The Internet of Things: How Smart TVs, Smart Cars, Smart Homes, and Smart Cities Are Changing the World

The Internet of Things: How Smart TVs, Smart Cars, Smart Homes, and Smart Cities Are Changing the World

by Michael Miller
Released March 2015
Publisher(s): Que
ISBN: 9780134021300

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Book description

How the Internet of Things will change your life: all you need to know, in plain English!

The Internet of Things (IoT) won’t just connect people: It will connect “smart” homes, appliances, cars, offices, factories, cities… the world. You need to know what’s coming: It might just transform your life.

Now, the world’s #1 author of beginning technology books has written the perfect introduction to IoT for everyone. Michael Miller shows how connected smart devices will help people do more, do it smarter,
 do it faster. He also reveals the potential risks—to your privacy, your freedom, and maybe your life.

Make no mistake: IoT is coming quickly. Miller explains why you care, helps you use what’s already here, and prepares you for the world that’s hurtling toward you.

--What is IoT? How does it work? How will it affect me?

--What’s realistic, and what’s just hype?

--How smart is my “smart TV” really? (And, is it watching me?)

--Can smart IoT devices make me healthier?

--Will smart appliances ever be useful?

--How much energy could I save with a smart home?

--What’s the future of wearable tech?

--When will I have a self-driving car?

--When will I have a nearly self-driving car? (Hint: Surprisingly soon.)

--Is IoT already changing the way I shop?

--What’s the future of drones, at war and in my neighborhood?

--Could smart cities lower my taxes?

--Who gets the data my devices are collecting?

--How can I profit from the Internet of Things?

--What happens when the whole world is connected?

--Will I have any privacy left at all?

Table of contents

  1. About This eBook
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents at a Glance
  5. Table of Contents
  6. About the Author
  7. Dedication
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. We Want to Hear from You!
  10. Reader Services
  11. Introduction
    1. What You Need to Know to Use This Book
    2. One More Thing
  12. 1. Smart Connectivity: Welcome to the Internet of Things
    1. Welcome to the Future
    2. What Is the Internet of Things?
    3. What Kinds of Things Can Be Connected to the Internet of Things?
    4. What Do All Those Connected Things Do?
    5. When Will the Internet of Things Arrive?
    6. How Important Is the Internet of Things?
  13. 2. Smart Technology: How the Internet of Things Works
    1. Understanding the Internet of Things: The Big Picture
    2. Building the Internet of Things
      1. Stage One: Device Proliferation and Connection
      2. Stage Two: Making Things Work Together
      3. Stage Three: Developing Intelligent Applications
    3. Understanding Smart Devices
      1. What’s a Thing?
      2. Building Blocks
      3. Deconstructing a Device
      4. Store and Forward
    4. Understanding Network Connections
      1. How Traditional Networks Work
      2. Transferring Data Over a Network
      3. Understanding IP Addresses
    5. Examining Wireless Technologies
      1. Understanding RF Technology
      2. Wi-Fi
      3. Bluetooth and Bluetooth Smart
      4. Cellular Networks
      5. Mesh Networks
      6. Proprietary Cellular Networks
      7. Which Technologies Are Best?
    6. Understanding the Data
    7. Understanding Intelligent Applications
    8. Understanding Big Data
      1. Data Harvesting
      2. Data Storage
      3. Data Analysis
    9. Profiting from the Internet of Things
    10. Resources
  14. 3. Smart TVs: Viewing in a Connected World
    1. What Exactly Is Smart TV?
      1. What’s Inside a Smart TV?
      2. What You Need to Use a Smart TV
      3. What a Smart TV Does
    2. Considering Smart TV Operating Systems
    3. Examining a Typical Smart TV
    4. Exploring Smart TV Set-Top Devices
    5. How to Choose a Smart TV or Device
    6. How Secure Are Smart TVs?
      1. Hacking Into the System
      2. An Eye Into Your Living Room
      3. Official Snooping
    7. Integrating Smart TVs into the Internet of Things
  15. 4. Smart Appliances: From Remote Control Ovens to Talking Refrigerators
    1. Understanding Smart Appliances Today
      1. Smart Operation
      2. Smart Monitoring
      3. Smart Energy Savings
      4. Smart Maintenance
    2. Smarter Food Storage with Smart Refrigerators
    3. Smarter Cooking with Smart Ovens
    4. Smarter Cleaning with Smart Washers and Dryers
    5. Smarter Dishwashing with Smart Dishwashers
  16. 5. Smart Homes: Tomorrowland Today
    1. Automating the Home
      1. Convenience
      2. Security
      3. Efficiency
      4. Tying It All Together
    2. A Short History of Smart Homes
    3. Smart Steps to a Smart Home
      1. Step 1: Basic Communications
      2. Step 2: Simple Commands
      3. Step 3: Automating Basic Functions
      4. Step 4: Tracking and Taking Action
      5. Step 5: Prompting Activities and Answering Questions
      6. Step 6: Automating Tasks
    4. Simple Components for a Smart Home
      1. Sensors
      2. Controllers
      3. Actuators
      4. Buses
      5. Interfaces
      6. Networks
    5. Smarter Living with Smart Furniture
    6. Smarter Environment with Smart Lighting
    7. Smarter Views with Smart Windows
      1. Motorized Window Coverings
      2. Smart Glass
    8. Smarter Heating and Cooling with Smart Thermostats
      1. Nest Learning Thermostat
      2. Other Smart Thermostats
      3. Using Nest with Other Smart Devices
      4. Data Collection and Control Issues
    9. Smarter Protection with Smart Security Systems
      1. Smarter Security Systems
      2. Smart Locks
      3. Smart Security Cameras
    10. Smarter Sensing with Smart Monitors
      1. Smart Smoke Detectors
      2. Smart Air Quality Monitors
    11. Smarter Information with Amazon Echo
    12. Reimagining the Smart Network
      1. INSTEON
      2. Z-Wave
      3. ZigBee
    13. Controlling the Smart Home
      1. Control4
      2. Crestron
      3. HomeSeer
      4. Iris
      5. mControl
      6. Quirky
      7. SmartThings
      8. Vera
      9. Vivint
      10. WeMo
      11. Wink
      12. X10
    14. Where Can You Find Smart Home Devices?
  17. 6. Smart Clothing: Wearable Tech
    1. Wearable Technology Today—and Tomorrow
    2. Watching the Smartwatches
      1. Samsung Galaxy Gear
      2. Android Wear
      3. Other Popular Smartwatches
      4. Apple Watch
    3. Exercising with Fitness Trackers
      1. Understanding Fitness and Activity Trackers
      2. Tracking the Trackers
    4. Keeping Well with Wearable Healthcare Devices
    5. Monitoring Your Family with Wearable Trackers
    6. Recording with Wearable Cameras
    7. Eyeing Smart Eyewear
      1. Google Glass
      2. Recon Jet
      3. Glass Backlash
    8. Wearing Other Smart Clothing
    9. Dealing with Your Personal Data
      1. The Value of Data
      2. It’s Your Data, Isn’t It?
      3. Managing the Data
      4. Putting the Data to Use
      5. Enter the Insurance Companies
      6. How to Keep Your Personal Data Personal
    10. Where Do You Get Those Wonderful Toys?
  18. 7. Smart Shopping: They Know What You Want Before You Know You Want It
    1. Eliminating the Need to Shop
    2. Changing the Retail Environment
    3. Smart Store Tech
    4. Making It Easier to Pay
    5. Deliveries by Drone
    6. Managing Inventory Smarter
    7. What About Your Data?
  19. 8. Smart Cars: Connecting on the Road
    1. Smart Cars Today—and Tomorrow
      1. Smart Functionality
      2. Smart Diagnostics
      3. Smarter Driving
      4. Smart Communications
      5. Smart Entertainment
      6. Smart Climate Control
      7. Hacking a Smart Car
    2. Cars That Drive Themselves
      1. How Self-Driving Cars Work
      2. What’s Coming
      3. Levels of Automation
      4. Introducing Google’s Self-Driving Car
    3. Pros and Cons of Autonomous Autos
      1. The Good
      2. The Bad
      3. The Ugly
    4. Navigating the Legal Landscape
  20. 9. Smart Aircraft: Invasion of the Drones
    1. What Drones Are—and What They Aren’t
      1. Understanding Radio-Controlled Aircraft
      2. What Makes a Drone a Drone?
      3. Different Kinds of Drones
    2. How Drones Are Used Today
      1. Military Drones
      2. Intelligence Drones
      3. Surveillance Drones
      4. Civilian Drones
    3. The Future of Drone Aircraft
      1. Smarter Drones
      2. Delivery Drones
    4. Regulating Drone Aircraft
    5. Fly the Scary Skies: The Problems with Drones
      1. Collision and Liability Concerns
      2. Security Concerns
      3. Privacy Concerns
    6. Other Smart Aircraft Technologies
      1. Smart Structures
      2. Smart Skin
      3. Smart Maintenance
      4. Smart Cabins
  21. 10. Smart Warfare: Rise of the Machines
    1. The Past, Present, Future of Tech-Based Warfare
      1. Three Generations of Warfare
      2. The Fourth Generation
    2. Smart Aircraft
    3. Smart Bombs
    4. Smart Weapons
    5. Robot Soldiers
      1. Today’s Army Robots
      2. Robotic Armor and Super Soldiers
      3. Autonomous Fighting Robots
    6. Smart Strategy
  22. 11. Smart Medicine: We Have the Technology...
    1. Welcome to the Internet of Medical Things
      1. Connecting Devices
      2. Centralizing Records
      3. Realizing Benefits
    2. Smart Medical Devices and Monitoring
      1. Examining Smart Medical Devices
      2. Monitoring the Monitors
      3. Smart Monitoring for Seniors
    3. Smart Meds
    4. Smart Hospitals
      1. Everything’s Monitored, and Nothing’s Monitored
      2. Smarter Devices
      3. Smarter Standards
      4. Other Smart Equipment
    5. Smart Medical Records
      1. Apple HealthKit
      2. Dossia
      3. FollowMyHealth
      4. MediConnect
      5. Microsoft HealthVault
  23. 12. Smart Businesses: Better Working Through Technology
    1. Smart Offices
      1. Smart Connectivity
      2. Smart Environment
      3. Virtual Meetings
    2. Smart Stores
    3. Smart Inventory Management
      1. Smart Manufacturing
      2. Smart Transportation
      3. Smart Warehousing
      4. Smart Management
  24. 13. Smart Cities: Everyone’s Connected
    1. Understanding the Smart City
    2. Smart Infrastructure
    3. Smart Communication and Emergency Management
    4. Smart Roads and Traffic Management
      1. Smart Parking
      2. Smart Traffic Management
      3. Smart Roads
    5. Smart Public Lighting
    6. Smart Utilities
      1. Smart Waste Management
      2. Smart Water Management
    7. Smart Grid
      1. Understanding the Smart Grid
      2. Smarter Energy Management
      3. A Self-Healing Grid
      4. Collecting and Using the Data
      5. Building the Smart Grid
  25. 14. Smart World: The Global Internet of Everything
    1. Scaling the Internet of Things Globally
    2. Connecting Cities, States, and Countries
    3. The Rural Internet of Things
    4. The Agricultural Internet of Things
      1. Smart Irrigation
      2. Pest Control
      3. Smart Tractors
      4. Self-Driving Tractors
    5. The Environmental Internet of Things
    6. Battling Climate Change
    7. Impediments to the Global Internet of Things
      1. Technological Challenges
      2. Security Challenges
      3. Bureaucratic and Political Challenges
  26. 15. Smart Problems: Big Brother Is Watching You
    1. Privacy Issues
      1. What Do They Really Know About You?
      2. Your Government Is Spying On You
      3. Privacy Versus the IoT
    2. Security Issues
      1. Data Security
      2. System Security
    3. Big Data Issues
    4. Autonomy and Control Issues
    5. Smart Machine Issues
  27. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Internet of Things: How Smart TVs, Smart Cars, Smart Homes, and Smart Cities Are Changing the World
  • Author(s): Michael Miller
  • Release date: March 2015
  • Publisher(s): Que
  • ISBN: 9780134021300