Live data from Hacker News

The Internet of Things is broken. How to fix it and why we should

xithing.io

21–23 of 23 posts

Re: The Internet of Things is broken. How to fix it and why we should

#21
Let me tell you how to fix it. Burn it with fire. Napalm should do. If it does not, try termite (of course metaphorically speaking).

We should not allow collection of data about our very close environment, especially home. This will open a direct threat to our well being.

I give you one specific example.

Suppose you have an IoT device in your bedroom that uploads CO2 values (of course it may also do something useful too such us showing this data to you or regulating the ventilation).

Now the rate of CO2 production depends on bodily activities. More activity means more CO2 production. I suppose that you agree that having this information you more or less are capable to deduce when a couple has sex.

This means that we could calculate a metric how much sex is going on and relate it to specific user.

Suppose that we detect that rate of sex has gone down by 20 (a made up number dependant of our model). We can now sell this information.

This information is for example useful perhaps for psychologist who want to sell you counselling.

But it is even more interesting for divorce lawyers who now could prey on couples having period of difficulty in their sex lives.

Even more, this information could be made more valuable by some additional influence. For example feeding the user with articles related to marital happiness and sex life.

I leave the rest for you imagination.

Re: The Internet of Things is broken. How to fix it and why we should

#22
post #17
post #7

"Why in the first place would you want to connect every object in your physical surrounding to the internet?" The great unanswered question of IoT.

Yeah, and I remember in the early 90's a lot of people asking me "But why would you want to carry a phone with you all the time?"

Mobile phones always had a clear core market who genuinely had an answer to that question, even when the phones were so heavy they were 'carphones'. The market expanded as cost and weight went down.

The categories of home IoT device that seem to have a good answer are the fitness sensors and security systems. The smart kitchen on the other hand is probably doomed to be a bad idea.

Re: The Internet of Things is broken. How to fix it and why we should

#23
post #17
post #7

"Why in the first place would you want to connect every object in your physical surrounding to the internet?" The great unanswered question of IoT.

Yeah, and I remember in the early 90's a lot of people asking me "But why would you want to carry a phone with you all the time?"

[deleted]
Post reply on HN