The Internet of Things and the rest of us

Humans generating data

I’ve been following some of the thinking about the Internet of Things in Wired and other places. This article is one of the clearer presentations around.  Now, it’s personal for me.

Over the last year, I’ve read reviews about Fitbits, Fuelbands and other devices that collect personal data about activity (e.g., steps, miles, calories, sitting and sleeping) but couldn’t decide which would  work best for me. I liked a lot about the Fitbit but not the fact that I’d have to use my phone to access the data. I don’t want to be tethered to my phone; I wanted the data literally at my fingertips. The FuelBand and Jawbone Up have some good features, but I finally bought the vivofit, a Garmin product.

It’s amazing how these devices become seamlessly one with us. For my entire adult life, I’ve worn a watch. At first, I wore a watch and the band, but really, that’s kind of silly, given that the activity band also shows the time. So I stopped wearing a separate watch. I’ve been talking to a lot of active people who say they like the feedback from these devices. They become part of ourselves and integrate with our lives. It’s kind of cool. We need to find ways to make them accessible to people who can’t afford them.