Tag Archives: Laptop
What Won’t We Connect To The Internet?
So, I was on the evil internet recently and came across this most interesting article (#1) which got me wondering. What aren’t we willing to connect to the internet? What are the connection limitations to the internet? Why do we connect so many things collectively to the internet so willingly? Anyway, these just happens to be the articles I was reading. All credit belongs to the original author and I claim nothing but wanting to share. Also, take a look at the second article (#2) which gives some statistics that might blow your mind a little.
Article #1
See original here.
Jacob Morgan; Contributor
I write about and explore the future of work and collaboration.
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
5/13/2014 @ 12:05AM
A Simple Explanation Of ‘The Internet Of Things’
The “Internet of things” (IoT) is becoming an increasingly growing topic of conversation both in the workplace and outside of it. It’s a concept that not only has the potential to impact how we live but also how we work. But what exactly is the “Internet of things” and what impact is it going to have on you if any? There are a lot of complexities around the “Internet of things” but I want to stick to the basics. Lots of technical and policy related conversations are being had but many people are still just trying to grasp the foundation of what the heck these conversations are about.
Let’s start with understanding a few things.
Broadband Internet is become more widely available, the cost of connecting is decreasing, more devices are being created with wifi capabilities and censors built into them, technology costs are going down, and smart phone penetration is sky-rocketing. All of these things are creating a “perfect storm” for the IoT.
So what is the Internet of things?
Simply put this is the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other). This includes everything from cell phones, coffee makers, washing machines, headphones, lamps, wearable devices and almost anything else you can think of. This also applies to components of machines, for example a jet engine of an airplane or the drill of an oil rig. As I mentioned, if it has an on and off switch then chances are it can be a part of the IoT. The analyst firm Gartner says that by 2020 there will be over 26 billion connected devices…that’s a lot of connections (some even estimate this number to be much higher, over 100 billion). The IoT is a giant network of connected “things” (which also includes people). The relationship will be between people-people, people-things, and things-things.
How does this impact you?
The new rule for the future is going to be, “anything that can be connected, will be connected.” But why on earth would you want so many connected devices talking to each other? There are many examples for what this might look like or what the potential value might be. Say for example you are on your way to a meeting, your car could have access to your calendar and already know the best route to take, if the traffic is heavy your car might send a text to the other party notifying them that you will be late. What if your alarm clock wakes up you at 6 am and then notifies your coffee maker to start brewing coffee for you? What if your office equipment knew when it was running low on supplies and automatically re-ordered more? What if the wearable device you used in the workplace could tell you when and where you were most active and productive and shared that information with other devices that you used while working?
On a broader scale the IoT can be applied to things like transportation networks “smart cities” which can help us reduce waste and improve efficiency for things such as energy use; this helping us understand and improve how we work and live. Take a look at the visual below to see what something like that can look like.
The reality is that the IoT allows for virtually endless opportunities and connections to take place, many of which we can’t even think of or fully understand the impact of today. It’s not hard to see how and why the IoT is such a hot topic today, it certainly opens the door to a lot of opportunities but also to many challenges. Security is big issues that is oftentimes brought up. With billions of devices being connect together what can people to do make sure that their information stays secure? Will someone be able to hack into your toaster and thereby get access to your entire network? The IoT also opens up companies all over the world to more security threats. Then we have the issue of privacy and data sharing. This is a hot button topic even today so one can only imagine how the conversation and concerns will escalate when we are talking about many billions of devices being connected. Another issue that many companies specifically are going to be faced with is around the massive amounts data that all of these devices are going to produce. Companies need to figure out a way to store, track, analyze, and make sense of the vast amounts of data that will be generated.
So what now?
Conversations about the IoT are (and have been for several years) taking place all over the world as we seek to understand how this will impact our lives. We are also trying to understand what the many opportunities and challenges are going to be as more and more devices start to join the IoT. For now the best thing that we can do is educate ourselves about what the IoT is and the potential impacts that can be seen on how we work and live.
Article #2
Connected Devices Accelerate the Need for IPv6 in the Internet of Things (original article)
Posted on 27 Decembter 2013 in: Blog, Featured Article, General Information, IPv4, IPv6
Just how many devices are connected to the Internet? A report from the NPD Group found there are more than half a billion Internet connected devices in U.S. homes alone – that’s more than the number of U.S. residents. And a report from ABI Research found there are more than 10 billion wirelessly connected devices in the global market. Those numbers are only expected to increase as the Internet of Things (IoT) expands to include more devices that can connect to the Internet. Gartner predicts the IoT base will grow to 26 billion units by 2020 not including smartphones, tablets and PCs. Including those items, other predictions have placed the number of Internet-connected devices in 2020 everywhere from 50 billion to 75 billion.
The IoT is a true demonstration of the evolution of the Internet, but its potential could be slowed by IPv4 depletion. As the number of available IPv4 addresses dwindles, it is more crucial than ever to ensure new consumer devices and the networks that support them are IPv6 enabled.
Every device needs a unique IP address to connect to the Internet. Drawing only from the pool of addresses that IPv4 provides, there just simply won’t be enough to connect every new gizmo and gadget to the Internet. Fortunately we have IPv6 that has been in production across the web on many networks for years that can meet addressing need challenges. There are 340 trillion trillion trillion IPv6 addresses available to allow the Internet of Things to come to fruition. What is more, transit networks as a whole need to support IPv6 in order for all of these new devices to function properly and efficiently.
The Internet of Things has the potential to open new markets for innovation for many businesses and even entire industries. Take for example the car industry, where Ford’s director of technology predicts cars will have voice recognition capabilities allowing drivers to connect to their apps, pre-order a coffee or pre-pay for gas – all using their voice. Let’s not forget about safety, either. Envision a future with wearable sensors for drivers with medical conditions that connect to your car and can prevent accidents during medical emergencies.
The possibilities of the IoT with IPv6 are endless and the bottom line is consumers don’t want devices that will only connect them to part of the future Internet. The IoT is a dawning reality and its evolution is dependent on the use of IPv6.
The Secret Part-Time Job
I have been trying to get a friend of mine to give me permission to tell the story about her secret part-time job that she had for six years or so. She fought me for the most part over the years, begging me not to ever mention anything about any of it because she didn’t want it to ever come back and bite her in the ass. A couple of days ago I got a phone call out of the blue from a number I didn’t recognize so I sent it straight to the voicemail. After a few moments I got a notification that I had a new voice mail. I went ahead and listened to it because I do have stuff for sale on Craigslist so it could be an inquiry. I was shocked, it was my friend I haven’t spoken with in about two years. She informed me this was her new number and that she was living in the Houston area now. She wanted me to call her so maybe we could get together and chat a bit. I returned her call because I was curious why she had called me and why in the hell she moved to Houston. And, how in the hell did she get my phone number. Amazingly enough she still had the voice of an angel, very pleasant to listen to, no matter what she was saying to you. So, after about a 30 minute conversation we decided of talking we decided to meet on this past Sunday. She hadn’t changed much since I had seen her last which was about seven years ago.
The jist of it all was she was looking to start a new life now that she was out of the Army. She was in the Army for 17 years and finally got fed up with it. She had never gotten married because her “schedule”, in her opinion, would not have been good for a marriage. She did mention that she never had a hard time finding no strings attached relationships. I can only imagine why. Well, that’s not true, but not how y’all are thinking, but we will get into that in a bit. Why choose Houston? She has no family here and as far as I know I am her only friend. not really, she knows other people here, but no real friends, no one she has a “history” with to speak of. She used a part of her retirement bonus to buy a nice house south of Houston on a couple of acres of land. She had heard through the grapevine that I had a few connections at the club I used to bartend at and wanted me to share them with her. Share? I don’t share. I don’t refer. I don’t recommend. Well, that is how it was when I worked there because I never wanted to get the stink eye if I recommended someone and they didn’t work out well. I figured what the hell, I don’t work there anymore what can it hurt to make a phone call. She was interested in being a waitress. Really? I never expected that from her because now at age 40 I think she could show those young ones a thing or two stripping. But, then again, that is just my own opinion, of course. Jokingly I asked what was in it for me and I got asked what I wanted for the favor. So, I told her that if I could get her an interview that she had to tell me, in detail, beyond what I already knew, about he secret part-time job she had while she was in the Army. After an awfully long sigh, her rolling her eyes, and a giggle, she decided she would tell me about it. She figures that now, even if certain people could put two and two together that it couldn’t effect her life now, not that it was something illegal, just the military, in general, frowns upon moonlighting. Plus, her part-time job could be deemed as being of the sexual nature type. When I asked how she got my phone number she just said she had her ways. By having her ways means that she went to the club, laid a sob story on someone I knew pretty well, and they gave me up, as well as pointing them to my blog and Facebook to check on me if she wanted to. Really? Damn.
Before we ended our conversations I made my phone call. I arranged for an interview. She spoke to my ex-boss and everything is set. My turn now. When do I get what I want? She said that the story would be too long to just sit and tell, just let her write me an e-mail over the next few days and I can go forward from there if I choose to. It has been a long couple of days and frankly I didn’t think I would ever get her story. I was way off the mark on that assumption because she did e-mail me, she did give a great story, and she did want me to grant her anonymity in the ways of changing her name, locations, and so forth. Easy enough, that’s what I do. As you can see, I did have permission to state the simple facts that she is now 40 and she recently retired from the Army, so from this point forward all y’all know is that we know each other personally. The fortunate and unfortunate part about this entire story is it is a bit lengthy but I have trimmed the “fat” off here and there. She approves of the rough draft so I suppose I am ready to roll. I left out most of the background stuff and will just jump in feet first landing with the idea, conception, planning, and the birth of her secret part-time job.
In her early 30’s Grace was still going strong in the Army, she was gaining rank at the expected pace, and she was expecting to make this the only career she knew. As a female officer in the Army she always struggled with actually looking like a woman. Eventhough she did her best to look great in BDUs (Battle Dress Uniform — camouflage uniform to make it simple), she always wanted to show just a little bit of skin, she has always been a little tease, it’s just who she is. There came a point where money became an issue and she found herself getting the odd part-time job which never lasted because she would deploy to different places all the time. Her job kept her traveling all the time, but when she was here or there she would always have spare time, but her schedule rarely fit the schedule of potential employers. Grace and a few of her girlfriends were out at the bar one night, talking about the money issues and what each of them had tried. Grace, at that point, realized that she had the perfect idea and they could all work from “home” and make some decent money. She explained her solution to her friends and was shocked that they all were very excited because it seemed like easy money. Are you asking yourselves what it could be yet? Just wait, it’s coming.
Grace considered the fact that many people were just like her, that had their smart phones, tablets, and laptops, which they use to stay connected to the outside world. She wanted to use this to her advantage and she wanted to make money while she did it. With zero experience in “marketing” Grace and her friends had to hope that what they were creating would be search friendly. After a little business planning, pricing what their time is worth, and a little psychological preparation, they figured they were ready to launch. On the first night, each of the six women got ready to flip their “on-line now” switch and open up for business. Each one of the six women waited patiently to see what would happen and who would stop by. The bigger question was would anybody even stop in to see them or would anyone even stumble upon their website as it was suspected they would. After about 30 minutes Grace received notification that the first person had entered her virtual room and had a valid credit card to process transactions. It was now time for game on. After a few moments she began typing to introduce herself and what they had to offer. The person on the other end began to chat back, they discussed show pricing, duration, and content. Within about another 30 minutes their activity has grown to over 100 people wanting to see what they could see. The women offered four membership packages or membership subscriptions from which visitors could choose. They wanted to keep everything “pre-paid” and from the start they got exactly what they wanted. The package subscriptions were as follows. The “Hourly Subscription” was $25.00 for 30 minutes of group chat and show. Private shows spurred off at an additional price of $25.00 for each five minutes. The “Silver Subscription” was $100.00 for four hours of time which had to be used in 30 days from time of purchase and the private shows were offered at the per 5 minute rate. The “Gold Subscription” was $250.00 for ten hours of time which had to be used in 30 days from time of purchase and the private shows were offered at the per 5 minute rate. The “Platinum Subscription” was $500.00 for 30 hours of time which had to be used in 30 days from time of purchase and a person had 20 “free” five-minute shows to be used within the 30 day subscription period. All subscriptions, with the exception of the hourly subscription, automatically re-billed every 30 days for the customer’s convenience.
Grace recalls the first night, collectively between all six women, they had 329 visitors. 194 of them went straight for the Platinum subscription package, 39 did the Gold package, 64 went for the Silver package, and the remaining 32 did the hourly. If you have been following with a calculator you will have noticed that the very first night they went live the grossed well over one hundred grand. She explains that after “hosting” cost were deducted that each one of the six women would make just under $17,000.00 based on one night’s subscriptions. This was just the beginning, before long, by the end of the first month, they invited a few more women (all stay at home moms or single) to make them a team 15 strong. They could now operate 24/7/365 with no down time. Are you wondering why “chat” is so expensive yet? It’s special. This is chat with benefits and a happy ending. Some of y’all know what I’m talking about and for the rest I will explain. They all start off in fully clothed chat mode. Then, when the money begins to flow they begin the “tease”, showing a little skin here and there. The more money, the more skin, until one or more people throw down the “cash” for a private chat show. Most of the time it is “user” controlled as to what happens, the women fulfill requests including fetishes all the way to the out right bizarre. Grace never confirmed or denied the use of farm animals so that part is still a bit fuzzy and unclear.
If y’all are asking how I know Grace I can put all of your inclinations straight to rest because I never saw a show. Now, I did know her while she was active duty and I was fulfilling my active guard commitment for the Air Force. For some reason we did become friends, we did drink together, and she always eluded that she had a “hobby-job” that one day she would let me in on. She left me hang just like that for a considerable amount of time. But, now that I look back in reflection I can believe it. Since she spilled the beans and really provided me with any proof except her word, she did provide me with contact information for three of the other original woman, two of which confirmed her story, and one which has yet to return my call. I was also provided with a couple of screenshots of her performing private chat so I’m convinced I suppose. All in all, I was really surprised, but then again I never really knew what to expect with her confession. If I had to take a wag (wild ass guess) at it I would have said she did the adult toy parties for the Army wives. Makes me think that the increase in personal revenue might have been the reason she retired early from the Army. Just a thought that cannot be confirmed or denied unfortunately.
***Top picture (tank crossing) provided from Grace, no location given. The bottom picture was obtained through a Google search.***