Once upon a time, in a world far, far away, we worked in an actual office (made out of bricks), went to an actual gym (featuring people), and frequented things called grocery stores (where you have to check your own sell-by dates and select your own produce).
Today, of course, (and thankfully so) we don't have to do any of those antiquated, labour-intensive things that require exertion of either muscle or mind. This is because we have the Internet. More specifically, the Internet of things.
That's the mentality I picture us having one day, anyway. The Technorati get all excited when Cisco talks about the Internet of everything - and when Ericsson says everything that can benefit from being connected, will be.
While I am sure the phenomenon will bring with it loads of novel, fun and funky products, I am just not wholly convinced. Largely because I cannot see the point of many of the mundane objects proposed being connected. Also, I believe, if it ain't broke - don't fix it.
Ericsson says: "We believe that anything that can benefit from a connection should have one - even a tree." Really? As far as I know, trees have been surviving in the wilderness for eons without being connected.
But, If Google's latest acquisitions, and January's Consumer Electronics Show media output is anything to go by, like it or not - a real life Internet may not be much further off than a few years.
The concept, arguably coined way before it was even relevant, has been bandied about for years now. It basically entails the virtual connection of anything you could think possible.
Home heart
Over the past few months, Google has bought about seven robotics companies. The tech giant - once known primarily as a search engine - this month also acquired a smart thermostat maker, Nest.
Nest CEO Tony Fadell said in a blog post that Google would help the company realise its vision of the "conscious home", and change the world faster.
In some ways, I can see the point of a connected home - with limits. I am just not sure I trust the Internet enough to run my entire home. The more layers of competence - especially technology-related competence - you give an object, the more there is that can go horribly wrong.
In some ways, I can see the point of a connected home - with limits. I am just not sure I trust the Internet enough to run my entire home.
My refrigerator refrigerates just fine as it is. The light switches are easy enough for me to decipher all on my own - what, with a 50/50 chance of them doing what you want them to: turn on or turn off.
Google is making no bones about the fact that this is where it is headed: the fully connected home. In fact, the company apparently shares Cisco CEO John Chambers' ideas. Chambers recently said the Internet of things market could potentially be worth a whopping $19 trillion.
Dire disconnect
All well and good for the companies raking in the dough - but what about how it could affect the human psyche as we become more and more dependent on technology? Technology that is prone to inexplicably fail.
What happens one day, when a satellite collision extinguishes the earth's communications and we've become so reliant on artificial intelligence directing our every move that we've stopped using our human intelligence?
When grocery shopping is more than a chore - it is a challenge. When driving feels like taking your driver's licence exam for the first time again, and even the simplest of tasks become gruelling, I do not know how thankful for the Internet of things I would be.
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