A sceptical essay from Ian Bogost on the digital sleight of hand he sees in the hype around the Internet of Things: "It’s time to admit that the Internet of Things is really just the colonization of formerly non-computational devices for no other reason than to bring them into the fold of computation.... The Internet of Things exists to build a market around new data about your toasting and grilling and refrigeration habits, while duping you into thinking smart devices are making your lives better than you could have made them otherwise, with materials other than computers. Innovation and disruption are foils meant to distract you from the fact that the present is remarkably similar to the past, with you working even harder for it."
It's about colonisation of our data, not about improved functionality.
It's about colonisation of our data, not about improved functionality.
By Patrick Lambe