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Non-Tech : Kirk's Market Thoughts -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jerome who wrote (1784)	8/8/2014 11:33:03 PM
From: Kirk ©	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 26822

I feel the same way about putting my finances and everything on my smart phone. They are targets of muggers... I don't want anything valuable on mine but ways to find out the quickest route to and from windsurfing 20 miles from my house. Credit cards and cash work fine. Credit cards if used send an email to me immediately to me announcing the purchase so if away from home, my smart phone gets the notice so I can call the credit card company if it wasn't me. It is a hassle but someone took my number after making a purchase at Olive Garden... got an alert when some hotel in Columbia tried to run a $30 test charge. I called and cancelled the card and alerted them of the fraud probably before they got the $30. The only hassle was I was so quick to report it I had to wait for the bill to call and get it reversed as it didn't show online for my new card... or something like that. Lose your wallet and you have to go home to get credit card statements (I NEVER eliminate paper statements, what happens if your computer is stolen with your wallet, how to do call the credit card company if you don't have numbers?).... Anyway, it seems a lot of this convenience is for the young who never really thought through some issues or they don't have enough assets to care. Funny... working for myself from home, I LIKE to get out and shop for half an hour to get almond milk or salad or fresh fruit and I sure don't want my computer to order it for me and have a drone deliver it... I also don't trust the hand pickers who drive the Google vans all over here (I'm about 6 miles from Google HQ) to get the bread with the latest expiration date...

To: Jerome who wrote (1784)	8/10/2014 11:21:43 AM
From: The Ox	1 Recommendation Recommended By Kirk © Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 26822

I think the press has most of the reporting on the IoT all wrong. For a few people, having the fridge order milk when you are low would be beneficial but to 85% (and probably more) of the people out there it's not necessary. However, having your fridge capable of sending you a text or email that says, "Hi, this is your fridge, I'm above 48 degrees for the first time ever and this is the first message I've had to send in 7.3 years. Normally I'm 42 and I've run my entire life between 40 and 44, except when you've had the door open for too long. I think there might be something wrong!" Now that is a message I'd want my fridge to send. Or the water connection is leaking..... What if your tires did the same thing when you started up your car? I'm below the minimum PSI you'd want for these babies....time to add some air or check for a problem". These are things the IoT can eventually provide on a relatively cheap basis and they don't compromise your privacy. Many things we now do by hand and require additional effort, as well as planning, can be done simply, cheaply and seamlessly. The communications can piggy back on local WiFi, Near Field Communications capabilities of your phone, tablet, etc... We're not too far from this being a reality that could be very beneficial. Fix something BEFORE it's broken, Get a "heads up" in advance.