Matt Hatton at The Wireless Noodle published a thought-provoking, IoT-themed post recently covering some great IoT device highlights this Christmas season. In particular, he picked out some innovative health devices, thermostats and even a book called ‘Eventually Everything Connects’ at the Design Museum in London.
So, with Matt’s highlights in mind, Mani and I started thinking about what we’d pick out of the past, present and future world of IoT this Christmas, and what we’d want on our IoT wish list. Here are our top five picks:-
- An IoT-connected car. The connected car market is set to continue its booming growth, and with that, the IoT cars available today are continuing to impress and improve. Why wouldn’t you want an intelligent car? We’d love an IoT-connected/M2M-enabled Audi R8 for example; one with eCall would be good for those tricky situations… Especially as accidents do happen, no matter how advanced your car is.
- Apple’s connected Apple Watch, would be perfect this Christmas… It’s just a shame it’s not out yet. We might not have to wait long, though. And whilst it might not be the most open platform, it’s set to drive momentum in the mobile payments industry through Apple Pay. Apple is extending its IoT effort with its HomeKit, which promises huge potential innovations in the connected home. We can’t wait!
- Google’s Nest Learning Thermostat would be awesome this Christmas, especially when it’s cold. As it programmes itself and turns the heat down when you’re away, and can be controlled from anywhere with you smartphone, it’s a huge step forward for safety, efficiency and convenience. We believe it’d be a great fit for our IoT home. And indeed, Nest has its own ecosystem of partners looking to build out a more connected home, if you’re not a fan of the Apple ecosystem this could be your IoT Home’s starting point.
- A fitness monitor. Fitness is a large part of the IoT now; the Epson Pulsense has caught our eye as result. Connecting to your smartphone, the Pulsense’s wrist-worn monitor does it all; it monitors heart rate, sleep quality and exercise-intensity tracking. Perhaps this gift would be great for a New Year’s resolution of fitness and health.
- Christmas mood-lighting. Lights can help make a Christmas scene, so why not have lights that can change tone and contrast and enable you to explore the whole color spectrum to help get you in the Christmas spirit? The Philips hue lights allow you to do just that with your smartphone. We think they’d be the icing on the cake for an IoT Christmas.
So that’s our IoT Christmas wish list this year. What do you think? Is yours different? Let us know @Gemalto or leave a comment in the section below. And don’t forget to check out the final stages of our IoTMaker Challenge; the entries shortlist has been revealed, and it won’t be long until a winner is chosen in the New Year.
