The Internet of Things is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics at present. Apple and Google, the two major technology giants, are actively planning to dominate this field. But they obviously chose different technology paths.
No one knows what the world will be like when more and more objects around us are equipped with networked micro wireless signal receivers, which will become more and more intelligent.
This is why the so-called "Internet of Things" is full of fun. Especially now, Google and Apple are starting to show their talents.
Google is testing networking glasses. In January this year, the company acquired Nest Labs, a leading manufacturer of intelligent thermostats and smoke detectors, for $3.2 billion. Along with Nest came Tony Fadel, an ambitious former vice president of engineering at Apple, who was widely known for his iPod.
Apple is also working on iBeacons, a miniature Bluetooth detector used to communicate with the iPhone. It is also rumored that Apple may announce two new platforms at the developer conference next week as soon as possible: one for monitoring people's health and the other for managing people's rooms.
People are speculating about who will be the manufacturer of smart devices in the future and how they will interact with other devices.
Andreessen, a venture capital firm Horowitz) partner Benedict Evans wrote: "There is a view that all these products will be designed according to common open standards, and they can communicate and interact with each other in an intelligent way. In this way, if you enter the room with a person who cannot be identified by the surveillance camera, and your calendar says "appointment", an integrated learning system will dim the light, turn on the thermostat, and play Barry White's melodious and sexy music at the same time.
However, Evans pointed out that according to the precedents of those early technologies implemented in developed countries, such as small motors or computer chips, this Barry White scenario is unlikely to occur. Products generally do not share data unless they are installed in the same device - such as a fully equipped car.
Apple and Google hope to use hundreds of integrated chips and battery activators to profit from the Internet of Things, such as a smart car, or at least gain control of it. However, they have different ways to achieve their goals - both sides are starting from their own strengths.
Evans wrote: "Many wearable devices believe that they should become satellite products of smart phones, whether as remote sensors or remote displays, but their value is derived from cloud based analysis: know how many hours you sleep every day; Or get advice from big data: when should I fall asleep and when should I set the alarm clock? Is that more useful? IBeacon has a fascinating performance in this process. Because they are not connected with other products, but they bring intelligence to the physical world. In this way, every wall, every row of retail display cabinets, every suitcase, and every package can become part of the data. "
"That is to say, sometimes the device is just a piece of dumb glass (or a sensor that can't talk) driven by the cloud. Sometimes the cloud is a fool's memory driven by the device."
Evans said: "The development trend of Apple and Google is very interesting. If most 'objects' are only satellite products of smart phones and cloud terminals, how can we achieve value and control? Apple has integrated hardware and software, which means that they are most suitable for making objects work, but Google is better at cloud system related work."
The article is adapted from Rice Hull Net: http://it224.com/
