like they applications skew more towards wifi connected toasters than anything truly useful (I mean, a wifi toaster is cool, I’ll give it that much).

• Nest: this is an obvious one, a connected thermostat that learns your habits turning big data into big savings and increased convenience.
• SPG and Hilton: both hotel brands are allowing guests to check in via a mobile app, without having to stop by the front desk. It’s like magic.
• Amazon: the Echo provides an interesting interface and the Dash Replenishment Service allows devices to take proactive actions.
• Phillips: their Hue bulbs were one of the earlier examples of mass adoption of connectivity being built into a common object.
• Belkin: WeMo isn’t terribly innovative, but it’s bringing the idea of a connected home system into the mainstream.

Something notable in all of those examples: the connectivity is simply an addition, not a core part of an experience— and this is quite crucial.

IoT applications are rapidly popping up everywhere, but we’ve got to be careful and ensure that IoT products work as things on their own, without the Internet, in order to avoid creating yet another cool product that becomes a paperweight as soon as someone’s Comcast connection goes down (or worse, the maker goes bankrupt and takes the gears that power the tubes with them).

That’s not to say we should shy away from moonshot applications, never going all-Internet — we should absolutely go all-Internet where it makes sense — but whenever connectivity is an additional function of a product, basic operation shouldn’t depend on it. We should always strive to provide a sleek (fully-featured) physical interface that functions even when the device isn’t connected.

When you factor beacons into the equation, you open up some intriguing opportunities for context cueing. Much like how Apple uses location data to cue Passbook, beacons add a whole level of granularity to figuring what a person is trying to do. Think of Amazon’s Dash Replenishment Service and how an app could actually be aware of where you are, as well as what objects you’re interacting with to provide (or take) actions based on that. We’re getting there.

However, looking even further out, there are more important improvements to be made. As the IoT grows and becomes more deeply embedded into daily life, we’re going to see a lot more opportunity for focusing on the areas that fall between each thing.

Currently the Internet of Things is more like Things on the Internet: a bunch of isolated, novel, (sometimes quite useful) applications. In a few notable cases we have complete ecosystems — like Belkin’s WeMo family — but these are also isolated for the most part since they have limited abilities beyond their own private world.

Granted, WeMo has IFTTT, and IFTTT is breaking down barriers between services right and left, this approach can only take us so far. We’re going to need protocols, standards, and guidelines for this new Internet of Things. Bluetooth Low Energy and Google’s URI Beacon are wonderful starts, but we need more, especially around interfacing and communication (both human-device and device-device) — Reality Editor, Freeboard, and Internet of Things Foundation, for example.

As devices and connected appliances get better and become more useful, we’ll have more room to focus on the gaps in IoT — the experience between each device — crafting holistic experiences of wonder and delight, where everyday actions feel like magic.

Less wifi toasters and more magic buttons.