The next development of the net: the internet of things

The net shapes up to get physical As the 'third age' of the internet takes root and our physical world becomes more and more connected, Sean Dodson looks at the implications and how life will change Most people, if they bother to think about it at all, probably view the internet as an agent of profound change. In the 15 years since Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web, the life of almost everyone in the industrialised world has been touched by it. But just as many of us are getting to grips with its second stage, the mobile internet, very few are prepared - perhaps even aware - of the third and potentially most revolutionary phase of all: the internet of things. Sometime between now and 2010, the internet is poised to reach beyond virtual space and take root in the physical world. According to many futurist thinkers,... [read full story]