The Internet of Things is a game-changer, as Alex Warner told us at 1 Million Cups last Wednesday. Forbes’ claims it will change your workday in 2020, and Gigaom calls it “the next cloud battleground.”
So what is it?
Wikipedia will tell you it is “the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure.” In basic terms, it’s the ability for physical objects to communicate with each other through access to the internet.
The Internet of Things only solidifies the fact that our lives are becoming more closely intertwined with technology, a fact already made clear by the current 1.75 billion smartphone users. Witnessing the convergence of technology with work and daily life is not unlike watching the “epic collision of two galaxies,” as put by the Harvard Business Review.
Warner, as the CEO and co-founder of Pedigree Technologies, is an innovator in this area of tech, also called machine to machine technology (M2M tech). He gave an example of what this tech might look like in a future home with the example of a “smart refrigerator.”
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is fridge would know what was inside of it, and if you wanted something from it you could simply hit a button and order it. By creating smart and interconnected refrigerators, washers, bathtubs, etc. – we might be looking at a very Jetsons -like existence that’s just around the corner.
The real question, as one 1 Million Cups attendee asked, is will this new technology be able to “solve the age-old problem… ‘where are my two socks?’”
Through the latest tracking technology, the answer could very well be yes.
Warner was sure to acknowledge that, despite fascinating innovations in technology and the many benefits it can bring, it’s important that one keeps the bigger picture in mind.
“Technology is a great tool, but it’s a horrible master,” he said, referencing an oft-quoted phrase in the tech community.
When asked the traditional final question of how our community can help him grow his business, he was quick to applaud events like 1 Million Cups.
“When I started, things like this didn’t exist,” he said. “So this is just really awesome.”
Alex Warner (left) and hostess Tasha Rohlfs (right)
A recent article he said had a memorable illustration of what it can be like sometimes to be an entrepreneur, equating it to a man riding a lion.
“To the outside world it’s like, ‘look at that entrepreneur! He’s riding a lion!’” Warner said, “And the entrepreneur is going, “Oh my god! I’m riding a lion.’”
Having a supportive community is necessary not only in ‘riding the lion’, but also in fighting cultural norms that might be a hindrance to progress. Growing up on a farm in North Dakota, Warner said he sometimes encountered the Scandinavian-esque idea of only “doing what the group does.”
“That stuff needs to be broken,” he said, and was met with applause. “Communities like this do that.”
Join our 1 Million Cups community this Wednesday, 9:15 a.m. at The Stage at Island Park, for coffee and conversation as well as a presentation from Shannon Luney of Girl Develop It Fargo. Let us know you are attending by filling out this form, and don’t forget to bring your mug!
All photos public domain or taken by Marisa Jackels
