What is the IoT?
The Internet of things (IoT) is the extension of Internet connectivity into physical devices and everyday objects. Embedded with electronics, Internet connectivity, and other forms of hardware (such as sensors), these devices can communicate and interact with others over the Internet, and they can be remotely monitored and controlled.
According to Internet of Things – Statistics & Facts, the total installed base of Internet of Things (IoT)connected devices is projected to amount to 75.44 billion worldwide by 2025, a fivefold increase in ten years. The IoT, enabled by the already ubiquitous Internet technology, is the next major step in delivering Internet’s promise of making the world a connected place.
The definition of the IoT
The definition of the Internet of things has evolved due to convergence of multiple technologies, real-time analytics, machine learning, commodity sensors, and embedded systems. In the consumer market, IoT technology is most synonymous with products pertaining to the concept of the “smart home”, covering devices and appliances (such as lighting fixtures, thermostats, home security systems and cameras, and other home appliances) that support one or more common ecosystems, and can be controlled via devices associated with that ecosystem, such as smartphones and smart speakers.
Compatible Google Assistant Smart Home Devices
Since the company unveiled the original Home, we’ve seen plenty more devices with Google Assistant built in. Google has also added integration with a healthy amount of other smart devices, so we’ve broken down some of the best and most popular options for you to choose from.
Whether it’s smart variations of lights, plugs, thermostats or even just streaming devices, we’ve got you covered. And a tip to keep in mind – you can spot a ‘Works with the Google Assistant’ badge to determine which products work with Google Home.
Below, we’ll deep dive into some compatible Google Assistant smart home devices.
Perhaps the best known smart lighting system out there, there’s no better place to start this list than with Philips Hue. The Hue ecosystem is continually growing with many different kits and lights to make your place all fancy and colourful. And once you have a colourful ensemble of bulbs lighting your way, you can switch on, dim, brighten and change colour all with the Google Assistant.
TP-Link’s Wi-Fi smart plugs, like the HS 110, will do exactly what you’d expect. You’ll get energy monitoring and remote access to turn on and off devices, scheduling, and away mode, which turns off all your devices when you leave.And of course, you’ll have Google Assistant support to turn devices on and off with the power of your voice.
In all, we are told that IoT has changed our life, which is beneficial to us and provides us convenience and comfort. However, the IoT concept has faced prominent criticism, especially in regards to privacy and security concerns related to these devices and their intention of pervasive presence. What is your opinion about the IoT? Do you still have some concerns about IoT technology? Please make some comments and communication with me.
TANG XIAOTING 
Hi Emma, I am glad to see your opinion of the Internet of Things, which gives me a better understanding of it. The closest thing to our life is smart furniture. I also mentioned the sweeping cleaning robot in the blog, which is really a very convenient tool. It helped me to reduce a lot of housework, I recommend that every family should have one!
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Yeah! Sweeping cleaning robot is a good example that shows the advantages of IoT. We really benefit from IoT devices and can’t live without IoT now. However, when using smart home, we should pay more attention to our privacy and security.
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I personally am not a fan into making everything connected to Internet. Having the blinds or lightning turned into IoT is great, but if everything are ‘smart’, people could hack into the system and harm others. In the detective cartoons I’ve seen murderers controlling the temperature of the victim’s room to drop drastically to cause seizure as he knew the victim had heart diseases and could not handle serious temrature changes. Similar things could happen in reality as well.
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I agree with your opinion that we should make everything connected to the Internet. The three main concerns that accompany the Internet of Things are the breach of privacy, over-reliance on technology, and the loss of jobs. These disadvantages can be largely devastating to society as a whole, as well as individuals and consumers.
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Hi Xiaoting, making the home smart does bring us much convenience. However, I have heard about people saying that some virtual home assistants are monitored by companies staffs. This obviously has exceeded the extent to which these products are expected to do. What’s your thought on this issue?
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Thank you for your comments! The IoT concept has faced prominent criticism, especially in regards to privacy and security concerns related to these devices and their intention of pervasive presence. So when using them, we must pay attention to our security and implement encryption for important per sonal information.
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