Big Data in Practice

18 NEST Bringing The Internet of Things Into The Home

Background

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an idea that has been gathering steam for a while but has burst into full fruition over the last couple of years. In a nutshell, its name comes from the fact that the original Internet we are all now used to having in our lives was based around computers talking to each other. With computers becoming smaller, more powerful and integrated in more and more everyday objects (phones being only the most ubiquitous example), just about everything can talk to each other digitally. So instead of an Internet made up of computers, we have an Internet made up of … things!

The idea is particularly applicable to household items, which is why “smart” versions of everyday tools and gadgets are emerging on the market at an ever-increasing rate. These include smart televisions, bathroom scales, sports equipment, kitchen utensils and even lightbulbs.

Nest are a company that have made a name for themselves during this first incursion of intelligent machines into our homes. Their products – smart thermostats, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and most recently security cameras – are installed in thousands of homes. In 2013, the company were acquired by Google, a move analysts interpreted as signalling the search-engine giant’s interest in developing an “operating system for the home”.¹

What Problem Is Big Data Helping To Solve?

A huge amount of energy is wasted through inefficient home heating ...